Getting a product from the producer to the consumer falls into the realm of Merchandising and Retail Management. This involves planning and supervising the purchase and marketing of merchandise in a broad area, such as women’s apparel or appliances. In department store chains, which house multiple stores, many of the buying and merchandising functions are centralized in one location. Merchandising managers need to anticipate consumer preferences and then help in the planning and implementation of sales promotion programs. They evaluate their suppliers based on prices, quality, service support, availability, reliability, and selection. Retailing is a very progressive field. The opening of major retail stores and the expansion of existing stores has increased the need for trained personnel. Advancement can be relatively fast and individual performance is measured, so an aggressive graduate should find promotion opportunities easily. Use of the internet has allowed both large and small companies to conduct more business electronically, thereby increasing the productivity and profitability of merchandisers. Projected employment varies by occupational specialty.

ECC’S COMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN BUSINESS PROGRAM WORKS WITH YOUR LIFE Whether you’re a new student, a working professional, or rejoining the workforce, if you’d like to enhance your qualifications for success in the workplace and further your education, ECC’s Computer Applications classes are for you! Earn anywhere from a short three-course certificate to a two-year degree and come away with computer and technology skills required of today’s workers. Our students solve business problems utilizing computer software; manage data to support data-driven decisions; run complex queries, create forms, and develop reports; prepare and deliver eye-catching presentations; create web and print materials to support your business needs; perform mathematical operations and financial calculations to analyze and graph data to identify trends; and much more. They also develop soft skills employers prizes, such as effective communication skills and professionalism.

Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) has been listed as #1 on CNN.com’s list of “Ten Unusual Majors That Can Get You Jobs.” FCS professionals are educators, administrators and managers, human service and business professionals, researchers, community volunteers, and consultants. They provide research-based knowledge about the topics of everyday life, including human development, personal and family finance, housing and interior design, food science, nutrition and wellness, textiles and apparel, and consumer issues. Their activities center around planning and delivering a variety of educational programs for many types of settings to improve the quality of life for individuals and families. People in this job field motivate others to use new technologies, facilitate learning, supervise students, administer programs and work cooperatively in groups. In recent years, many state and federal agencies have been created to assist families with such matters as child care, nutrition, family values, health services, and gerontology, which has opened up the job market for people in this field. CAREER INFO According to the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences, FCS professionals work in apparel and textile design/merchandising, dietetics, education, food and nutrition sciences, human development and family science, hospitality, interior design, nutrition and fitness, communications, and consumer economics and financial planning.