Personal shopping: what to know

What the job involves, what changes the price, and what to ask a pro.

What personal shopping is

A personal shopper selects clothing, gifts or household items for you based on your taste, size and budget, then helps you buy them in store or online. People hire one when they lack time to shop, want help with a special occasion or need someone to find pieces that fit their style.

Signs you need it

  • You have a special event coming up and need outfits chosen and bought in a short time
  • You have difficulty finding clothes in your size or in the style you want
  • You need gifts chosen for several people, with each one matched to the recipient
  • You are refreshing a wardrobe or setting up a new household and do not know where to start
  • You want to shop for a family member who lives somewhere else and needs help with sizing

What the pro does

  • Learn your style, sizes, colors you prefer or avoid, and the occasions the items are for
  • Set a budget and a list of must have items, and write down the items you already own
  • Search stores and online sources for items that match your style and size
  • Send you selections with photos and notes so you can approve or reject each one
  • Buy the approved items and track the orders, delivery dates and return windows
  • Help with returns or exchanges and send you a final list of what was bought and where

What changes the price

Every job is different, so we do not publish prices. These are the things that move the quote up or down.

  • The number of items and how many outfits or gifts are involved
  • How many stores or sources the shopper must search to find the right items
  • Whether the shopper must visit stores in person or can work online
  • How much styling, fitting or alteration coordination is part of the job
  • How quickly the items are needed and whether rush delivery is required
  • Whether the shopper must handle returns, exchanges or follow up after the purchase

What a written quote should spell out

  • The number of items or outfits covered and the occasions they are for
  • How the shopper is paid, and whether the items themselves are billed separately
  • How purchases are made and who holds the payment method
  • The approval process for each item before it is bought
  • The return and exchange process, and who handles it

Questions to ask before you hire

  • What styles and brands have you worked with for clients like me?
  • Will you send me selections for approval before you buy anything?
  • How do you handle sizing, and what happens if an item does not fit?
  • Who pays for the items, and how are receipts shared with me?
  • What happens if an item I approved is out of stock or delayed?
  • How do you protect my personal information and measurements?

Red flags

  • Buys items before you approve them or changes your budget without asking
  • Asks for your card PIN or account login rather than using a payment method you control
  • Gets paid by stores for steering you toward particular items, without telling you
  • Cannot show you past selections or a sample of their work

What you can do yourself

You can make a short list of the items you need, save photos of styles you like and check sizes against the store's size chart yourself. Hire a personal shopper when the shopping would take more time than you can spare, when you need help matching outfits or gifts or when the sizing is hard to find.

Licenses and permits

No license is usually required for personal shopping. Ask instead for references from past clients, examples of past selections with the client's permission to share them and a written description of how payment and returns are handled; check with your state or local business licensing office if the shopper operates as a registered business.

Personal shopping questions

Will the shopper get paid by the stores?

Ask. Some shoppers receive commissions or discounts from stores. Ask whether they do, and whether the commission affects which items they recommend.

What if the item does not fit?

Agree on the return process before the purchase. Most stores have return windows, and the shopper should send you the return deadline with each order.

Can the shopper use my payment method?

Yes, if you set the rule in writing and share the receipts. Many clients keep the payment method on their own account and approve each purchase.

About this guide

This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.

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