12. Goods manager

Lead-in:

1. spice – приправа

2. starch – крохмаль

3.confectionery – кондитерські вироби

4. crockery – фарфор

5. knitwear – трикотажні вироби

6. haberdashery – галантерея

7. stationery – канцелярські товари

8. hosiery – панчішні вироби

9. durability – довговічність

10. demand for the goods – попит на товари

I am a student of the faculty of Marketing, Trade and Customs Activity at Donetsk State University of Economics and Trade named after M. Tugan-Baranovsky. There are 3 departments here: the department of Marketing, Goods Management and Customs Activity.

My speciality is Goods Manager. It seems to me that our speciality is the most interesting and necessary for people engaged in trade. Our faculty prepares 2 types of goods managers: Goods Managers of Food products and Non-Food Stuffs. Food is the source of energy for the maintenance of life. That's why there are many kinds of foodstuffs in the world. We get food from animals and birds, plants and fish. Goods Managers of food products study 9 different groups of food products: 1) milk products, 2) meat products, 3) fish products, 4) grain products, 5) vegetables and fruit, 6) oils and fats, 7) drinks, beverages and spice, 8) starch and sugar containing substances and confectionery, 9) egg products.

The work of Goods Managers of food products is very important and many-sided. We study useful properties of goods; determine the most rational ways of food-products usage. Goods managers must know the regime of food-products storage for preserving their quality.

The ability to know some new wants and demands of customers, to recognise new trends and developments is very important. So Goods Managers of Food Products study physical, chemical and biological properties of goods and change of these properties while moving from producers to customers.

Goods Manager of Non-Food Stuffs also study different groups of products: plastic goods, consumer service chemicals, crockery and glassware, ceramics, building materials, furniture, electrical appliances, textile goods, ready-made garments, knitted garments, footwear, fur, haberdashery, stationery, hosiery, perfumery and cosmetic, gold and silverware and so on.

Clothing traditionally may be divided into ready-made clothes, hosiery, knitwear, hats, linen. According to the sex and age of a person clothing may be divided into: men's wear, women's wear and children's wear. But nowadays women's wear is gradually becoming identical in many cases with men's wear. The names of many articles of clothes are the same in men's and women's wear; for example, heavy-weight coats, light­weight coats, raincoats, anoraks, cloaks, cardigans, pullovers, sweaters, shirts, etc. The name "trousers" may include slacks, pants, jeans, cords.

The dressing of children moves now towards the miniaturization of adult fashion, including cords, velour skirts, jeans, dresses and suits.

Most people try to have in their wardrobes clothes in natural colours and made of natural materials, the prices on such clothes are rather high, but it would be probably explained by the fact that consumers are looking for durability, value and quality and are prepared to make a purchase which will cost them more but which is expected to last longer.

To be a qualified goods manager means to know if there is any demand for the goods, what the market potential is, to know local conditions and preferences, local trading customs and habits, what seasonal factors should be taken into account and the like.

In order to be specialists our students study foreign languages, mathematics, chemistry, psychology. Besides, great attention is paid to the special subjects.

I like my future speciality and I think that we, young specialists, must do all we can to meet the requirements of Ukraine in full.

Questions for comprehension check-up and discussion:

1. What is the name of your faculty?

2. What are the names of your faculty’s departments?

3. What is the name of your speciality?

4. What is the work of Goods Manager connected with?

5. What types of Goods Managers do you know?

6. What kinds of foodstuffs are there in the world?

7. What groups of non-food goods do you know?

8. What subjects do you study?