Fashion Buying

Fashion buying, a key component in fashion retailing, is second only to design as a career option for fashion graduates. The buyer has a central role in influencing what consumers choose to wear and in determining whether a fashion retailing company succeeds or fails. Buying is a multi–faceted job, which typically involves fashion forecasting, range–planning, garment sourcing and budgeting. This comprehensive textbook describes the buying cycle, buying for stores and mail order and how to start a career in fashion buying. A glossary of buying terminology, as well as input from fashion buyers currently working for major companies, give a clear insight into this exciting and challenging role. The new edition has been revised throughout, includes more emphasis on buying for the internet, and all the interviews have been updated or replaced.

Acknowledgements . Preface . 1 Introduction . What do fashion buyers do?. Fashion market levels. 2 The Role of the Fashion Buyer . Qualities of a successful buyer. Liaising with suppliers. Negotiation. Liaising with internal departments. Management skills. Summary. 3 The Buying Cycle . Review of current season’s sales and budget planning. Comparative shopping. Directional shopping. Range planning and selection. Critical paths for product development, production and delivery. Summary. 4 Predicting Fashion Trends . Sources of fashion forecasting information. Compiling fashion forecasting information. Summary. 5 Range Planning . Compiling a range plan. Seasons and phases. Sales history. Directional and comparative shopping. Options and colourways. Sizing. Calculating retail prices. Classifying fashion merchandise within the range plan. Factors which affect the performance of a fashion range. Summary. 6 Fabric Sourcing . Fibre content. Fabric construction. Fabric printing. Fabric dyeing, finishing and embellishment. Methods of fabric sourcing. Fabric development. Fabric imports and exports. Fabric prices. Summary. 7 Garment Sourcing . Methods of garment sourcing. Liaising with garment suppliers. Departments within a garment supplier. Summary. Case study in ethical garment sourcing. 8 Buying for Own Label Fashion Multiples . Major UK store groups. Categories of fashion multiples. Product assortment. Retail sales performance. Visual merchandising and point–of–sale. Summary. Case study in own label fashion buying. 9 Mail Order Fashion Buying . The mail order fashion market. Compiling a catalogue. Forecasting and assessing the sales performance. of a mail order range. Buying for the internet. Summary. Case studies in mail order fashion buying. 10 Buying Branded Fashion Merchandise . Budget planning and ordering merchandise. Selecting ranges of branded fashion merchandise. Processing orders and monitoring deliveries. Monitoring sales figures and reviewing the season’s performance. PR and promotion. Summary. Case studies in buying branded fashion merchandise. 11 Fashion Marketing for Buyers . The fashion marketing mix. The fashion product life cycle. Customer profiles. Marketing research methods. Test–marketing fashion products. Fashion consumer behaviour. Summary. 12 Careers in Fashion Buying . Is fashion buying the right career for you?. Qualifications for a career in fashion buying. Relevant skills for fashion buyers. Career progression in fashion buying. Methods of finding jobs in fashion buying. CVs. Interview structure. Advice for interviewees. Summary. Glossary of Fashion Buying Terms . Index

Helen Goworek is senior lecturer in fashion buying, merchandising and product development at Nottingham Trent University. Her experience in industry includes having worked in both buying and design for several major UK fashion retailers.