La Rinascente - Fashion Buying

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laRinascente.
Rachael McGowan
IED Moda
Fashion Marketing & Communication
Fashion Buying

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Introduction
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
3. INTRODUCTION
History
Company Perspective
Mission
Development
8. PROFILE
Stratergy
Communication
Distribution
Position
Competition Policy
Store Target
14. LA RINASCENTE, MILANO
Competition
Location
Store Analysis
Introduction23. CONTEMPORARY WOMENSWEAR
History
Brand Assortment
Floor Target
27. TREND ANALYSIS
Fall/Winter: 2014/2015
32. PROPOSAL
Gap Fillers
Brand Selection
Buying Assortment
Buying Allocation
Sales Forecast

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INTRODUCTION
5 .History
6. Company Perspecive
7. Mission

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Rinascente S.p.A is Italy’s leading department store group. The company operates
under two core brands; La Rinascente which focuses on upscale and luxury
products and Upim which is focused more towards the mid market. La Rinascente
is Italys oldest department store which opened in 1917 in Piazza Duomo, Milan.
Ferdinando Bocconi opened Italy’s first ready-to-wear dress shop in 1865. The
shop was set up on Via Santa Radegonda and remained a fixure in Milan’s retail
market, it later moved to Piazza Duomo, this later expanded into a department
store format. By the outbreak of World War I the Bocconi family had become one
of Milan’s leading familes after which they founded Milan’s first private business
school, Bocconi University.
In 1917 they sold their department store to the Borlettis who had gained status
as industrialists through their alarm clock factore. The Borletti family continued to
expand the department sotres introducing a modern daprtment store format. In
1928 the family acquired a new department store format, Upim. The store chain
was based on the fixed-price format launched by Frank Woolworth in the 19th
Century.
In the 1943 the La Rinascente flagship store in Piazza Duomo, Milan was bombed
drring a World War II allied forces attack. It was only in the 1950’s that the store
was completed and the recovery lead it to become a real institution in the
evolution of consumption. The growing strength of the Italian economy led La
Rinascente to begin exploring other retail areas in the 1960’s and 1970s.
La Rinascente became one of the first companies in Italy to branch out into the
newly developing supermarket sector in 1961, this had only previously been
seen within the United States in the 1930s and 1940s. This captured a consumer
growth of spending throughout the end of the century
La Rinascente continued to grow rapidly adding to it’s retail selection with
electronics and home appliances from the chain Trony and also kitchen and home
furnishings from Croff. In 2005 La Rinascente was sold to a group of investors,
Pirelli RE, Deutsche Bank and the Borletti family. The intent from this was to
reposition the brand upwards and turn it into the best showcase of Italian and
International brands. In 2011 La Rinascente was aquired by Central Retail
Corporation.The Thai group is the leader of South-East Asia distribution sector
and department stores, with over 60 years of history and 66,000 employees.
Vittorio Radice was appointed managing director and due to his prestige and
success with companies such as Habitat and Selfridges he could help La
Rinascente position themselves upwards increasing it’s value.
(Adapted from Answers.com and Reference for Business: 2014)
HISTORY

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“La Rinascente covets the acclaim of
being the most elegant department store in
town, attracting and enjoying the
appeal of an international clientele.
Striving to maintain this recognition, La
Rinascente is constantly restructuring and
remodelling its stores to keep up with current
trends. It endeavours to satisfy the requests
of its customers, and is forever seeking new
opportunities to branch out and establish-
stores in all the main towns and cities in Italy,
focal points as well as key shopping malls. Its
trading policy is directed towards the
continual updating of its products and
service standards, aiming to satisfy the most
demanding of customers, and underlining its
role as the promoter of Italian fashion.”
(Reference for Business: 2014)
PERSPECTIVE

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In 2005 their new managing director Vittorio Radice came in to flip the department
store from what it was to what it is. Department stores such as Habitat and
Selfridges had undergone massive expansion programmes under his leadership and
they rapidly because the symbols of shopping. His goal was to reposition the brand
through a three step strategic process of change.
1. Renovation of all the stores and expansion within the most important
Italian cities.
2. Enriching the commercial offer including the best brands in fashion,
design and lifestyle both Italian and international
3. Transition from the self service assistance to the client carrying out real
poles of attraction with events and news updates so that the shopping
becomes engaging and rewarding. Radice stated that the customer
should leave satisfied and feel as if they are taking home a piece of
the store, a souvenir. You need to convince the client that he is buying
a dream, something that will last.
(Rinascente.it: 2014)
MISSION

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PROFILE
9. Stratergy
10. Communication
11. Distribution
12. Development
13. Competition Policy

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STRATERGY
La Rinascente is number 1 luxury department store in Italy and well known
among tourists that visit. Rinascente has an admirable relationship with
both Italian and International brands. Therefore it will be beneficial for
them to expand into new markets and become distributors of Italian
products both in domestic and abroad. La Rinascente wants to
continuously support the excellent work of the current management whilst
creating an oppurtunity for Made in Italy products to expand in a profitable
and fast growing new market.
La Rinascente want’s to create a “Design Supermarket” - a department
where various new designers and trend based products can be displayed
and pruchased. The placement for this focuses on the idea of innovation
and linking customers back to this experience. They want to be one of the
leading luxury department stores going up against companies like
Selfridges, Harrods, Le Bon Marché, Bloomingdales and Henry Bendal.
The renovation to the stratergy which was implemented by the current
manager, Alberto Baldan, shows the pursuit of innovative design and the
continuous update to the commercial offer. Today La Rinascente is the
point of reference for international quality of shopping within Italy and
through the constant update of brands and design as well as the
combination of innovation they hope to become one of the most desirable
internation department stores competitng with those mentioned above.
The Rinascente group have experienced moments of great success whilst
maintaining a high level of brand awareness in it’s century history. Above
all they always knew how to read the signals of their own time and at the
right time so that they could change their stratergy and communication in
order to become a reference point for luxury shopping.
(Adapted from Bloomberg: 2014)
Vittorio Radice states that his customer doesn’t wants to sell what people
want and that is labels over products. The wardrobes of his customer are
filled with shirts but they don’t want a shirt they want that shirt and that
tie. 74% of the customers are there for a recreational reseon and the prices
of the products aren’t recreational. They aren’t buying into a bag they are
buying into a brand and into a part of luxury which captures their
imagination. (Dawson: 2010)

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COMMUNICATION
Facebook is the biggest network sight
enabling businesses to communicate with the
customer on a daily basis. La Rinascente
however does not optimize this platform
having 3 seperate accounts for the
department store with 3,260 combined likes
across the 3 accounts.
Twitter on the other hand is something that
La Rinascente have just started to
persue. This new stratergy is good for the
company as they can engage their customer
and interact with them with updates and
promotions as well as new brands.
However they still are not frequently
promoting theirselves on these platforms and
therefore missing an oppurtunity to propel
theirselves forward.
Finally the last platform for communication
for them is through Instragram. As shown
they have an account however are yet to post
any images. Images are one ot the most
influential tools online as it helps to captivate
the audience and visually appeal to them.
Communication between a company and it’s customer is key and in order for a
business to grow and develop fully it must bridge the gap between the two. La
Rinascente has a rich heritage encapsulating the Italian brands and lifestyles.
However the communication of the store and this heritage is weak in
comparison to other international department stores. La Rinascente are lacking
bespoke services aswell as a VIP appeal, convenience is not something which
they have take on board and the development of this needs to be imminant in
order for them to become one of the top 5 positioned internation department
stores

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DISTRIBUTION AND GROUP
MILANO
Piazza Duomo
20121
Milano
CAGLIARI
Via roma 143
09124
Provo
PADOVA
Giuseppe garibaldi square
35122
Padova
ROMA
Piazza Fiume
00198
Roma
CATANIA
Via etnea
95121
Catania
PALERMO
Via Roma 289
90133
Palermo

ROMA
Galleria a. Sordi
00199
Roma
GENOVA
Via Ettore Vernazza
16121
Genova
TORINO
Via Giuseppe Luigi Lagrange, 15
10100
Torino
FLORENCE
Piazza Della Repubblica
50123
Florence
MONZA
Largo Giuseppe Mazzini
20900
Monza
La Rinascente is the most prestigious and avant-garde chain of department stores in Italy with
11 outlets located in the heart of principal towns and cities. The distribution for the stores is
handled by Central Retail Cooperation who are the largest and most diversed retail group in
Thailand. They cover department stores aswell as speciality stores and supermarkets. They
expanded their business into Europe in 2011 when they acquired La Rinascente.
Central Retail Cooperation began in 1927 when it was founded by Mr Tiang Chirathivat, his
son Mr Samrit Chirathivat went on to expand the business in 1957 when he established the
first Central Department Store in Wang Burapha in Bangkok. The group now aquired over 500
stores nationwide with combined retail space of 2.1 million square meters. (Centralgroup.com: 2014)

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DEVELOPMENT
By 2015 La Rinascente are going to be opening their second flagship store
to the chain which will be situated in Via Tritone, Rome. It will create an
area of 15,000 square meters which will be spread over several floors
offering an extremely varied and prestigious commercial offer.
Over the course of the next 5 years they hoping to create a rich and varied
collection of stores with each store being recognizeable to the Rinascente
group yet all offering something unique and distinctive from the rest. It will
beomce the “must see place” with a varied product range and brands that
are more representative of the contemporary consumer becoming one of
the cathedrals of shopping along with New York, Paris and London.
(Adapted from La Rinascente: 2014)
The flagship store in Milan is also undergoing further development in order
to appeal to a wider audience target. The Annex building for the
department store has been closed down for renovations and will be
reopening in November 2014 where it will become an area focusing on
high and contemporary fashion for a younger teenage demographic.
(Amelia: 2014)
This development will allow them to compete with department stores such
as Selfridges who already have an exisiting teen floor with a mix of
designer labels aswell as fast fashion brands such as Topshop with a
selection of their most fashion forward pieces.
For this development some of the brands from the contemporary men and
womenswear floors could be moved in order for them to appeal to a more
suitable demographic.

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The Company recognizes the fundamental
importance of a competitive market and, in
observance of national and community
anti-trust regulations, in addition to the
guidelines and directives of the Market and
Competition Control Authority, shall not act in
any way or sign agreements with other
companies that may unfavourably influence the
competition arrangement between the various
operators in the market concerned. Specifically,
the Company and the Addressees shall avoid
practices (creation of cartels, splitting of
markets, limitations in production or sale,
qualified agreements, etc.) such as to represent a
violation of competition laws. They must act in a
correct, transparent and collaborative manner in
respect of legal regulations, not interfering,
preventing or disrupting the execution of the
trade or industry of other parties, and not
knowingly infringing the industrial and/or
intellectual property rights of third parties. All the
addressees shall refrain from carrying out undue
pressure, threats, acts of violence, ploys,
fraudulent activities or, at all events, conduct that
may in any way prevent or disrupt the
implementation of the commercial or
entrepreneurial operations of other parties or the
free exercising of competition on the
market.
La Rinascente are competing not only within
Italy but also on an international level. In order for
them to achieve the highest of luxury status they
must look at what their competitors are doing. In
terms of luxury department stores they are
competing with the likes of Selfridges, Harrods,
Liberty, Saks 5th Avenue, Bloomingdales,
Excelsior and Coin. All of these department stores
have an assortment of products as well as
multiple price points allowing the product
selection cater to everyone. However the brands,
which La Rinascente have in there, store fall back
more traditionally on to the Italian brands but
recently an investment in the store it’s self in
2005. The idea is the reposition the brand
upwards and turn it into the best showcase of
Italian and international brands (La Rinascente:
2014)
COMPETITION POLICY
Vittorio Radice, CEO of La
Rinascente. Image via german
retail blog : 2010

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LA RINASCENTE, MILANO
18. Competition
15. Store Target
17. Location
20. Store Structure

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TARGET
Due to the location of the department store
the segmentation of for the targeted
consumer can drastically vary. Whilst a
luxury department store may not appeal to
all customers the demographic. In a way
to not oversell the department store only
one logo of the La Rinascente name can be
found on the walls of the store above the
Customer Service desk, the appeal of this
strategically conveys the idea of a designer
store allowing it to speak for itself. Vittorio
Radice stated in an Interview with Mike
Dawson in Lebensmittel Zeitung that the
reasoning behind this is that “we aren’t
manufacturers, too often a label becomes
a search margin rather than the customers.
We’ve reduced our private labels as a share
of annual revenue from 80% to 20% over
the last four years” (Radice: 2010).
The segment of department stores in Italy
only accounts for 2.2% of the national retail
market (Dawson: 2010) and this is due to the
lack of space or demolition enabling a
bigger department store to grow so the
concept behind La Rinascente is to
develop the experience and push the
brands in order for it to make up for the
lack of space with competitors such as
Harrods.
Rather than trying to appeal to a specific
age range or target demographic, La
Rinascente appeals to the luxury consumer,
the tourist who dreams of one day owning
a Louis Vuitton and the by passer who grabs
the attention of the window display. Each
product they sell has the same intensity
of packaging and service whether that is a
bottle of water or a luxury handbag.
They customer is treated in the same way
regardless allowing them to keep the
customer with them permanently drawing
in masses of people generating eneregy,
adrenaline and the stimulus to buy. High
customer footfall generates a high level of
interest with the consumer and makes them
want to be a part of something and be
there, everyone is therefore welcome in La
Rinascente. The appeal however cannot be
towards everyone, not everybody wants to
spend time inside a store but the variety of
catergories which it has to offer can appeal
to all people, whether thats electronics,
beauty, fashion, lifestyle or the restaurants
and bars.
This positioning based on the idea that all
customers are welcome differentiates La
Rinascente from the luxury fashion
monobrand stores. You don’t specifically
have to go into La Rinascente to be looking
to buy but the incentive to want to buy and
the brands allow their product to speak for
themselves without needing to be heavily
pushed externally.

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LOCATION
The flagship deparment store is located in the heart of Milan just metres away from
the Duomo, the biggest tourist attraction in the City. The perfect location allows
customers to enjoy the beauty of Milan and combine it with the luxury and all that it
represents. The rooftop bar offers a spectacular location and view enabling
customers to look out and enjoy Piazza Del Duomo whilst enjoing both drinks and
food. This encapsules the idea of VIP service with an idea of relaxation.
The tourist based attraction of Duomo enables La Rinascente to experience a lot
of tourist traffic with customers visiting the department store from all areas of the
globe. This kind of appeal means that La Rinascente must cater to all sectors of their
audience whether thats international or Italian with brands and products to suit this.
The environment of the store enables customers to break away from the hurricane
of people allowing them to escape into a luxury environment and loose theirselves
within the designs and products with cafe’s and restaurants situated in the
basement and also on the seventh floor.

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COMPETITION
DIRECT COMPETITORS
EXCELSIOR
Excelsior is locatioed in the historic building of the Galleria del Corso 4, situated behind the
Duomo Cathedral, 280 metres away from La Rinascente. Excelsior offers a unique
shopping experience enclosing architectual video installations with a kaleidoscopic effect
and floating elevators. This concept appeals to the new world wide shopping icons by
combing innovative design and technology with the history and culture of Milan. Excelsior
opened in 2011 with annual revenues of €30 million (MF Fashion: 2013). Excelsior offers an
exlusive selection of brands including Manolo Blahnik, Tiffany & Co, Rag and Bone, Helmut
Lang, Laudree and many more. The exclusivity of some of these brands draws the attention
of the consumers. The interaction between the company and the consumer is strong as
they have a strong social presence aswell as a strong communication method through their
concept in the store.
10 CORSO COMO
10 Corso Como was founded in 1990 by galleristy and publisher Carla Sozzani. It began
with a gallery and bookshop which were shortly followed by a boutique fashion store in
1991 and a cafe in 1998. The focus is of the art and design world is still apparent
throughout the store creating a calm, relaxed and tranquil area for it’s customers.
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITORS
SELFRIDGES
Selfridges is one of the worlds biggest and most well known department stores. The
current managing director Vittorio Radice is the man responsible for turning around the
luxury retail store allowing it to over take other chains for it to become the phenomenon
that it is today. Selfridges opened in 1909 after it was founded in 1906 by Henry Gordon
Selfridge. His revolutionary understanding of publicity and the theatre of retail allowed him
to create a niche in the market. Today Selfridges has annual turnover of £1.1 billion
(Alexander: 2014) with further development being taken underway. Selfriedges continously
keep up to date with the customer offering bespoke services making each customer feel
like a VIP.
HARROD’S
Harrod’s is an upmarket department store located on Brompton Road, Kensington. The
store was founded in Charles Henry Harrod in 1824 where it worked as a haberdasher,
mercer and draper. The store occupies 5-acres of land and has over 1 million square feet
of selling space in over 330 departments making it the biggest department store in Europe.
Harrods generated a revenue of £1.5 billion in 2013 (Global Blue: 2014). Harrod’s maintains
the balance of tourism and local customers with products appealing to the needs of both.
They also maintain the tradition of the store with the new technologies of the 21st century
embracing the future of retail.

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LIBERTY OF LONDON
Liberty of London was founded in 1875 by Arthur Liberty. Since the opening of the store it
has always been synonymous with luxury and great design. The intuitive vision and
pioneering of Arthur Liberty led him to travel for individual peices and inspire and excited
his clientele. The legacy of Arthur Liberty is still strong today standing for integrity, value,
quality and innovation. Liberty of London revieved an annual revenue of £62.7 million in
2013, a 20% rise from 2012 (Liberty.com: 2014)
HARVEY NICHOLS
Harvey Nichols was founded in 1831 by Benjamin Harvey when it opened as a linen shop
in a terraced house on the corney or Knightsbridge and Sloane Street in London. Harvey
Nichols is a premium luxury department store focusing on the most desireable and cutting
edge products and luxury experience. The product is a forefront within this company
offering bespoke services for the clients. Harvey Nichols offers the ultimate shopping
experience, a club that doesn’t require a memebership (HarveyNichols.com: 2014) It offers
exclusive niche and established labels which are amongst every collections offering
must-have edits for their wardrobe from everyday to extraodinary.
Each of the international competitors represent their brand in a way which communicates
the concept with the customer. Whilst they are all luxury department stores they all have
something new to offer and this is because they understand their niche is and how to
adapt this to a specific demographic.
They also communicate well with their customer offering click and collect services for
convenience benefiting them and their customer creating a relationship with them. This
kind of service is something which a higher luxury shopper seeks in their experience in
order for the price and the experience to match and interlink.
The international department stores also all have an e-commerce allowing customers to
browse new in items and collections before visiting the store. It also allows them to
purchase straight off the website. The likes of selfridges also have the option to deliver to
store for free so that you can try on any items or view any fashion items and if it isn’t right
you can then return the item straight away without having to seek out the returns policy.

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GROUND FLOOR AND MEZZANINE
Dedicated to Beauty and Accessories these floors now house some of the most luxurious
brands including Chanel cosmetics, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Burberry, Tom Ford, Mui Mui, Celine,
Chloé, Dolce and Gabbana and many more. These floors scream luxury, the clear and clean
aesthetics and separations of brands really make it clear to view the
merchandise with clean product placements allowing consumers to look into the
individual concessions.
FIRST FLOOR
Renovation of this floor began in 2011. It now hosts the first lines of the most prestigious
brands in the industry. Alongside this is premium denim and contemporary brands such as
Givenchy, Alexander McQueen, True Religion, Moschino, Christopher Kane, Burberry, Fendi,
Lanvin and many more. However some of these brands such as Christopher Kane, True
Religion, Givenchy and Lanvin have only 1 rail of clothing, some of them two and product
isn’t getting displayed, as it should. For a luxury store these brands get put up and displayed
as if they are fast fashion and worth far less that what they are.
SECOND FLOOR
This floor host’s fashion collections upper casual and formal menswear with stores within
stores for brands such as Lacoste, Sartoria, Gant, Peuterey, Corneliani and many more. The
brands however, some at least, feel out of place, like they should belong on the first floor.
Generally speaking however the floor itself oozes the idea of luxury with black beams and
grey walls with white lightening appearing as if to highlight each brand.
THIRD FLOOR
This floor host’s contemporary women’s wear with designers such as Moschino Cheap and
Chic, Burberry, Versace, Max Mara and DKNY. Also on this floor are women’s shoes with
brands such as Valentino, Chloé, Tods, Bottega Veneta, Gucci, Giuseppe Zanotti
design and many more. The shoe section within is luxury with beautifully crafted shoes
welcoming you and you come up from the second floor however the selection of
designers for this floor feels a bit miscellaneous, they don’t seem to match or go
together and the merchandise itself doesn’t feel luxury nor does the atmosphere created
within the floor.
FOURTH FLOOR
This floor is dedicated to Women’s luxury fashion with designers such as Michael Kors,
Marc Jacobs, Pinko, Sandro, Philosophy, Alexander Wang, Elizabeth and James, Stella
McCartney, Marni, Victoria Beckham, Kenzo and Opening Ceremony as well as many more.
This floor to me feels like a collection of contemporary designers and brands of today
making this floor feel like it would appeal to a slightly younger audience than that of the
previous floor. Like the first floor this floor also has a selection of premium denim brands
complimenting the designers.

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FIFTH FLOOR
This floor is dedicated to childrenswear and lingerie. This floor has childrenswear from
matching designer labels that can be found throughout men’s and womenswear mainly
focusing on babies and children with a couple of brands doing clothing up to the ages of 10.
The lingerie selection and also swimwear has a large selection of ‘designer’ however the
combination of the two together appears to be quite an odd combination.
SIXTH FLOOR
The sixth floor is dedicated to home ware with beautiful décor and bedding as well as
candles and also air humidifiers, this floor is clear and precise and again feels luxury fitting in
with the rest of the store. It is easy to navigate and it also quiet and tranquil which is
something that can’t be said for the some of the other floors.
SEVENTH FLOOR
The seventh floor focuses mainly on taste and was launched in 2007. It is divided into
corners that are managed by different partners. It is the first time in the Italian market where
you can choose between so many different selections of foods in a single space. From sushi
to wineries, oyster and champagne bars and also the mozzarella bar and roof terrace this
floor is devoted to giving the customer options. The concept of this is something to be
desired and proves that La Rinascente are prepared to be innovators and introduce new
ways of leisure into the market.
EIGHTH FLOOR
The top floor houses a hair stylist and hair dressing company, Aldo Coppola. This floor is
bespoke for their clients. This creates a VIP service for their clients and customers however
it isn’t very well highlighted through out the store.

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CONTEMPORARY WOMENSWEAR
24. Floor Analysis
26. Floor Target
25. Brand Assortment

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The fourth floor relies mostly on
contemporary fashion as well as the seasonal
pieces where as womenswear on the third
floor doesn’t seem to rely as much on the
statement pieces. Within the fourth floor
there are many new and current designers
rather than heritage designers as well as
some premium denim brands.
The assortment of brands ranges on this
floor; it has a mix of premium luxury with
brands such as Stella McCartney, Kenzo and
Alexander Wang and also has luxury brands
such as Pinko, Philosophy and Sandro.
The merchandise within this floor is
displayed either in s’shop in shop’’ areas or on
rails in the center of the floor. The
displays however seem to miss match within
the brands with some displays offering
Kenzo, Victoria Beckham and Pinko on a shelf
together when the rest of the collections are
on opposite sides of the floor.
This floor has been split up into two halves,
the first half which is directly infront of you
when are travelling up from the third floor
offers alot more of the first lines of luxury
labels with the design focusing more towards
classic pieces rather than trend orientated
pieces. Some of the designers which can be
found in this half are Stefano Mortari,
Valentino, Victoria Beckham, Stella
McCartney, Sonia, Drome, and Pucci.
The second half which is directly infront
of you if you are travelling down from the
fifth floor is focused more on second lines
of designers labels as well as having a much
more contemporary orientation in terms of
trends and design. Also within this section is
a central station which is on a weekly rotation
showcasing new in designers to the floor as
well as limited collections with 5-8 pieces.
This is a interesting showcase area for the
floor as it enables customers to see new in
products straight away.
The fourth floor houses 70 diffrent brands
enabling a wide range of brands for the
consumer with sizes starting at 34 and going
up to 40. Some of these brands have a
permanent fixture within the store whereas
other are on a continuous rotation allowing
them to be replaceable and brought in when
the season fits. This continuous change
however isn’t neccessarily a good thing,
specifically for the customers as the idea of
desirability starts to loose part of meaning.
The representation of contemporary fashion
isn’t portrayed that strongly within this floor,
although it may have contemporary brands
such as MSGM and Kenzo, the
merchendise selection and the buying for
each brand doesn’t showcase this.
La Rinascente is a commercial department
store with high tourist traffic therefore the
selection that they have must appeal to the
masses however they are wanting to position
theirselves to be one of the 5 most desirable
department stores internationally competing
with London, New York and Paris aswell as
upcomers from Japan. This kind of strategic
planning must be followed through in order
to be trend savvy and fashion aware as well
as appealing to what the customer wants
which is something that isn’t very pushed
amongst this floor.
FLOOR ANALYSIS

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BRAND ASSORTMENT
Each of the brands which are on the floor are directly operated by the owner therefore
allowing them to have full control and showcase their image. The floor has 20
shop-in-shop formats which are from brands such as:
Philosophy
Diane Von Furstenberg
Michael Kors
Marc by Marc Jacobs
Sandro
Pinko
Vivienne Westwood
Just Cavalli
Zadig & Voltaire
Jil Sander Navy
Alexander Wang
Red Valentino
Valentino
Marni
Stella McCartney
Burberry
Pucci
Chloe
Vionnet
Moncler
The rest of the brands on this floor have a selection of rails. Also the floor has a collection
for Max Mara which is limited edition specifically for La Rinascente, however, this section
has been whittled down to just one rail which isn’t showcased as highly as it should be.
Limited collections such as this should be at the forefront of the floor so that it draws in
the customers attention.
The core brands which stand strong on this floor are that of the shop-in-shops however
some of them do not feel like they belong on this floor. The contemporary feel doesn’t
particularly resignate with the customer and this is due to the assortment. Within the
middle section with the concessions the mix matched selection makes it hard to view the
brands and their style with them being back to back with other brands.
The designers which sell and appeal most are the more contemporary designers which
can’t be found elsewhere where as the higher luxury brands such as Stella McCartney and
Valentino consumers can find the brands in their monobrand stores as well as in other
various locations. The contemporay designers such as MSGM, Philosophy, Sandro, No21
and Elizabeth and James have a much smaller audience than that of Kenzo and the
exclusivity of being able to view and purchase the brands in this environment appeals to a
wider audience. The typical shoppers of La Rinascente are tourists and those tourists have
the convience of finding the desirability of contemporary fashion.

26
TARGET
The fourth floor focuses corely on the idea of contemporary fashion.
The offer of brands suggest that customers are tourist’s specifically
Russian, Asian or Arabian between the age of 25 and 45 year old. The
purchase power is higher for the group of females as they are
younger than the typical european customer. Statistics show that
women aged between 45-54 have the highest rate of disposable
income with an average of $44,603 (esri.com: 2014) This demonstrates
that typically it would be this age range who could afford to buy
luxury fashion however due to the selection and appeal of the
contemporary fashion within the fourth floor it is apparent that it is
targeted towards a younger demographic.
The luxury brands will become a point of interest within these
women helping them to declare their social status and define
theirselves amongst their peers.
The targeted female shopper for this floor is seeking ‘Made in Italy’
quality combined with high fashion content and design. The ‘Made
in’ concept is highly important to this customer as it enables trust not
only with the brand but also with La Rinascente creating an
association with the consumer. Where and how a product is made
is a great influence for the consumer as it offers key considerations
such as the quality and the ecological standards and therefore the
point of purchase for the customer. The economic challenges for
certain countries have added pressure to compete in an effective way
for investment. The term ‘Made In’ is an important issue and
oppertunity for brands and understanding the origin and it’s meaning
creates an oppetunity for companies to develop a competitve
advantage and differentiation.

27
TREND ANALYSIS
28. Fall/Winter: 2014/2015

28
SIMPLISTIC TAILORING
A clean aesthetic of cut and the simple elements of tailoring for the
understated luxe. The simple silohouettes define the women creating a
beautiful new shape. The pure fragility and tenderness is brought to life
through neutral colour palette creating an effortless vibe.
HermèsFW’14viaStyle.comAcneStudiosFW’14viaStyle.com
Rag&BoneFW’14viaStyle.comMaisonMartinMargielaFW’14viaStyle.com

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TIGHT KNITS
Wrap yourself in tight knits, head to toe with matching co-ordinates and
chunky statement jumpers. Embrace the winter with statement pieces
adding detail and allowing it to mold and sculpt itself around the body.
CalvinKleinFW’14viaStyle.comMichaelKorsFW’14viaStyle.com
MarcJacobsFW’14viaStyle.comEdunFW’14viaStyle.com

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SHEER DETAILING
Sheer paneling adding layers and detail. The mixed knit and dark colours
showcase a dark romance with feminity and sexuality. This detailing can
be seen on the New York, London, Paris and Milan.
DonnaKarenFW’14viaStyle.comNo21FW’14viaStyle.com
FendiFW’14viaStyle.comSacaiFW’14viaStyle.com

31
TEXTURE
Detail is key adding interest to an outfit. Choose from leather, friging, fur
and velvet in muted hues and vibrant reds to encapsulate all that is this
seasons must haves for Autumn Winter 2014/2015.
EmporioArmaniFW’14viaStyle.comSacaiFW’14viaStyle.com
NinaRicciFW’14viaStyle.comMarcJacobsFW’14viaStyle.com

32
PROPOSAL
33. Gap Fillers
35. Brand Selection
40. Buying Assortment
49. Buying Allocation
51. Sales Forecast

33
GAP FILLERS
The whole basis of the fourth floor is high luxury and contemporary fashion with a unique and
diverse variety or designs and brands. However within this selection of brands is a miss match of
fashion which labels that don’t inerlock with one another correctly, each brand over shadows the next
creating a chaotic experience and vision amongst the consumer. In order for this floor to function as
a contemporary and high fashion floor it must first compare it self with that of it’s competitors.
Excelsior is located merely 280 metres away where it houses contemporary brands such as Rag
& Bone, David Koma, Helmut Lang, Camilla and Marc and 3.1 Philip Lim. These are a selection of
brands which are hard to find within Milan therefore attracting fans of these brands to Excelsior in
order to view the new collection with the intent of purchasing.
The brands which can be found on the fourth floor of La Rinascente are not neccessarily brands that
can’t be found in other parts of Milan, specifically the more contemporary orientated brands. Some
of these brands such as Sandro, MSGM, Jil Sander, Kenzo and MM6 all have stores or concessions
outside of the department store so what would appeal to their customer in order to make them go to
La Rinascente instead of the other stores or stockists? The appeal of being able able to look at new
contemporary designers and view collections and good visual merchendise highlighting key brands
and trends.
WHAT DID YOU FIND MOST DISAPPOINING WITH LA RINASCENTE?
The selection of womenswear product, they have all of these amazing brands
but they don’t showcase them well and the products they have aren’t neccessarily
the best selection within the current collections.
IF YOU COULD, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE ABOUT LA RINASCENTE?
I would definitely put in more unknown brands or brands which are harder to find
in Milan so that it attracts the attention of the fashion consumer.
(Interview extract conducted with a female customer
outside of La Rinascente, 17th May 2014)
A wider audience needs to be targeted in order for La Rinascente to be able to compete on an
international level and deliver than high quality standard of it’s competitors. The fourth needs to be
able to offer a diverse group of contemporary designers which currently can’t be found anywhere
else in Milan so that La Rinascente becomes the access point for their fans as well as for new
consumers to the brand. It also needs to be able to appeal to the tourist demographic so whilst it may
still have it’s contemporary edge it still needs to maintain some form of commercial aspects.
The brands which appeal the most on a contemporary level are MSGM, Sandro, Elizabeth & James,
Philosophy, Faith Connexion and Alexander Wang. MSGM experienced an extremly quick uprise from
it’s start in 2008 with an annual turnover of €10 million in 2012 with an expected growth of up to
€30 million by the end of 2014. In 6 years this brand has become one of the biggest contemporary
brands to come out of Italy.
David Wu, an analyst for Telsey Advisory Group stated that us as consumers want products of a high-
er quality that have a more lasting style. Seasonal pieces are no longer a main concern but put togeth
and smart statment pieces are ever growing. The US apparel consumption has rise 4.9% to $283.7
billion over the past 3 years and David Wu estimates that the contemporary fashion sector generated
between $5 billion and $10 billion in revenue last year. (Masidlover: 2014)

34
In Europe contemporary brands have seen growth in recent years fueled by consumers
mixing high end labels with budgeted items in their wardrobe. Printemps, the Parisian
department store, recently invested in contemporary labels introducing them to it’s
Boulevard Haussman store. Part of the success lies in the brands having developed in an
entirely new and distinct market. Few garmets made by the middle-range brands boast a
“Made in France” or “Made in Italy” label. (Masidlover: 2014)
After the hit of recession in 2011 it took a staggering 18 months for european
economy to start making progress in order for them to get back to where they once was.
The Growth Domestic Product of Italy and Spain only grew by 0.3% in the final quarter
(Thompson: 2014). This kind of economic down fall is what adds pressure on to the idea of
luxury labels. With the economy only just starting to make progress it becomes difficult to
want to purchase such a high luxury product however that being said the investment is
not an issue if you can build strong relationships and trust with the customer with product
quality and selection.
With all of these factors playing a role within the buying pattern of consumers La
Rinascente needs to offer both quality products which will allow them to build a strong
relationship with their consumer. Also they need to offer a range of contemporary lines
which can’t be found within Italy making the fourth floor become the epitome of
contemporary fashion.
Some of the brands which can be considered are:
Alice and Olivia
Acne
Christophe Lemaire
Dion Lee
Edun
Helmut Lang
Iro
Kenneth Cole Collection
Narcisco Rodriguez
Nicolas Taralis
Proenza Schouler
Rag & Bone
Sophie Hulme
Thakoon
Theory
The Kooples
Tibi
Yang Li
1205
This brand selection shows the best contemporary designers from across the globe
whether they’re French, Japanese, American or English. This list encapsulates all the
important designers within the contemporary sphere which La Rinascente don’t currently
stock however for the brands to become even more exclusive they shouldn’t be stocked
within Milan already so that it creates a certain prestige within La Rinascente.

35
1205
1205 derived from a need for timeless and
utilitarian clothing. The collection features both
menswear and womenswear with a strong
emphasis on the idea of unisex wardrobe - the
intriguing balance between masculinity and
femininity.
The colour palette adopts a modern and
austere vision with monochromes of greys,
blues, blacks and whites. The silhouette
embraces designer Paula Gerbase’s tailoring
education. Traditional tailoring techniques and
cut are fused with the idea of relaxed
sensitivity with the use high quality fabrics,
offering a wealth of textures from knit jersey
and highest quality English woolen mohairs to
high-count Swiss cottons and modernist
nylons. (1205.com: 2014)
The deconstruction of tailored norms creates
a collection with a focus on considered design,
thoughtful fabric choices, precision and purity.
Currently 1205 has 27 stockists worldwide
with 18 of those being in Japan, 2 in London,
the stockists in London are there own store on
Dover street market and also Browns Fashion.
Finally there is one stockist in Italy which is
situated in Brescia. This creates a perfect
oppertunity for La Rinascente to be able to
acquire the new contemporary brand and
introduce it to the shoppers of Milan.
The simplistic tailoring fit’s in with the Fall Winter
trends as one of the key trends is all about clean
lines and pure fragility and tenderness creating a
sleek aesthetic for the season. This collection
encapsules all that is clean and simple whilst
blurring the barriers between masculinity and
femininity whilst still remaining wearable, elegant
and sophisticated. The adaption for this allows the
customer to break down the look and just look at
key pieces such as the jacket or the shirt.
As majority of the customers who pass through
the La Rinascente doors are tourists it is a perfect
oppetrunity to present something versatile and
complimentry of the existing contemporary brands
without offering something that current can
already be found on the floor or in the
competitors stoes.

36
Narcisco Rodriguez is on of the foremost
American designers during the last two descades
and plays a singular role in global fashion. His
fashion house is located in New York City which
is where he shows his women’s ready-to-wear
collections.
Narcisco Rodriguez has stores in the Middle East,
Asia, America and also in Europe in Greece,
Switzerland, Spain, Turkey and the United
Kingdom but isn’t yet stocked in Italy. However
Narcsico Rodriguez does offer an e-commerce site
with international shipping.
Like IRO his designs are yet to found in a
European department store and the exlcusivity or
having such an infamous desinger such as
Narcisco Rodriguez could bring alot of attention
towards the floor specifically if it was in a shop-in-
shop format
In his collections he features structured
jackets emphasizing the season’s colours.
The thick knits from underneat paired with
the sophisticated and simple tailoring
portrays the versitality of this collection. The
appeal of this can go towards both
demographics whilst also fitting in with
multiple trends for the Fall Winter season.
Narcisco is also the most expensive of the
three brands with prices starting at around
€490 and going up to €4100 for jackets and
specialty skirts and dresses.
NARCISCO
RODRIGUEZ

37
IRO
Founded in 2004 by brothers Laurent and Arik
Bitton, Parisian brand IRO infuses casual
essentials with a contemporary twist. A
collision of slouchy shapes, edgy minimalist
design and deluxe fabrics form the basis of
IRO’s approach.
The company is still new with only limited
stockists. They have 21 boutiques world-
wide with only 1 in London and 1 in Italy in
Rome. Iro also offers e-commerce powered
through net-a-porter.com, far-fetch.com and
also my-wardrobe.com this allows customers
to stay connected with the brand if they don’t
have a store near them. (Iro.com: 2014)
Price for IRO start at €122.00 and go up to
€2800.00. The products are of a high quality
and therefore again capsulates the idea of well
made design. IRO is not yet stocked within
department stores so this could be a perfect
oppertunity for both La Rinascente and also
for IRO as it will help develop their audience
further within the luxury field
The IRO aesthetic fits in with the idea of
contemporary fashion on the fourth floor. It
appeals not only to the Italian consumer but also
the international consumer. It remains as a luxury
contemporary brand without being to avant-garde.
The collection ties it’s self in with the sheet trends
aswell as texture adding layers within each
individual item.

38
Edun is a global fashion brand which was
founded in 2005 by Ali Hewson and Bono in order
to promote trade in Africa by sourcing production
through out the continent. In 2009 the LVMH
group aquired Edun providing essential support in
order for them to fulfill this vision.
Edun is building long-term sustainable growth
oppertunities by supporting manufactures,
infrastructure and community building initiatives in
Africa. They are working towards increasing trade
througout the continent with their apparel and
accessories business. In Spring 2014 85% of their
collection was produced in Sub Saharan in Africa.
(Edun.com: 2014)
The positioning for Edun is luxury with price
starting at €240 and then ranging up to €575.
This luxury price point fits in perfectly with the
demographic of the contemporary womenswear
floor.
Currently Edun is stocked in 14 countries
5 of which are within Europe in Belgium,
France, Switzerland, United Kingdom and
Italy where they are stocked Verona and in
Alba. They also have e-commerce sites for
North America and Europe with limited
shipping world wide.
Edun offers the high quality materials and
service which the Italian and International
clients are searching for. The idea behind the
brand is to bring trade to third world
contries which compliments the new turn
after the recession and how we plan on
proceeding, specifically in terms of
consumption. You may not want to pay
€500 for a bag however when you
understand the brand and what it represents
it allows customers to know that they’re
buying into a future and not just a luxury
brand.
Edun Fall Winter also represents the trend of
texture and knit with a heavily based
collection of wide knits with various textures
as well as furs and leather so that it appeals
to a wider range.
EDUN

39
The proposed strategy for the women’s contemporary floor is to introduce 3 premium luxury and
contemporary brands that will be exclusive to La Rinascente and Milan. They currently house brands
that can be found throughout Italy and specifically throughout Milan and therefore not creating a
specific statement within their department store. If La Rinascente wants to become one of the
leading 5-luxury department stores worldwide yet don’t have anything that separates them from the
rest.
The three brands that I have chosen will compliment the existing contemporary brands bringing
something new to floor without over shadowing or stunting the brands that are currently within this
floor. I have chosen not to persue the brand 1205, this is due to the content offer, whilst it remains
contemporary the style of this brand doesn’t best fit the target consumer or the style that La Rinas-
cente is offering within the fourth floor. There the brands that I will be persuing within the buying
offer are as followed:
NARCISCO RODRIGUEZ
IRO
EDUN

40
Capped sleeved
mini dress
Seamless A-Line
two tone Coat
Shortsleeve three
panel top
Sleeveless paneled
dress
Seamless A-Line
Two toned coat
Structured top
with silk
Leather knee
length skirt
Skinny Trouser Skinny trouser
Peplum Jumper Colour block blazer
Straight leg trouser
V Neck Shift Top
Three tone
structured top
Sleeveless three
tone mini dress

41
NARCISCO
RODRIGUEZ
FALL WINTER 2014/2015
Long Sleeved silk
panel top
Silk Skirt
Hourglass sequined
paneled dress
Sleeveless metallic
fur paneled dress

42
The first brand that I have chosen is Narcisco Rodriguez. Narcisco Rodriguez was established in 2007
showing rapid growth over the past 7 years. Their turnover has doubled from $2.5 million to $5
million in the last two years showing the growth of this company. Currently they do not distribute
within Italy and only distribute within Greece, UK, Spain, Switzerland and Turkey (within the UK)
therefore if La Rinascente acquired this brand it would be a great asset in order to set them apart
from their competitors.
NARCISCO RODRIGUEZ FALL WINTER 2014/2015
Here is a description of the items within this seasons collection, it showcases which categories have
more items and also which have more importance/relevance due to the amount of items. The
concept behind Narcisco Rodriguez within La Rinascente is to feature it within racks, this would allow
them to be introduced into Italy and into La Rinascente as an inital start off with the possibility to
grow after. Due to them not yet being stocked in Italy it is risky to initially start them off on a bigger
format, this concept allows them to bring over key items and main selections within their collection in
order to impress and wow the customers.
All items which are being bought have been marked.

43
IRO
Patterned jumper
Tailored Short
Full Look Straight leg trouser
Woolen biker
jacket
Rounded Hem
shirt
Patterned jumper
Woolen bomber
jacket
Metallic skinny
jean
Mesh detail T-shirt Rounded hem shirt
Embossed detail
sweater
Wool structured
collar coat
Leather Biker Jacket
Sheer paneled
jumper
Sleeveless leather
jacket

44
The second designer that I have chosen within the assortment is IRO; they are a contemporary brand
featuring a fusion of New York and Parisian style that currently cannot be found within the
assortment mix at La Rinascente. The brand was launched in 2004 and is currently only stocked in
Rome within Italy therefore by bringing it to La Rinascente it can offer an extent of exclusivity within
Milan as it can’t be purchased anywhere else. (IRO: 2014)
Below is the assortment mix that can be found within their FW14 collection. The idea is to have
assigned racks within the first half of (the contemporary section) of La Rinascente, the reasoning for
this is because it will offer this new style to Milan which currently can’t be found however a
shop-in-shop may be too much space. Racks will offer an ideal space for the brand to get showcased
correctly and therefore allowing it to properly present its best assets within the store.
IRO PRE FALL WINTER 2014/2015

45
EDUN
Woolen Striped
long coat
Full look
Wide Legged
Striped trouser
Full look Contrast panel
jacket
Woolen skirt
Wide Legged
trouser
Collared long length
brushed velvet
Thick Collared
pocketed knit dress
Synched neck
jumper
Three quarter
sleeve fur dress
Polo neck top
Patchwork woolen
dress
Polo Neck Top
Fluffy high neck
dress

46
Square cut out
detail skirt
Textured leather
jacket
Textured belted
coat

47
The final brand that I want to bring to La Rinascente is EDUN, launched in 2005 this brand has
gained recognition due to its promotion of trade in Africa by sourcing all it’s production throughout
the continent. In 2009 the brand was acquired by the LVMH where they have offered full creative
support (EDUN: 2014). Currently Edun is only stocked in Verona therefore bringing the same element
of exclusivity that the previous two brands offer. Also within the current brand selection on there
fourth floor there aren’t any brands offering the same mission and the same brand values as this
therefore could
potentially bring a new type of customer to the store.
EDUN FALL WINTER 2014/2015
Above you can find the details of the assortment mix within the FW collection. Again the aim is to
assign a specific amount of racks for this brand, whilst being innovative within its design process it’s
still a new brand. To offer it a select amount of rails within the contemporary section of this floor
would showcase their key items perfectly.
Each one of these brands brings a new aesthetic to the store that currently can’t be found within the
assortment mix. They offer something which is different yet complimentary to the existing brands.
In order to bring these into the store I want to remove 3 of the existing rail or racks of brands which
they offer. These will be Ostwald Helgason, E.vil and La Petite Robe. The reasoning behind this as
these are three brands that aren’t complimentary of the luxury and contemporary feel of this floor.
They don’t offer something that can’t already be found within the store. The three brands don’t
represent the high fashion content which the rest of the designers offer nor do they offer the
contempeorary aesthetic either so therefore I feel it makes sense for Narcisco Rodriguez, IRO and
EDUN to replace these three allowing them to bring something new and exclusive to the floor.

48
Above you can see the buying assortment for the four brands that I plan on introducing into the
fourth floor.
Narcisco Rodroguez main focus within the collection was on the Dresses and the Jackets with these
being the most statement pieces. I therefore felt that out of the allocation for this set up it would be
best to highlight this within their selection. With it being the first time that they will have been intro-
duced it would be good to continue their brand aesthetic in order to allow the customers of La Rinas-
cente to understand who they are and their style.
The second brand is IRO with 33% of the budget going on this. They will feature the collection of
rails for their assortment. They currently have a lot of stockist’s wihin the Asian market again
appealing to the La Rinascente audience but yet allowing them to grow within the European market
therefore La Rinascenre will be an ideal location for them. Their main focus within the collection were
jackets, tops and trousers so I want to bring over their signature items in order to be able to introduce
the brand properly within the Milan market and amongst the Milan shopper.
The final brand is EDUN that was hold 18% of the budget. The reasoning behind this is so that they
can slowly be introduced within the store allowing them to have room to grow, the style for Edun
focuses heavily on knitwear, whether that’s dresses, tops or jumpers. Also within their Fall Winter
collection was a lot of patterned pieces that could be hard to translate fully within the store how-
ever by bringing their icon items and must haves for the season it would draw attention to them. As
you can see from the buying assortment the budget focus will go towards the items that are heavily
featured in their collection. The wearability for this collection can be transferred from customer to
customer with them offering select pieces that can’t be found or replicated elsewhere.

49
The sizing for each brand has been divided between sizes 34, 36, 38, 40, 42 and 44 this is due to
them being the sizes which can consistently found within the current selection of the floor. With
them being contemporary designers generally the appeal is to a slightly younger, more fashion aware,
consumer. Specifically the focus tends to be between sizes 36-42 which is something that I have
considered within the allocation.
Each brand has had a multiplier of 2.5 added to the wholesale price due to the current mark ups
which can be found within fashion retail and buying.
NARCISCO RODRIGUEZ
The whole sale price of the garments for Narcisco Rodriguez is higher than that of EDUN and IRO
therefore a larger amount of the budget is allocated to this brand. This is so that we can properly
introduce the brand and bring over their seasonal pieces and icon items from the collection. The
collection is based around alot of jackets, coats and dresses therefore the allocation of these items
is higher than the rest. The majority of these pieces also fall strictly within season pieces rather than
carry over, the same applies to the tops. Whilst these items will still sell the sizes will fall strictly with-
in the smaller sizes due to the fitting of these with the bigger sizes such as 42 and 46 having pieces
bought for the items such as jackets and trousers.
Navy

50
IRO
Similar to Narcisco Rodriguez the main focus is jackets and coats followed by tops. The jackets which
they have featured very specific cuts and shapes yet remain in the traditional Fall/Winter fabrics and
colours of wool and leather with shades of black grey and beige. For this reason the selection within
the buying focuses on these key items. Jumpers and tops are also a main focus in this again with
limited patterns however new cuts and simple lines which can appeal to a wider audience. Alot more
of these items allow for them to be carried over because they are a simple design with a much more
interesting and contemporary cut and shape.
The quantity of sizing bought for this again are between 1-2 per size with occasional pieces going up
to 3 if it is a more classic piece or a piece which could be more versatile within the floor. Due to the
fact the consumer of this floor is a younger more fashion aware consumer, this kind of style could
appeal more.
EDUN
The main focus within EDUN’s collection focuses on the knitwear and knit dresses. This style of
thicker dress and knitted style content is set to be a bigger trend this season with a lot more runway
collections therefore allows La Rinascente to offer this trend and style content with a new brand
which currently can’t be found elsewhere. They also offer some fine knit polo necks which could be
considered as a carry over item, on the runway these were featured underneath the knit dresses
creating a whole look, this is to be considered when purchasing these items as perhaps this is a full
look which more people may want to purchase.
In addition to this the sizes that are bought fall between 36, 38 and 40 and this is due to the
oversized appeal of alot of the garments, particularly the knit dresses. This will allow more people to
buy a size smaller than usual and still allow the garmet to appeal to a larger audience.
The total budget for the proposed three brands is €83,000 and is split with Narcisco Rodriguez
having 49%, IRO having 33% and EDUN having the remaining 18%. This is due to their price range,
each brand differs and Narcisco Rodriguez is the most expensive of the three followed by IRO and
EDUN, whilst the amount of items bought between them all doesn’t vary much the investment within
this differs drastically by around €10,000 each time. From this we have the Open To Buy which is
€12,450.00 - this allows us to have an amount set aside for those pieces that maybe will sell out
quicker than expected or maybe will be purchased more than expected so that we can therefore
rebuy or repurchase if needed.

51
Here is the generated sales forcast for the amount of products which will be sold at 100%, as you can
see not all products will sell at full price due to some of these being seasonal and some being down
to a particular taste but the aim is to sell atleast 50% of the offering at 100% so that we can generate
a profit and growth without loosing anything off of the wholesale price. As you can see this varies
from brand and catergory with certain items selling more than half and others slightly less but again
this varies depending on style. The whole salesforecast is based on a six month period
therefore allowing us to get a good read on what does and doesn’t work and hopefully be able to
make an informed decision. Whilst this is just a prediction we cannot guarentee the sales but by
under estimating certain items it allows us to give ourselves a good selection or products to fall back
on.
Navy

52
Here is the generated sales forcast for the amount of products which will be sold at a discounted
price, initially it will have a mark down of 15%, this is for a promotional sale that can happen within
season. Alot of department stores often do discounted items within season, whether thats as it goes
towards the end of the season or just on specific items. This will allow us to sell those items which
might not be able to sold at full price. For certain items the additonals may be purchased at this price
and this could be due the the fact that people may have been hesitant in the first place and with
this initial discount could therefore trigger the customer to buy these items. The numbers have been
judged again on what is a seasonal piece or something which is a carry-over item or a piece which
can be considered more transitional than others. For example the hero and icon pieces will hopefully
have a larger majority sold at 100% however thoses that aren’t will be sold at a discounted price.
Navy

53
This final forecast showcases the sales that will be generated with a further discount than before of
30%, the reasoning behind this is because the three designers which have been proposed currently
don’t offer their items at a discount much lower than this. This also offers a further incentive than the
15% hopefully allowing people to purchase what is remaining without too much loss.
The end three columns focus on the total percentage of each catergory which has sold, including the
discounted sales. The aim is to sell atleast 85-95% of the stock with the remainder being unsold with
the possibility for it to be bought by outlets or back by the brand. You can also see the total profit of
each catergory and product and then the total profit of each brand. As you can see in all catergories
and all brands a profit has been made which is good especially within time brand in a department
store. This allows them to be persued further within the department store and clearly show that they
are a good investment for the store and for the fourth floor.
Navy

54
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Amelia, (2014). Development of La Rinascente department store.
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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
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