1. Fashion buyers are responsible for purchasing merchandise from vendors for stores. They must predict consumer demand six months to a year in advance based on sales records, vendor information, and fashion trends. Inaccurate predictions can lead retailers like Walmart and Goodys to have unsold inventory. 2. The three steps in the buying process, or merchandising cycle, are merchandise planning, merchandise buying, and merchandise selling. Planning involves estimating styles, colors, sizes and prices based on past sales and vendor advice. 3. Retailers include department stores like Macy's, specialty stores like PacSun that target specific groups, boutiques with limited trendy items, designer stores that are vertically integrated, outlets

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Chapter 10
Fashion Distribution
Buying Fashion
Selling Fashion

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Chapter Objectives
Explain the role of the fashion buyer.
Discuss the steps in the buying process or
merchandising cycle.
Identify the types of fashion retailers.
Discuss buying motives.
Identify the difference between personal and non-
personal selling.

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Fashion Buyer’s Job
Buyers make sure merchandise consumers want is available in stores
Buyers purchase goods from vendors
Must be able to predict what consumers want six months to a year
before the goods reach stores
Monitor styles and trends and which items are selling – like those
featured in Vogue and Bazaar
Read trade publications like Women’s Wear Daily
Must have good fashion sense and keen business skills

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What problems do you think occur for
retailers like Walmart or Goodys when
buyers make inaccurate predictions
about what consumers want to
purchase?

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The Buying Process
There are three steps in the buying process, also known as
the merchandising cycle: starting with predicting what
customers will purchase.
Section 10.1
Merchandise
Planning-
Estimating
styles, colors,
sizes and prices
Merchandise
Buying-
buying goods from
vendors or
manufacturers
for resale
Merchandise
Selling-
exchanging of
goods for
money from
retailer to
customer
1 2 3

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Merchandise Planning
Sales Records – The main resource which is past
records of goods sold. This tells quantities and
styles.
Vendor Information – Vendors sales
representatives keep on tope of current trends
and can advise buyers about making purchases.
Market Week Previews – Buyers attend these to
preview the upcoming season’s merchandise and
to buy merchandise.

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Do you think it would be hard for buyers
to separate their personal likes and
dislikes from the current trends and
consumer desires for which they are
making purchases?

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What recent fashion item do you think
would be the wrong choice because it is
about to go out of style?

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Types of Fashion Retailers
Macy’s is an example of a large
department store.
Dept. stores employ at least 25 people
Sell apparel/accessories, home
furnishings, and household linens
department store a
retail operation that
carries different kinds of
merchandise and houses
them in separate
sections, or departments
Section 10.1
A specialty store will generally
emphasize a certain style, such as
classic or trendy.
It targets its merchandising to
specific age groups and price ranges.
Examples: PacSun, Claire’s
specialty store a retail
operation that offers only
one category or related
categories of fashion
merchandise

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Types of Fashion Retailers
Because the target market for a
boutique is smaller, the buyer must
plan purchases carefully.
boutique a type of small
specialty store that offers
a more limited selection of
merchandise and may
focus on few-of-a-kind
items
Section 10.1
 Apparel and accessories carried by
boutiques tend to be more trendy.
Example: Main St. shops in Clinton
The designer store concept is called
vertical retailing.
 By selling directly to the consumer,
designer stores earn bigger profits.
 Examples: Gucci, Guess, Coach,
Talbots
designer store a designer-
manufacturer retail operation
that owns and operates the
retail store and carries only
its own lines

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Types of Fashion Retailers
The goods offered at an outlet may be
overruns, damaged items, or leftovers
from a prior season.
 Another term for outlet is off-price
retailer
outlet a discount store
that is owned by a
manufacturer that sells
its own merchandise in
the store
discount store a retail
operation that offers
volume merchandise
and limited service and
sells goods below usual
retail prices
Section 10.1
A discount store operates like a
department store, but offers discount
prices
 purchases manufacturer overruns and
end-of-season goods.
 special deals from manufacturers
because of large quantities purchased
 Examples: Marshalls, Target, Walmart

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Top Retailers
Walmart
Target
Jc penney
Gap
May department stores
Tj max

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Would you rather shop at a department
store or speciality store?

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Types of Fashion Retailers
Mail-order, or direct-mail, marketing is a type of retail operation in which
a business sells merchandise in a catalog and sends it by mail to
consumers who purchase it.
 People use catalogs because of convenience.
Online shopping, or Internet shopping, is a fast-growing trend.
Customers are able to shop at any time of the day or night, seven days
a week, and have the merchandise shipped directly to their homes.
 Some retailers offer discounts for online shopping
Section 10.1

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Why People Buy Fashion
Cultural, social, and
psychological factors affect
buying behavior.
Section 10.2
buying behavior the
way consumers react to
satisfying a need or want
when making a purchase
 Buying behavior can be
rational or emotional.
 Which type of behavior do
you think marketing is
trying to influence?

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Remember!!!! The Main
Categories used to group
merchandise:
Women’s wear
Juniors
Children’s Wear
Men’s Wear

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Buyer’s Questions:
What problems occur when fashion buyers make inaccurate
predictions?
Do you think it is difficult for buyers to separate their personal
likes and dislikes from the trends and consumer desires they
need to purchase?
What recent fashion item do you think would be a wrong choice
because it may be about to go out of style?
Do you like stores with sales associates or ones with no help?
Do you find most are trained and helpful? What is important to
you?
Describe some of your online purchase experiences

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Complete:
Handout on “Types of Fashion Retailers”
On paper, begin to create a design plan for layout
for your, “Ideal department store.”
– This plan must include at least 3 groups of general
merchandise.
The plan must include at least 3 groups of
general merchandise
The plan must be creative, color, and neat
The plan must be detailed with explanations of where various areas
of merchandise are located within each group. For example: Jewelry
and handbags, hosiery, undergarments and sleepwear, plus sized
clothing, etc.

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Do you think that the media is an
important influence on fashion? Why
or Why not?

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Influences on Fashion
The role of fashion in popular culture has a
significant impact on people’s lives and the
purchases they make.
Section 10.2
People are influenced by:
Television
Films
Magazines
Street fashions

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Personal Selling
Advertising, sales, promotion, and
publicity are types of nonpersonal
selling.
Section 10.2
nonpersonal selling
the type of selling that
does not involve
interaction between
people
The selling process occurs when sales
associates communicate through
personal selling. (see page 212)
 Suggestion selling techniques:
 Add-on
 Trading up
 More than one
 Special offer
personal selling the
type of selling that
involves direct interaction
between sales associates
and potential buyers by
telephone or in person

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How are sales people similar to
teachers?

23. The Steps of Selling-see p. 209
Section 10.2
Approach
Successful sales
associates
use the
Steps of Selling
Determine Needs
Present the Product
Overcome Objections
Close the Sale
Perform Suggestion Selling
Follow Up
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Selling Questions:
What selling step do you think is most important? Why?
What new or emerging technology can a sales staff use to
improve and increase business
What does “closing the sale” meaning
Describe a situation in which you made additional purchases
because the sales associate made suggestions to do so…

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Steps of Selling Role Play:
At your tables: *See page 209-210 in book
Now assume you are being sent to Chicago for a sales training
seminar. Your are a salesperson who gets commission. You are
going to role play the 7 steps of selling in your groups.
Think of 3 open ended questions that would help you learn
about your customers preference.
Then outline and write down scripts for all the 7 steps of the
selling process, assuming you are selling a particular item to a
client (You can choose an item at your tables).
Be ready to discuss some of your questions and scripts at the
end of class.

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What is the job of the fashion buyer?
What are the three steps of the buying
process or merchandising cycle?
Compare and contrast at least two different
types of retailers.
1.
2.
3.
Section 10.1
10.1

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What are the two types of buying behavior?
What are the seven steps in the selling
process?
Describe the difference between personal
selling and nonpersonal selling.
4.
5.
6.
Section 10.2
10.2