This is a merchant's comprehensive glossary of retail terms pertaining to the Assortment Planning process. Great to share with new Assistant Buyers or Business Analysts. Mech/ Merchandise /Revenue/Gross Profit/Margin/Dollars/Data/Ecommerce/Omnichannel/Retail

1. Assortment Plan
Glossary
J O A N B R A A T Z
V P M E R C H A N D I S I N G

2. What is an
Assortment Plan?
It is a strategic selection of products that
comprise a merchandise category, curated to
reflect consumer demands and optimize
return on investment for the company.
An Assortment Plan quantifies the product
mix and inventory size for the category. It
defines both the breadth and depth of sku,
color, size choices as well as allocation of
sku's to chain wide.

3. Assortment Plan Glossary
Stock-Keeping Unit (SKU):
A unique item within an assortment distinguished from
other products by brand, style, color or size.

4. Assortment Plan Glossary
The 4 R’s of Inventory
Management:
Based on merchandise data, the selection of the right
product, supplied in the right quantity, carried in the
right location, arriving at the right time.

5. Assortment Plan Glossary
The 4 P’s of Merchandising:
The strategic decision to manage a category by
selection of the right product, price, promotion, and
placement.

6. Assortment Plan Glossary
Assortment:
A collection of items to be sold at retail determined by
target customer, category role, fashion pyramid, and
pricing tiers.

7. Assortment Plan Glossary
Planogram (POG):
A visual model of product arrangement on fixture.
Schematic space based on store performance and
customer segmentation.

8. Assortment Plan Glossary
Category:
A group of related products (sku’s). Sometimes also
called a class, sub-class.

9. Assortment Plan Glossary
Brand:
A name or symbol associated with certain product
characteristics: price, quality, fit, styling and prestige.

10. Assortment Plan Glossary
Assortment Breadth:
The number of unique items (brand, style, color, size)
within an Assortment selection.

11. Assortment Plan Glossary
Assortment Depth:
The quantity of units stocked of items (brand, style,
color, size) within an Assortment selection.

12. Assortment Plan Glossary
Vendor Matrix:
The preferred suppliers or vendors selected to create
Assortment Plan for category or classification.

13. Assortment Plan Glossary
Hard Lines:
Non-textile products within an assortment (e.g.,
appliances, electronics, home furnishings).

14. Assortment Plan Glossary
Soft Lines:
Textile products within an assortment (e.g., apparel,
accessories, and footwear).

15. Assortment Plan Glossary
Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG):
Merchandise that is consumed or regularly used
requiring routine replacement (e.g., food, beverages,
cosmetics, cleaning products).

16. Thank You
Reach Me
Joan Braatz
Vice President Merchandising
Retail | B2C | B2B
braatzjoan@gmail.com
214-733-9677
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanbraatz/
https://joanbraatz.com/