Chapter 12 Managing Merchandise Assortments

McGraw-Hill/Irwin Retailing Management, 6/e

Copyright 2007 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Merchandise Management
Process by which a retailer offers the right quantity of the right merchandise in the right place at the right time and meets the companys financial goals. Sense market trends Analyze sales data Make appropriate adjustments

c) image100/PunchStock

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Merchandise Management and Investment Portfolio Management

Amount to invest in inventory Invest in hot merchandise Save a little for opportunities (open to buy) Monitor portfolio Sell losers (markdowns)

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Standard Merchandise Classification Scheme and Organizational Chart

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Merchandise Management Issues

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The Category
A merchandise category is an assortment of items that customers see as substitutes for each other. Vendors might assign products to different categories based on differences in product attributes Retailers might assign two products to same category based on common consumers and buying behavior

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Category Management
Category management is the process of managing a retail business with the objective of maximizing the sales and profits of a category.
Department stores manage at category level, but grocery stores manage merchandise around brands and vendors Objective is to maximize the sales and profits of the entire category, not just a particular brand.

The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc./Andrew Resek, photographer

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Category Captain
Selected vendor responsible for managing a category Vendors frequently have more information and analytical skills about the category in which they compete than retailers Helps retailer understand consumer behavior Creates assortments that satisfy the customer Improves profitability of category Problems Vendor category captain may have different goals than retailer

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Antitrust Consideration
The vendor category captain could collude with retailer to fix prices It could block brands from access to shelf space Category captains need to temper zeal for control over retailers

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Evaluating Merchandise Management Performance Merchandise managers have control over The merchandise they buy The price at which the merchandise is sold The cost of the merchandise Merchandise managers do not have control over Operating expenses Human resources Real estate Supply chain management Information systems

SO HOW ARE MERCHANTS EVALUATED?

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GMROI
Gross Margin Return on Investment

A measurement of how many gross margin dollars are earned on every dollar of inventory investment made by the buyer

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GMROI
Inventory Productivity Measures

GMROI = Gross Margin Percent x sales to stock ratio = gross margin net sales = x net sales avg inventory at cost

gross margin avg inventory at cost

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ROI and GMROI Asset Productivity Measures

Strategic Corporate Level Return on Assets = Net Profit Total Assets
Merchandise Management Level GROI = Gross Margin Avg Inventory

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Illustration of GMROI

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GMROI for Selected Department in Discount Stores

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Calculating Inventory Turnover

Inventory turnover =
Inventory turnover =

Net Sales Average inventory at retail Cost of goods sold Average inventory at cost
Month1 + Month2 + Month 3 + Number of months

Average inventory =

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Inventory Turnover
Month Retail Value of Inventory EOM January $22,000 EOM February 33,000 EOM March 38,000 Total Inventory $93,000

Average inventory = $93,000 3 = $31,000

Inventory Turnover and Stock-to-Sale Ratio

Inventory turnover = Net Sales Average inventory at retail

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Inventory turnover =

Cost of goods sold Average inventory at cost Net Sales Average cost of

Sock-to-Sales Ratio = inventory

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Advantages of Rapid Turnover

Increased sales volume Less risk of obsolescence and markdowns Improved salesperson morale More resources to take advantage of new buying opportunities

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Approaches for Improving Inventory Turnover Reduce number of categories Reduce number of SKUs within a category Reduce number of items in a SKU BUT if a customer cant find their size or color or brand, patronage and sales decrease!
another approach

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another approach
To improve inventory turnover Buy merchandise more often Buy in smaller quantities which should reduce average inventory without reducing sales

BUT by buying smaller quantities Buyers cant take advantage of quantity discounts so Gross margin decreases Operating expenses increase Buyers need to spend more time placing orders and monitoring deliveries

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Merchandise Planning Process

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Developing a Sales Forecast

Understanding the nature of the product life cycle Collecting data on sales of product and comparable products Using statistical techniques to project sales Work with vendors to coordinate manufacturing and merchandise delivery with forecasted demand (CPFR)

Royalty-Free/CORBIS

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The Category Product Life Cycle

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Variations in the Category Life Cycle

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Factors Affecting Sales Projections

Controllable Promotions Store Locations Merchandise Placement Cannabalization Uncontrollable Seasonality Weather Competitive Activity Product Availability Economic Conditions

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Fad vs. Fashion

How do buyers tell the difference?
Is it compatible with changes in consumer lifestyles? Does the innovation provide real benefits? Is the innovation compatible with other changes in the marketplace? Who is adopting the trend?

Ryan McVay/Getty Images

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Forecasting Fashion Merchandise Categories

Retailers develop fashion forecasts by relying on: Previous sales data Personal awareness Fashion and trend services Vendors Traditional market research

The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc./Lars A. Niki, photographer

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Personal Awareness
How do fashion buyers know the trends? Internet chat rooms Look in closets Go to the movies Go to rock concerts Go to nightclubs
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Collaboration, Planning, Forecasting, and Replenishment Systems (CPFR)

Systems used by retailers and vendors to work together to insure that the right merchandise is at the right place at the right time.
Benefits both retailers and vendors Increases fill rate, reduces stockouts, increases inventory turns

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www.cpfr.org

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Assortment Planning
Variety is the number of different merchandising categories within a store or department

Assortment is the number of SKUs within a category.

Product availability defines the percentage of demand for a particular SKU that is satisfied.

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Assortment Plan for Girls Jeans

Is This Store Heavy on Variety? On Assortment?

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PhotoLink/Getty Images

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Determining Variety and Assortment

Profitability of Merchandise Mix Corporate Philosophy Toward Assortment Physical Characteristics of Store Complementary Merchandise Retail strategy can determine this

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