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Most of us love shopping… it’s a fact of life. Food is good, shopping is fun, and the sun rises. And the majority secretly fantasize about getting paid to shop - and making it a living. But what if it wasn’t just a fantasy?

There are people out there who work as a personal shopper each and every day, setting their own hours and working with the clients that they choose. Countless more throw away their thoughts of working as a personal shopper because they think personal shoppers work too many hours, make very little money, and never have time to do anything for themselves.

But if I was to take your notion of a personal shopper and turn it on it’s head…. show you the real information behind what each and every personal shopper actually does… would you be interested?

What Is a Personal Shopper?

There are a lot of misconceptions of personal shoppers floating around, and I’d like to change that.

A personal shopper is someone who shops for those that can’t - be it that they’re not physically able to, or simply don’t have the time. This can include anyone from the elderly who have trouble getting around, to high class clients who don’t have time to spend shopping for themselves.

Another misconception is that the life of a personal shopper is glamorous - flying to Paris or Italy to snag that perfect handbag for a client, before going off to New York to buy matching shoes, then LA to deliver it. Well, the sad truth is that personal shopping isn’t always glamorous, especially if you don’t live in a higher class area. Getting groceries for those that are too busy, or aren’t able, may be a part of your routine.

Who Does a Personal Shopper Serve?

A personal shopper can serve a whole plethora of people in a day. Shopping knows no bounds, after all!

The most common type of clients that personal shopper service are those that simply don’t have time to do the shopping for themselves. This can vary from shopping for new work and dress clothing to shopping for groceries and other household needs.

Personal shoppers also may have clients that are elderly, and are now unable to get around on their own. This can include shopping for food, clothing, and the basic household needs. While it may not be glamorous, it does help people, and can improve the quality of life of some.

What Sort of Skills Does a Personal Shopper Need?

The biggest question people have about personal shoppers is their skill. What do you need to know, and be able to do, to be a personal shopper? What is there to know, besides how to read a price tag?

More than you might suspect, actually!

The Love

The most important thing that a personal shopper needs is a love for shopping. It may seem easy to you, but many don’t connect working with shopping and shopping for themselves. If you hate spending time in stores, or the mall, going through every piece of clothing for that perfect piece, then you’ll probably hate being a personal shopper.

If you don’t have the love, don’t try.

Good Taste

Good taste is something that’s incredibly important for a personal shopper. Knowing what color pants goes together with what shirts, the perfect dress for the evening, and how to match clothing is vital to working with high end clients.

But that’s not all; being able to discuss style with a person, and then pick out clothing that they’ll like, is something vital. If you can’t know a person by their clothing, then you’ll have trouble deciding on light or dark blue for their shoes.

Creativity

Know how to find that special, unique gift? Well, you might have to! Clients could ask you to get a gift for their boss, friend, or even lover, and with only a scant description to go on, you’re left figuring the rest out on your own. Are you sure you can handle that?

Customer Service

If you hate dealing with people, this isn’t the line of work you’re going to want to go into You’re going to need to manage clients, meet one on one, and understand the way a person works. Being able to understand the specific needs of every client and meet them takes people skills!

The Bottom Line?

It can be hard being a personal shopper; but there are personal shoppers out there, and you can make money from doing it!

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