Careers in Wholesale Sales & Account Management
Wholesale sales and account management sit at the heart of the relationship between fashion brands and the retailers that sell their products — building strong retail partnerships and growing a brand's presence in the market. It's a fast-paced, relationship-driven career combining commercial awareness, communication and negotiation.
Wholesale Sales & Account Management Job Description
Wholesale sales and account management professionals are responsible for selling products from fashion brands and suppliers to retailers, independent stores, department stores, online retailers and other wholesale customers.
The role can vary depending on the business, but typically involves developing relationships with retail buyers, presenting collections, managing orders, achieving sales targets and identifying opportunities to grow existing accounts and win new business.
In fashion, wholesale professionals may work from a showroom, attend trade shows and travel to meet customers. They work closely with buying, design, merchandising, production, marketing and logistics teams to ensure collections are successfully sold and delivered.
Did You Know?
A successful wholesale salesperson is much more than someone who sells a collection. Understanding a customer’s business, knowing their market and building trusted relationships with buyers can be just as important as achieving the sales target.
A Wholesale Sales & Account Management Professional’s Core Responsibilities
Account Management
Building and maintaining strong relationships with retail customers, buyers and key accounts to maximise sales and develop long-term partnerships.
New Business Development
Identifying potential new customers, approaching prospective accounts and developing opportunities to grow the brand’s wholesale customer base.
Sales & Target Management
Working towards individual and team sales targets, monitoring performance and identifying opportunities to increase revenue and profitability.
Collection & Product Presentation
Presenting new collections to buyers, explaining product features and commercial opportunities and helping customers select the right products for their business.
Key Account Management
Managing relationships with major retail accounts, understanding their business objectives and developing strategies to maximise sales and strengthen the partnership.
Order Management
Taking and managing wholesale orders, ensuring customer requirements are accurately recorded and working with internal teams to resolve any issues.
Market & Customer Knowledge
Understanding customers, competitors and market trends to identify opportunities and make commercially informed sales decisions.
Showroom & Trade Shows
Preparing for and attending showroom appointments, trade shows and sales events, presenting collections and meeting new and existing customers.
Typical Job Titles by Level
Senior
Key Skills Needed
Salary
Figures are indicative and vary with experience, employer and location.
Progression
Wholesale sales and account management offer excellent opportunities for ambitious and commercially minded professionals. Many people begin in a sales administration, showroom or sales support role before progressing into account executive and account management positions.
With experience, you can take responsibility for increasingly important customers and progress into Senior Account Manager, Key Account Manager, Wholesale Sales Manager or Senior Sales Manager roles.
There are also opportunities to specialise in areas such as Key Accounts, Business Development, International Wholesale, Showroom Sales, Sales Operations or Marketplace Sales.
As your career develops, you may progress into Head of Wholesale, Head of Sales or Commercial Manager positions, managing teams, major accounts and significant sales targets.
At senior level, experienced professionals can progress into Wholesale Sales Director, Sales Director, Commercial Director or Managing Director roles, helping to shape the overall commercial strategy and growth of a brand or business.
Ready to start your career in Wholesale Sales & Account Management?
Explore live Wholesale Sales and Account Management roles on Fashion & Retail Personnel, or brief the team directly so we can match you to the right opportunity.