Covers topics that are important to aspiring retail buyers and store management personnel with responsibilities for managing retail sales and inventories.

This text represents a specialist text resource for students of retail management or marketing courses and modules, providing the reader with the opportunity to acquire a deeper knowledge of a key area of retailing management.

Containing fully updated and beautifully illustrated need-to-know info, this revised second edition of the bestselling textbook on fashion buying contains everything today's fashion management student needs to give them a clear head-start in this lucrative but highly competitive industry. Fashion Buying uniquely looks at what fashion buying entails in terms of the activities, processes and people involved - from the perspective of the fashion buyer. The book breaks down the five key areas of buying activity for those wishing to pursue a career in the industry, crucially exploring the role of the fashion buyer, sources of buying inspiration, sourcing and communication, merchandise planning and trends in fashion buying. Featuring completely revised content on retail typology (including need-to-know info on demographics, price points and markets), and selecting and buying garments (line sheets, purchase orders and lookbooks), Fashion Buying now includes valuable new sections on customer profiling, merchandise pricing (mark-ups, markdowns and how pricing is calculated for profit), and trends. Also included in this practical handbook are insightful interviews with both established and emergent fashion creatives. Business case studies put the contents of each chapter into professional context and provide insider perspective; while industry-focused exercises and activities enable readers to practise applying their new skills and so gain a competitive advantage in both their studies and buying careers. Written by industry experts, Fashion Buying is an invaluable go-to resource and leading textbook for fashion design, marketing, buying and merchandising students.

Fashion buying and merchandising has changed dramatically over the last 20 years. Aspects such as the advent of new technologies and the changing nature of the industry into one that is faster paced than ever before, as well as the shift towards more ethical and sustainable practices have resulted in a dramatic change of the roles. As a result, contemporary fast fashion retailers do not follow the traditional buying cycle processes step by step, critical paths are wildly different, and there has been a huge increase in ‘in-season buying’ as a response to heightened consumer demand. This textbook is a comprehensive guide to 21st-century fashion buying and merchandising, considering fast fashion, sustainability, ethical issues, omnichannel retailing, and computer-aided design. It presents an up-to-date buying cycle that reflects key aspects of fashion buying and merchandising, as well as in-depth explanations of fashion product development, trend translation, and sourcing. It applies theoretical and strategic business models to buying and merchandising that have traditionally been used in marketing and management. This book is ideal for all fashion buying and merchandising students, specifically second- and final-year undergraduate as well as MA/MSc fashion students. It will also be useful to academics and practitioners who wish to gain a greater understanding of the industry today.

"The end objective of buying and merchandising is to achieve sales and gross margin objectives through effective merchandise management of a department or group of departments." —from Management of Retail Buying, Third Edition There is more to retail buying than simply forecasting consumer demand. The successful buyer employs a complex constellation of skill, art, and careful study to plan and manage the flow of merchandise from the wholesaler or marketer to the consumer. This book contains the combined wisdom, knowledge, and hard-won savvy of three of the world's foremost authorities on managing retail buying, each of whom brought a lifetime of experience to the creation of this third edition of the most important book in every retail buyer's library. This comprehensive volume covers every aspect of retail buying, from targeting desired consumers and purchasing goods tailored to their tastes and needs, to negotiating with vendors, managing inventory, and using computers to expedite the buying process. Management of Retail Buying is organized into three parts: The Buying Process, Planning and Managing Merchandise Assortments, and Where and How to Buy. Part I features an overview of the buyer's milieu; a look at how the buying process can be organized and controlled; and in-depth descriptions of the several types of buying groups, how they function, and their similarities and differences. Part II focuses on the keys to understanding the consumer, forecasting demand, and using that forecast as a basis for selecting merchandise. Because retailers of staple goods face a very different set of objectives and problems from retailers of fashion and seasonal merchandise, separate chapters are devoted to planning and control of assortments in these different types of establishments. The book's final section examines the world of suppliers, vendors, price negotiations, order placement, special services from vendors, and actual acquisition of the merchandise. The authors provide authoritative and timeless advice on competitive strategies and tactics, foreign buying, controlling the logistical factors that lie between the purchase of goods and their delivery to the point of sale, and much more. Whether you're a seasoned retail veteran or a student or novice hoping to make retailing your life's work, Management of Retail Buying, Third Edition is destined to become the most highly prized volume on your bookshelf. The standard text/reference for retail buying and merchandising is now revised, expanded, and updated for the 1990s and beyond . . . This Third Edition of one of the classics in retailing literature combines the timeless wisdom of three of the industry's giants with a detailed examination of the current state of the retailer's art. It provides comprehensive coverage of every aspect of retail buying and how to manage the buying process in order to maximize profits and minimize losses. It also offers in-depth discussions of the numerous skills and techniques needed to succeed as a buyer or merchandise manager in today's competitive retail environment, including: Organizing and controlling the buying process Understanding consumer demographics and psychographics Identifying consumer trends and forecasting demand Analyzing and interpreting sales records Planning and control of merchandise assortments Using computers to increase competitiveness Shopping vendor lines and negotiating prices and services And much more

Buying for retail is a demanding and challenging job that requires a creative flair, a strong awareness of fashion trends, life trends as well as good interpersonal and team working skills. Buyers and merchandisers have to ensure that the right merchandise is being sent to the right stores, at the right time, in the right quantities. This takes a blend of forward planning and rapid response to consumer demands. In combination with the other areas of the business, success comes from maximizing profit, which is achieved through anticipating customer needs and responding rapidly to immediate issues. It involves complex data analysis, liaison with the stores operation teams and balancing store stock levels. To succeed as a professional buyer, you will need strong analytical and numerical skills, an interest and understanding of consumer demands and strong commercial awareness. You also need to have an ability to understand and prioritize issues quickly and efficiently. Progression into the Merchandising function also involves the ability to manage change. The better equipped you are in your buying function the better you will be able to adapt to these changes. The best change of all is to graduate from a good buyer to an outstanding one! To handle the complexity of data and to enable you to contribute effectively in the critical role of a buyer, you need the right skill-sets and a right mind-set. Both of which can be learned in The Art of Retail Buying. This easy to read guide is written in a concise & pictorial style with colorful images that enables you to follow step-by-step each function of a buyer. The Art of Retail Buying will inspire you, motivate you and encourage you towards merchandising excellence!

This textbook prepares future retail executives for the challenges they will face in contemporary retailing and manufacturing. Concepts and Cases in Retail and Merchandise Management, 2nd Edition, includes more than 70 cases that are contextualized by clear introductions and give students a grounding in a wide variety of contemporary retail management challenges. Case studies explore topics ranging from how to position a store and its merchandise to how to safeguard against cheap imports that threaten domestic manufacturers.