Day in the life of ...a supermarket retailer knitwear buyer

In this series, FashionUnited brings you a ‘Day in the Life’ feature talking to insiders from every different walk of the fashion industry. Here they reveal how they got started, work on a day to day basis, and why they wouldn’t swap their

fashion choice for anything. Today we are featuring Katie Putnam, knitwear buyer at George at Asda.

FU: How did you come to work at George at Asda?
KP: I am actually considered a bit of home-grown talent by George because I started my career straight from school with the George Degree Programme. I always wanted to work in fashion but was unsure which sector exactly. I came across the George Degree Programme which sounded interesting because I could work across various different departments from supply, sourcing and merchandising. I am proud all these years later to still be at George, which has just sponsored Graduate Fashion Week, supporting young talent and feel lucky to be working for the longest standing supermarket clothing retailer in the country.

FU: Early Morning cons

ists of...
KP: No day is the same but the morning can consist of planning a new range – part of my job is to use my imagination to hunt for styles and trends wherever that maybe – so I get to globetrot from New York, LA and Miami to compile trend reports on where to go next with the ranges. Travel takes up a lot of my time as I need to be aware of movement in key shopping destinations.

FU:Late morning consists of...
KP: If I am in the office, I will probably be planning and negotiating costs; for this teamwork is essential. So I will be working alongside design, merchandising, visual merchandising, technology and packing people to work on organising schedules for new ranges.

FU: And afternoon...
KP: I might be working closely alongside a technologist to ensure the fit of a garment to reviewing samples which have arrived of new styles due to launch in store.

FU: Daily Objective:
KP: Overall, I am responsible for planning and building the knitwear ranges that land in every George store in the country. I aim to create looks and make trends accessible for the Asda customer, sometimes factoring in the looks that customers aspire to such as Emma Watson or new Royal, Kate Middleton.

FU: Why did you choose the knitwear buying sector of the industry?
KP: After sampling different areas of the industry on the George Degree Programme, due to my love of trends and style, I realised ladies buying was the right area for me.I moved to a niche area because I found I could have more input and responsibility. I still find it exhilarating to see my styles hit the shop floor and witness people buying and wearing my ideas.

FU: Why you would recommend high street buying to a fashion graduate?
KP: No day is ever the same and it’s an ever evolving role because the business must always adapt to the economic climate and feed customer demand which makes it a fast paced and changeable role.