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RETAIL BUYING
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Retail Buying
From Basics to Fashion
Third Edition
Richard Clodfelter
University of South Carolina
Fairchild Books, Inc.

New York
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Director of Sales and Acquisitions: Dana Meltzer-Berkowitz

Executive Editor: Olga T. Kontzias
Acquisitions Editor: Jaclyn Bergeron
Senior Development Editor: Jennifer Crane
Art Director: Adam B. Bohannon
Production Director: Ginger Hillman
Associate Art Director: Erin Fitzsimmons
Senior Production Editor: Elizabeth Marotta
Project Manager: Patricia Shogren
Copyeditor: GEX Publishing Services
Cover Design: Adam B. Bohannon
Text Design: Charles B. Hames
Layout: Jack Donner
Copyright © 2008 Fairchild Books, Inc., A Division of Condé Nast Publications
Second Edition Copyright © 2003

Fairchild Publications, Inc.
First Edition Copyright © 1993

Delmar Publishers, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this book covered by the copyright hereon may be
reproduced or used in any form or by any means—graphic, electronic, or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording, taping, or information storage and retrieval
systems—without written permission of the publisher.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2007940933
ISBN: 978-1-56367-703-8
GST R 133004424
Printed in the United States of America
TP08
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Contents
Extended Contents vii

Preface xxiii
Acknowledgments xxvii
PART I Understanding the Retail Environment Where

Buying Occurs 1
Chapter 1 Today’s Buying Environment 3
Chapter 2 The Buying Function in Retailing 37
Chapter 3 Buying for Different Types of Stores 67
PART II Getting Ready to Make Buying Decisions 93

Chapter 4 Obtaining Assistance for Making Buying
Decisions 95
Chapter 5 Understanding Your Customers 127
Chapter 6 Understanding Product Trends: What Customers
Buy 155
Part III Planning and Controlling Merchandise

Purchases 189
Chapter 7 Forecasting 191
Chapter 8 Preparing Buying Plans 221
Chapter 9 Developing Assortment Plans 249
Chapter 10 Controlling Inventories 277
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PART IV Purchasing Merchandise 305

Chapter 11 Selecting Vendors and Building Partnerships 307
Chapter 12 Locating Sources in Foreign Markets 333
Chapter 13 Making Market Visits and Negotiating with
Vendors 361
Chapter 14 Making the Purchase 393
PART V Motivating Customers to Buy 419

Chapter 15 Pricing the Merchandise 421
Chapter 16 Promoting the Merchandise 445
Appendix A 471
Appendix B 473
Glossary 477
Index 491
Credits 513
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Extended Contents
Preface xxiii
Acknowledgments xxvii
PART I Understanding the Retail Environment

Where Buying Occurs 1
Chapter 1 Today’s Buying Environment 3

Introduction 4
A Marketing Orientation 5
Developing a Consumer Orientation 5
Positioning a Retail Store 6
Targeting Consumers 6
Types of Target Marketing 9
Emerging and Growing Retail Formats: Where Will

Consumers Make Purchases? 10
Direct Marketing 11
Electronic Retailing 13
Superstore Retailing 18
Trends and Challenges Facing Retailers 20

Too Many Stores 21
Increasing Consolidation and Shakeouts in
Retailing 21
Marketing to Smaller Niches 22
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Rapid Globalization 23
Increased Customer Demand for Value and
Service 23
Customers Are Changing, Too 25
Growing Use of Database-Driven Marketing 26
Spreading Use of Technology 27
Other Trends and Challenges 27
Summary Points 28
Review Activities 29
Developing Your Retail Buying Vocabulary 29
Understanding What You Read 29
Analyzing and Applying What You Read 30
Internet Connection 30
SNAPSHOT: LandsEnd.com: From Catalog to Online

Sales 31
SNAPSHOT: Lowe’s Continues to Grow 32
TRENDWATCH: Targeting Current Customers 34
Chapter 2 The Buying Function in Retailing 37

The Buyer’s Job 38
Factors Affecting the Scope of the Buyer’s
Job 39
The Buyer’s Job: Duties and Responsibilities 41
Role of Assistant Buyers 42
Changing Role of the Buyer 43
Managing the Buying Function 45

Role of the Merchandise Manager 45
Evaluating Buyers’ Performance 46
Planning for a Buying Career 47

Qualifications Needed 47
Career Paths 51
Employment Forecasts 56
Getting a Job As a Buyer 57
Summary Points 59
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Extended Contents • ix
Spreadsheet Skills 61
SNAPSHOT: The Macy’s Internship Program: Starting

Your Career 62
SNAPSHOT: AllRetailJobs.com: Using the Internet to

Locate Merchandising Positions 63
TRENDWATCH: Today’s Buyer 65
Chapter 3 Buying for Different Types of Stores 67

Buying Different Types of Products 68
Buying at Different Retail Formats 70

Department Stores 71
Discount Department Stores 72
Outlet Stores 73
Specialty Stores 74
Supermarkets 74
Buying for Chain Stores 75

Centralized Buying 76
Types of Centralized Buying 76
Drawbacks of Centralized Buying 78
Organizational Structure and the Buying

Function 79
Types of Departmentalization 79
Relationship of Merchandising to Other
Departments 82
Buying for Your Own Store 83
Summary Points 85
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SNAPSHOT: Kohl’s: A Department Store with a

Discount-Store Strategy 87
SNAPSHOT: The Future of the Department Store

89
TRENDWATCH: Is Bigger Really Better? Will the

Small Independent Retailer
Survive? 90
PART II Getting Ready to Make Buying Decisions 93
Chapter 4 Obtaining Assistance for Making Buying

Decisions 95
Marketing Research 96
Using Marketing Research 96
Collecting Data 98
Analyzing and Interpreting Data 99
Internal Sources 100

Store Records 100
Management 101
Sales Associates 102
External Sources 103

Customers 103
Magazines and Trade Publications 105
Vendors 106
Trade Associations 106
Comparison Shoppers 106
Fashion Forecasters 107
Reporting Services 108
The Internet 108
Buying Offices 109
Buying Offices 109

Purpose and Importance 109
Services Provided by Buying Offices 111
Types of Buying Offices 113
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Selecting a Buying Office 114

Trends Influencing Buying Offices 116
Summary Points 117

SNAPSHOT: Talbots: Committed to Marketing

Research 120
TRENDWATCH: Loyalty Cards: How Can They

Benefit Retail Buyers? 122
TRENDWATCH: Using Different Retail Formats to

Appeal to Diverse Customers in the
Same Market 124
Chapter 5 Understanding Your Customers 127

Introduction 128
Identifying Changes in Consumer Markets 130

Demographic and Consumer Behavior
Trends 131
Lifestyle Trends 134
Understanding Why Consumers Buy 136

Rational Buying Motives 137
Emotional Buying Motives 138
Patronage Buying Motives 138
Learning About Your Current Customers 139

Data Warehousing 139
Data Mining 141
Database Marketing 143
Summary Points 147

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SNAPSHOT: Trends and Countertrends: Can Buyers

Predict What Customers Want? 150
TRENDWATCH: Hispanic Teens: The Largest Ethnic

Youth Group 151
TRENDWATCH: Baby Boomers: Reaching Them

After 60 153
Chapter 6 Understanding Product Trends: What Customers

Buy 155
Product Selection Decisions 156
Types of Products Customers Purchase 158
Purchases Bases on Availability 159
Purchases Based on Durability and Quality 160
Purchases Based on Fashion Appeal 161
Purchasing “New” Products 164
Purchasing Fads 166
Product Life Cycles and Fashion Adoption Theories 169
Product Life Cycle 169
Fashion Adoption Theories 171
Using Product Life Cycles and Adoption
Theories 173
Creating Product Differences 174
Brand Names 174
Licensed Products 175
Mass Customization 178
Summary Points 178
SNAPSHOT: Customizing Purchases Online 181
SNAPSHOT: Smart Cars: Will They Succeed in the
United States? 183
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TRENDWATCH: Fads: What Is the Next Big Thing?

184
TRENDWATCH: Casual Fridays: Is the Pendulum
Swinging the Other Way? 186
PART III Planning and Controlling Merchandise

Purchases 189
Chapter 7 Forecasting 191

Scope of Forecasting 192
Developing Sales Forecasts 195

Examining Internal Forces 195
Examining External Forces 195
Acquiring Needed Data 197
Making Sales Forecasts 199
Making Adjustments 202
Forecasting Decisions 202

Forecasting Sales 202
Planning Inventory Levels 207
Determining Stock Turnover 208
Future Direction of Sales Forecasting 211
Summary Points 211

Application Exercises 213
SNAPSHOT: Family Dollar: Fine-Tuning Its Retail

Strategy 215
TRENDWATCH: Using Weather Forecasts to Improve

Retail Forecasts 217
TRENDWATCH: Market-Basket Analysis: How Do

Customers Shop a Store? 219
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Chapter 8 Preparing Buying Plans 221

Merchandising Management 222
Six-Month Merchandise Plan 224

Purposes of the Plan 224
Components of the Plan 225
Preparation of a Six-Month Merchandise Plan 228

Planned Sales 228
Planned BOM Inventory 230
Planned EOM Inventory 232
Planned Reductions 232
Planned Purchases at Retail 233
Planned Purchases at Cost 234
Basic Stock Planning 235
Open-to-Buy Planning 239

Definition of Open-to-Buy 239
Open-to-Buy Calculations 239
Benefits and Uses of Open-to-Buy 240
Summary Points 241

SNAPSHOT: RMSA: Retail Merchandising Service

Automation 245
TRENDWATCH: Merchandise Planning: Taking the

Holiday Pulse 247
Chapter 9 Developing Assortment Plans 249

Planning Merchandise Assortments 251
Factors Affecting Merchandise Assortments 252

Type of Merchandise 253
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Store Policies 255

Variety of Merchandise Available 256
Merchandise Classifications 258

Classifications and Subclassifications 258
Selection Factors 261
Preparing an Assortment Plan 264
Summary Points 268

SNAPSHOT: Fashion Forecasting: Doneger Creative

Services 273
TRENDWATCH: All Shapes and Sizes: The Plus-Size

Market Continues to Grow 274
Chapter 10 Controlling Inventories 277

Inventory Control Systems 278
Perpetual Control 279
Periodic Control 281
Establishing and Using Inventory Control

Systems 282
Information Required 282
Using Inventory Control Information 285
Inventory Calculations 287

Dollar Control Systems 287
GMROI—Measuring Profitability of Sales 289
Inventory Management: Quick Response 290

Requirements for Quick Response 291
Implementing Quick Response 293
Measuring the Impact of Quick Response 294
Summary Points 295

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SNAPSHOT: VF Brands: Implementing Quick

Response 298
TRENDWATCH: Scanners: How Accurate Are

They? 300
TRENDWATCH: RFID: Can It Improve Retail

Logistics? 301
PART IV Purchasing Merchandise 305
Chapter 11 Selecting Vendors and Building Partnerships 307

Types of Vendors 308
Manufacturers 309
Wholesalers 309
Manufacturers’ Representatives/Brokers 310
Rack Jobbers 311
Making Contact with Potential Vendors 311

Buyer-Initiated Contacts 311
Vendor-Initiated Contacts 312
Criteria for Selecting Vendors 314

Merchandise and Prices Offered 314
Vendors’ Distribution Policies 315
Vendors’ Reputation and Reliability 316
Terms Offered 316
Services Provided 316
Analyzing Vendor Performance 318
Developing Strong Buyer–Vendor Partnerships 321

Basis for Strong Partnerships with Vendors 321
Buyers’ Expectations of Vendors 322
Future Trends 323
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Summary Points 325

SNAPSHOT: IKEA: Building a Global Empire 328
TRENDWATCH: Manufacturers’ Factory Outlet

Stores 330
Chapter 12 Locating Sources in Foreign Markets 333

Foreign Markets 334
Purchasing from Foreign Sources 335

Reasons to Buy from Foreign Sources 337
Drawbacks to Buying from Foreign Sources 338
Making the Decision to Buy from Foreign
Sources 340
Locating Foreign Sources 342

Making Personal Buying Trips 343
Using Intermediaries 345
Globalization of Retailing 345
“Buy American” Campaigns 348
Summary Points 351

SNAPSHOT: Zara: Providing Style and Rapid

Response 353
SNAPSHOT: Wal-Mart Exits Germany: What Are the

Challenges of Global Expansion? 355
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TRENDWATCH: Recalled Products: What Went

Wrong? 356
TRENDWATCH: “Buy American” Campaigns 358
Chapter 13 Making Market Visits and Negotiating with

Vendors 361
Preparing for a Market Visit 362
Types of Markets 363
Purposes of Buying Trips 365
Frequency of Market Trips 365
Planning the Market Trip 367
Visiting the Market 368

Working with a Buying Office 368
Visiting Vendors 371
Visiting Factories 373
Other Market Activities 373
Visiting Online Showrooms 374
Preparing to Negotiate 374

Analyze Your Position 376
Determine the Vendor’s Position 376
Develop Negotiation Skills 376
Determine Objectives of Negotiations 377
Setting the Stage for Negotiating 378

Build Rapport 378
Ask Questions 378
Listen and Watch for Nonverbal Clues 379
Developing a Negotiating Strategy 379

Personality Styles in Negotiations 380
Negotiation Tactics 380
Bargaining 382
Negotiation Checklist 383
Outcomes of Negotiation 383
Summary Points 384

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SNAPSHOT: The American International Toy Fair 387
TRENDWATCH: Which Furniture Market Will

Dominate? 389
SNAPSHOT: Springs Industries: The Loss of Another

U.S. Textile Manufacturer 391
Chapter 14 Making the Purchase 393

Negotiating Terms of the Sale 394
Price 394
Discounts 396
Transportation 398
Allowances 399
Return Privileges 399
Negotiating Special Buying Situations 400

Private Brands 400
Specification Buying 404
Promotional Buying 404
Job Lots 405
Off-Price 405
Seconds and Irregulars 406
Placing the Order 406

Types of Orders 407
Parts of the Purchase Order 407
Follow Up of Orders 409
Summary Points 410

SNAPSHOT: Liz Claiborne 413

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TRENDWATCH: Source Tagging: Bargaining for

Floor-Ready Merchandise 415
TRENDWATCH: Private Labels Spell Profits 416
PART V Motivating Customers to Buy 419
Chapter 15 Pricing the Merchandise 421

Establishing Retail Prices 422
Elements of Retail Price 423
Determining Markup Percentage 423
Planning Initial Markup Percentage 424
Factors Affecting Retail Price 428

Target Market 428
Store Policies 429
Competition 431
Economic Conditions 432
Adjustments to Retail Price 433

Markdowns 433
Markdown Cancellations 435
Additional Markups 436
Evaluating Pricing Decisions 437

Market Share 437
Profit 437
Markup Achieved 437
Summary Points 437

SNAPSHOT: Dollar Tree: Successfully Pricing Items

for a Dollar 441
TRENDWATCH: Outlet Centers: Do They Deliver

Lower Prices? 443
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Chapter 16 Promoting the Merchandise 445

Retail Promotional Activities 447
Advertising 447
Visual Merchandising 448
Personal Selling 450
Publicity 451
Special Events 452
Other Sales Promotion Activities 453
Developing a Promotional Plan 454

Establish Objectives 454
Prepare the Budget 456
Select Merchandise for Promotion 458
Establish the Schedule 459
Prepare the Promotional Message 460
Evaluate Promotional Activities 460
Coordination of Promotional Activities 461
Summary Points 463

SNAPSHOT: Lillian Vernon: Promoting an Image

Through Catalogs 466
TRENDWATCH: Victoria’s Secret: Using the Web as a

Promotion Tool 468
Appendix A: Basic Retail Math Formulas 471
Appendix B: Decision Making 473
Glossary 477
Index 491
Credits 513
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PREFACE
The purpose of Retail Buying is to prepare students for merchandising

careers in retailing. Throughout the text, students are introduced to
basic concepts, principles, and techniques used by retail buyers as they
complete their day-to-day duties and responsibilities. References to a
wide range of merchandising careers are also found in the text. Not
only are traditional retail stores examined, but also various examples
relate to nontraditional types of retailing, such as mail order, online,
and direct.
The use of technology in retail buying is presented throughout the
text, and basic mathematical calculations performed by buyers are also
presented to review and reinforce students’ math skills. The overall goal
is for students to use the information presented in the text to learn how
to develop an effective buying strategy.
Many special features are used in Retail Buying to explain buying con-
cepts in a challenging and practical manner. The author made every effort
to ensure that the material is written clearly and concisely to enhance
student understanding.
Snapshots are included in each chapter to present up-to-date high-
lights of current merchandising concepts, strategies, and techniques
being used by actual retail businesses. Each Snapshot is related to mate-
rial presented in the chapter, making it more interesting and relevant
to students. Instructors may find it appropriate to assign students the
task of conducting research to update material found in each Snapshot
or to apply it to other retail businesses with which they may be more
familiar.
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At least one Trendwatch, which presents information about a trend

is included in each chapter. Highlighted trends focus on the general direc-
tion that topics in the chapter have taken. In some chapters, students
will be examining trends that have occurred in the past; most chapters,
however, deal with recent trend changes. By their very nature, new trends
were developing as this text was being written and published. Instruc-
tors and students will want to continually monitor the marketplace to
discover new trends as they begin to appear. Constantly being aware of
changes in the market is a task buyers use throughout their careers.
Material is included that gives students the opportunity to develop
merchandising skills rather than simply reading about the types of
activities that are performed by buyers. For example, step-by-step
approaches are presented for buying tasks such as these: identifying and
understanding potential customers, developing sales forecasts, prepar-
ing a 6-month merchandise plan, planning merchandise assortments,
preparing an assortment plan, identifying criteria for selecting vendors,
preparing for a market visit, negotiating with vendors, placing an order,
and coordinating promotional activities.
Up-to-date information about current buying practices and techniques
can be found throughout the text. Students will learn more about: trends
and challenges facing retailers, such as consolidation, shakeouts, online
retailing, and globalization; the increasing use of technology and the
Internet by retail buyers; employment forecasts for merchandising
careers; the growing emphasis on centralized buying; targeting current
customers through more effective forecasting; understanding customers
through techniques such as data warehousing, data mining, and data-
base marketing; controlling inventories more effectively through Quick
Response; and techniques for more effective negotiations with vendors.
Various viewpoints on key issues are also presented and can be
adapted for classroom discussion or debate. For example, different views
are highlighted on the future of specific types of retail stores, the use of
centralized buying, the future of buying offices, and the use of domestic
sourcing and “Buy American” campaigns.
References are presented throughout the text that can serve as a list
of suggested readings for further study and research. The references pres-
ent students with sources that are important to buyers as they study trends
and make buying decisions.
Each chapter begins with a list of performance objectives and ends
with a summary of key points presented in the chapter. Vocabulary terms
related to retail buying are also highlighted in the text and listed at the
end of each chapter.
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A variety of questions are included. Understanding What You Read

questions can be used to generate class discussion and review informa-
tion presented in the chapter. Analyzing and Applying What You Read
questions provide students with the opportunity to analyze buying prin-
ciples presented in the chapter. A section titled Internet Connection, is
included in each chapter. Suggested activities that utilize the Internet
are presented to reinforce material found in the chapter. Chapters that
emphasize mathematical calculations include a section on Spreadsheet
Skills. Activities are suggested for developing and using spreadsheets.
Additional spreadsheet activities that are also listed can be found in Mak-
ing Buying Decisions: Using the Computer as a Tool, a companion text.
Throughout the text, charts present current data that affects many
aspects of the retail buyer’s job. Photographs used show examples of
current retail practices in actual stores and showrooms. Sample forms
used by buyers are presented to illustrate the kinds of records that buy-
ers may encounter.
In Part I: Understanding the Retail Environment Where Buying
Occurs, we learn that to be successful, buyers must understand the
retail environment in which buying occurs. The first three chapters intro-
duce buying practices and procedures of various types of retail businesses.
In Chapter 1, students are introduced to buying and are presented a mar-
keting orientation to factors that will influence many of the decisions
that buyers make. Emerging and growing retail formats are described
with a discussion of trends and challenges facing retailers. In Chapter
2, students examine merchandising careers in retailing. Detailed job
descriptions for a buyer, assistant buyer, and merchandise manager are
presented. Information is also presented on how to plan for a career in
retail buying. In Chapter 3, students learn how the buyer’s job differs in
various types of retail formats. Retail organizational structures are pre-
sented, and the relationship of merchandising to other departments is
highlighted.
Part II: Getting Ready to Make Buying Decisions discusses how
once buyers understand the marketplace in which they work, they need
to develop an understanding of customers and trends affecting future
sales. In Chapter 4, students examine sources of information that would
be available to them when making buying decisions. Internal and exter-
nal sources are described with emphasis on the role of buying offices.
In Chapter 5, information is presented to help buyers better understand
their customers. Recent changes in the consumer markets are described,
and reasons why customers buy are discussed. Targeting customers by
using technology, such as database marketing, data mining, and data
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warehousing, is emphasized. In Chapter 6, students gain an under-

standing of what types of products customers purchase. New product
trends, especially products with fashion appeal, are emphasized. Prod-
uct life cycles and fashion adoption theories are explained.
Part III: Planning and Controlling Merchandise Purchases deals
with how buyers now understand their customers and the environment
in which they will be operating and are ready to make purchasing plans.
In Chapter 7, the scope of forecasting is described, and students exam-
ine the steps for developing effective sales forecasts. In addition, material
is presented about forecasting decisions to predict inventory needs. In
Chapter 8, students learn how to develop merchandise plans for fash-
ion and basic merchandise. In Chapter 9, students plan merchandise
assortments and develop an assortment plan. In Chapter 10, different
inventory control plans are presented, and the mathematical calculations
needed by buyers are explained. Quick Response is described in rela-
tion to purchase planning and merchandise control.
Part IV: Purchasing Merchandise concerns how buyers having pre-
pared their merchandise plans and are now ready to select vendors
from whom to make purchases. In Chapter 11, students examine vari-
ous types of vendors and learn how to identify criteria for selecting
them. The development of partnerships between retailers and vendors
is emphasized. In Chapter 12, students examine foreign sourcing for their
planned purchases. Benefits and drawbacks are presented. In Chapter
13, steps for planning a market trip are explained in detail. Negotiation
practices frequently used by buyers are presented. Emphasis is placed
on developing a negotiation strategy that results in a win-win outcome.
In Chapter 14, terms of the sale and special buying situations are
described. Procedures for placing the final order are presented.
Part V: Motivating Customers to Buy concerns how once mer-
chandise has been purchased for the store, buyers may be responsible
for other retailing activities to motivate customers to buy. In Chapter
15, students examine the mathematical calculations needed to price
incoming merchandise and make price adjustments on in-stock mer-
chandise. In Chapter 16, students examine promotional activities that
can be used to promote merchandise purchased by the buyers. Students
learn how to develop and coordinate promotional activities.
Appendix A: Basic Retail Math Formulas is presented as a handy
reference to review the basic math used in merchandising. Appendix B:
Decision Making is presented as a step-by-step process of approaching
individual and group decision making in classroom activities, as well as
in retail buying careers. A Glossary of over 250 terms related to retail
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buying is included for students to use as a quick reference of key terms

found in the text. An instructor’s manual is available with the text,
which presents suggested teaching ideas, a key to chapter review activ-
ities, and a test bank of questions for each chapter.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many retail professionals provided me with information on current buy-

ing practices that are included in this text. Representatives of Parisian,
Bloomingdale’s, Rich’s, Lowe’s, Hartmarx Corporation, Wal-Mart, Car-
olinas-Virginia Fashion Exhibitors, Belk, and Belk Store Services
provided the answers to many questions while this edition was being
written. In addition, many other individuals provided me with a wealth
of materials and sources that have been incorporated in this text. Spe-
cial thanks to the following JCPenney associates who conducted
workshops and answered numerous questions when I completed a two-
week professor internship with the company at their store in Columbia,
South Carolina, and at corporate headquarters in Dallas, Texas: Debbie
Herd (College Relations Manager); Haley Peoples (College Relations
Manager); Derrick Flowers (Buyer, Young Men’s Collection); Rosie Sali-
nas (Assistant Buyer, Bedding); Susan Hardy (Brand Manager, Arizona
Brand); Steve Larson (Inventory Planning Manager, Men’s Shoes); David
Kopach (Human Resources Manager, Outlet Stores); Denis Miller (Proj-
ect Analyst, Catalog Marketing); Laura Owens (Project Analyst, Catalog
Marketing); George Stasick (Director of Internet Commerce); Stephanie
Gwin (Divisional Trend Manager); John Thomas (Director of Creative
Services); Ira Silver (Assistant Director, Business Planning and Analy-
sis); Carol Snyder (International Merchandise Manager); Mark Mears
(Director of Sales Planning and Promotions); and Mark Anderson (Assis-
tant Store Manager, JCPenney at Stone Briar Mall, Dallas).
Special thanks to the following individuals who conducted workshops
and answered numerous questions when I participated in a three-day
Advanced institute in Direct/Interactive Marketing for Professors in Col-
lege Park, Maryland: Laurie Spar, Martin Baier, Dan Dale, Hal Malchow,
Pat Faley, Ward Thomas, Scott Tilden, and Mark Heller. The Institute
was sponsored by the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation of the
Direct Marketing Association. Appreciation is also extended to David
C. Hochberg, Vice President of Public Affairs for Lillian Vernon Cor-
poration for the detailed information that he provided.
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I also appreciate the many helpful suggestions made by the review-

ers of the original manuscript for the text. These experienced and creative
instructors included: Michele Granger, Rose Bednarz, June Fischer, Tana
Stuttlebean, Luann Gaskil, Li Zhang, Glenda Lowry, Harvey Shoemach,
and Cynthia Jasper.
I remain grateful to Mary McGarry and Joann Muscolo, former edi-
tors at Fairchild, for their guidance and encouragement in the second
edition.
Finally, I appreciate the assistance of my graduate research assistant,
and I am especially grateful to Jaclyn Bergeron, Fairchild editor of this
revision.
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RETAIL BUYING
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P A R T III
Planning
and Controlling
Merchandise
Purchases
C h a p t e r
7
Forecasting
PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this chapter, you should be able to:
• Recognize the value of accurate forecasting to the buyer.

• Identify the benefits of developing sales forecasts.
• Describe internal forces affecting sales forecasts.
• Describe external forces affecting sales forecasts.
• Identify uses of primary and secondary data in developing
sales forecasts.
• List the steps involved in developing a sales forecast.
• Describe methods used in forecasting inventory needs.
• Predict sales based on stock-to-sales ratios and stock
turnover.
• Recognize that buyers need quantitative skills.
192 • Part III Planning and Controlling Merchandise Purchases
After collecting information from the sources described in the previous

chapters, buyers must use the data to make forecasts about what will
happen in the future. Forecasting involves predicting what consumers
may do under a given set of conditions. Buyers most often make fore-
casts concerning consumer demand, sales, and required inventory levels.
To make these forecasts, they must collect and analyze information from
a number of sources, including forecasts that other people have made.
Many forecasts concerning the entire retailing industry are described
in Chapter 1.
In this chapter, you will learn more about forecasting. How buyers
identify consumer trends and anticipate changes in market conditions
will be described and the steps used to make a forecast examined.
Then, you will learn how buyers use these skills for sales forecasting
and stock planning.
SCOPE OF FORECASTING
Buyers typically develop forecasts to answer questions such as these:
• How much of each product will need to be purchased?

• Should new products be added to the merchandise assortment being
offered?
Chapter 7 Forecasting • 193
• How much inventory is needed to support the planned sales?

• What price should be charged for each product?
Answers to these questions are based on predictions of what you

believe the customer will do in the future. Just like a prediction about
tomorrow’s weather, your forecast will not always be correct, but steps
can be taken to improve your forecasting ability. Read the Trend-
watch titled, “Using Weather Forecasts to Improve Retail Forecasts,”
to learn more about how long-term weather forecasting is being used
as a tool to improve retail forecasts.
First, you need to obtain past sales records. In making a forecast, most
buyers start with information on past sales to predict future sales, but
you cannot stop there. You must also consider other internal forces
that are operating in your store such as expansion of sales space or reduc-
tion in the number of sales associates. Then you need to examine external
forces such as competition and economic conditions. As you probably
realize, no sales forecast will match actual sales exactly. You may
purchase too much of some items and not enough of others, but if
you keep accurate records, you have the opportunity to improve your
future forecasts.
Once you have identified all the sources of assistance that are avail-
able to you, you are ready to collect and analyze information about
market conditions and your target consumers to develop forecasts.
The most important forecast you will make is the sales forecast, a
prediction of future sales for a specified period under a proposed
marketing plan. The sales forecast can be a prediction of total sales
volume, or sales can be forecast for:
• Specific products or services (brands or models),

• Specific consumer groups (males, over 65),
• Time periods (weekly, monthly), or
• Specific store locations.
A sales forecast is made for a specified period of time that can

cover a few weeks or even years. Short-term forecasts usually include
a period of up to one year. Buying fashion merchandise usually requires
developing a sales forecast for a six-month period. Grocery stores and
drug stores that deal with more basic merchandise may have to fore-
cast sales for only a few days or a week. Long-term forecasts extend
for more than a year.
The time period for which the sales forecast is made will have a
great impact on its accuracy. Forecasts that attempt to predict sales many
years into the future may be much less accurate than a forecast for
sales during the next two months. Existing market conditions may remain
the same for a few weeks; however, these conditions could drastically
change by the end of the season. Customers’ tastes could also change
rapidly. If the market is volatile and changes quickly, long-term forecasts
may be meaningless.
Forecasting is a crucial planning tool for buyers. Preparing sales
forecasts requires them to think in detailed terms about (1) target market
groups the store is trying to serve, (2) existing and potential competi-
tors, and (3) future trends occurring in the market and the economy.
In other words, they must make a thorough examination of the store and
its markets before preparing a sales forecast and developing merchan-
dise buying plans. In addition, sales forecasts:
• Stimulate Planning. Without a sales forecast, buyers could not make

other critical decisions such as inventory levels required and retail prices
to charge customers.
• Promote Coordination. A sales forecast becomes a target for all members
of the merchandising team. Buyers, store managers, and sales associates
must all tailor their activities to reach the desired sales goal.
• Support Control Activities. The sales forecast becomes the basis for
measuring success or failure of the buyer’s efforts. It provides a quanti-
tative measurement against which the buyer’s performance can be
measured for pay raises, promotion, or dismissal.
Because they play such an important role, sales forecasts need to

be as accurate as possible, but since forecasting is an attempt to predict
the future, they can be inaccurate. In the final analysis, accuracy of
sales forecasting tends to improve as more data analysis and interpre-
tation are applied.
Buyers must have confidence in forecasts they make, and that confi-
dence increases with a thorough understanding of all the forces that
can have an impact on sales. Forecasts should be based on facts, not
guesswork! Before developing a sales forecast, buyers must first iden-
tify their target customers, understand why they buy, and gain an
understanding of trends affecting these markets. Read the Snapshot titled,
“Family Dollar: Fine-Tuning Its Retail Strategy,” to learn more about
one retailer’s use of forecasting and planning.
DEVELOPING SALES FORECASTS
Forecasting sales requires that buyers identify and understand the

internal and external forces that will have an impact on those sales.
Examining Internal Forces
All internal forces within the store that probably will affect sales should
be carefully examined before developing a sales forecast. For example,
future sales can be affected by increasing or decreasing advertising expen-
ditures, liberalizing or tightening credit policies, and increasing or
decreasing retail prices. Even changes in store hours or physical facil-
ities will affect future sales. You must estimate the impact of such changes
on projected sales before any sales forecast is developed.
Examining External Forces
Before making a sales forecast, you must also analyze external forces that
may affect sales. You will need to examine changes in economic condi-
tions, demographic trends, and competitive conditions.
Economic Conditions. Both the national and local economic climate

should be analyzed, but you must realize that economic conditions
will not affect all businesses in the same way. For example, during
economic slowdowns, sales at some stores, such as do-it-yourself home
stores, actually increase. Plant closings and employee layoffs are local
economic conditions that will generally cause sales to decline. Headlines
from the newspaper, such as those presented in Figure 7.1, provide infor-
mation that should be considered when you are making a sales forecast.
You must also realize that during inflationary periods, increases in dollar
sales may occur without a corresponding increase in unit sales.
Demographic Trends. Demographic factors should also be analyzed

before developing a sales forecast. The movement of people into or
out of your store’s trading area can have an impact on future sales.
Sales forecasts should be adjusted downward if the store’s trading
area appears to be losing a large number of residents.
Figure 7.1 How would each of these headlines affect buyers’ decisions?
Changes in the composition of the population may also affect sales.

A firm that relies on purchases by 18-to-35-year-olds may find that
the most rapidly growing segment in its trading area is over 65, requiring
forecasts to be adjusted downward.
Even lifestyle changes in your target market need to be examined. For
example, your customers may become more conscious of environmental
issues and start purchasing only products that are environmentally
sound. You must be alert to all demographic trends and changes in
your customer base before making your sales forecast.
Competitive Conditions. Competitors may enter or leave your market

area at any time, and sales forecasts need to be adjusted accordingly.
Your competitors’ promotional strategies may also change. For example,
a competitor may decide to increase advertising or introduce a new
contest, and if they are effective, both could cause decreased sales for
your store.
Acquiring Needed Data
To make sales forecasts, you need to locate and use information; there-
fore, you must be knowledgeable about the types of data available
and how to obtain them. Many of these sources are described in
Chapter 4. Your first decision is whether primary data collection will
be needed. To make that decision, you must thoroughly examine
secondary data sources because they can be the most cost-effective to use.
Primary data originate with the specific research being undertaken.
In other words, you collect the information to solve the current problem
at hand. Direct customer surveys are the chief means used to obtain
information on your customers’ attitudes and opinions. Secondary data
are data that have been gathered for some other purpose but are applic-
able to solving your problem. Business records produced by other
departments in your store and information that is obtained from books
and magazines are examples of secondary data. Let’s more closely examine
these data sources and the uses that can be made of each one.
Primary Data Sources. Many retailers spend both time and money to
collect information from their customers on a perpetual basis. Stew
Leonard’s, the famous Connecticut food store, attracts more than
100,000 shoppers a week to its flagship store. The company relies heavily
on primary data collection to improve its service and product offer-
ings to customers. Holding weekend focus group sessions, reading
comments from the suggestions box (which customers actually use),
and simply walking the aisles speaking with customers and employees
are techniques the company has used since it opened its first store.
Management is constantly on the lookout for ways to improve customers’
shopping experience. They do not wait until sales decline before
making changes; they know that without careful attention to the
desires of the market, sales could change quickly.
Dillard’s is another retailer that uses direct customer surveys exten-
sively. In focus groups or in one-on-one interviews, customers are
asked which products they would like more of in the stores. Creative
Marketplace, a marketing consulting firm, reports that most women
go into a store to buy something specific, yet 67 percent leave without
having made the purchase. Dillard’s realizes if it can reduce that number,
it can increase sales. Dillard’s is even experimenting with computer-aided
designs to gauge customer opinions. For example, a store employee is
able to show a skirt on a computer screen to a customer and ask in
what color or length she would most likely purchase the item.
Retailers can also use customer surveys to forecast future consumer
buying patterns. In a recent Harris poll, 54 percent of Americans said
they did not have as much free time as they used to, and they are
spending fewer of those leisure hours shopping. Currently, only 6 percent
say shopping is their favorite thing to do, while nearly 63 percent say
it is mostly or entirely drudgery. Even shopping time in the stores is
decreasing; 47 percent reported they were spending less time shop-
ping than a year ago. New strategies will be needed in the future to
get consumers back to the stores, and once there, make that experi-
ence as pleasurable as possible. Read the Trendwatch titled,
“Market-Basket Analysis: How Do Customers Shop a Store,” to learn
more about a data-mining technique that some retailers are beginning
to use.
Secondary Sources. Searching for external data may be quick or exten-

sive. For example, the only information that you may need is the
average annual sales of men’s suits by stores with less than 2,500
square feet. A single trade journal will be able to provide this infor-
mation to you. Other questions that deal with consumer opinions may
require obtaining as many sources as are available.
Business Publication Rates and Data is an index published by the

Standard Rate and Data Service, Inc., which will be a great help to
you in identifying trade sources. Every major industry has one or more
magazine specifically aimed at its member firms.
Professional and trade associations are also good sources of fore-
casting data. The Encyclopedia of Associations, published by the Gale
Research Company of Detroit, lists associations’ names, addresses,
number of members, and, most importantly, their publications.
General business publications and newspapers should not be over-
looked when you need to locate information on market trends or
economic conditions. There are even specific sources that report and
forecast customer purchasing patterns. The Survey of Buying Power,
published annually by Sales and Marketing Management Magazine,
contains valuable information on markets by state, county, and MSA
(metropolitan statistical area). Data are provided on population, house-
hold incomes, and retail sales. Consumer Buying Indicators is issued
quarterly by the Bureau of the Census and contains 6-month and 12-
month expected purchase estimates (in units) of automobiles, homes,
furniture, carpets, major appliances, and home improvements.
If you use secondary data in making sales forecasts, you must
realize there are several shortcomings of this information. Some of
the data may be out-of-date. There is no rule as to when data are
out-of-date, but in volatile times, data more than five years old are of
questionable value. Also, you need to determine the bias of the source
that collected the data; be aware of who collected the data and for
what purpose. Numbers can usually be twisted to defend almost any
side of an argument.
There is a huge amount of secondary data available to you. Seek
out what you need and make use of it. However, you may be forced
to collect primary data in situations where available information does
not fit your specific needs.
Making Sales Forecasts
When developing a sales forecast, a step-by-step process should be

followed that analyzes both internal and external forces that will affect
sales. This process involves the following steps:
1. Review past sales.

2. Analyze changes in economic conditions.
3. Analyze changes in sales potential for specific products or markets.

4. Analyze changes in marketing strategies of your firm and the compe-
tition.
5. Forecast sales.
Let’s more closely examine each of these steps.
Review Past Sales. A review of past sales records will determine if

there are any patterns or trends in the sales figures. Sales will need to
be compared with those of last month as well as last year during the
same period. This information will give you an initial estimate of any
change that might be expected during the coming year if everything
else remains the same—which rarely happens. From this information you
can answer the following questions:
• Have sales shown a pattern of increase or decrease over the past several
years?
• If a pattern is present, what is the average percent?
• Do recent sales data support this trend?
• Can you identify a percentage figure that will reflect the sales trends
you have observed?
Analyze Changes in Economic Conditions. You may need to adjust the

trend percentage figure you have identified after reviewing economic
trends and examining published national and local economic forecasts.
Analyze Changes in Sales Potential. Your next step will be to relate

demographic changes in the market to your store or the products for
which you are responsible. Such information may be difficult to obtain,
but here are sources that you can use. The Census of Population
(published every ten years) can supply some data, but it will be dated.
One of the best sources is the Survey of Buying Power (published
annually), which reports population data and sales by major lines of
merchandise broken down by region, state, county, MSA, and by cities
of more than 25,000 population; however, you may face problems
using the data. Merchandise line categories may be too broad for your
forecast, or sales data may not be current enough for short-term fore-
casting purposes. You may want to modify your sales trend percentage
figure at this point to reflect changes in market conditions.
Analyze Changes in Marketing Strategies. Next, you need to consider

any changes in marketing strategies planned by your store as well as
by the competition. For example, a decision to remodel a store, the
addition of new lines of merchandise, or a new promotional event
will attract customers and can increase sales. There is little informa-
tion that can be used to predict what the competition will do in the
future; however, you can gain information through comparison shop-
ping trips, studying competitor’s ads, and listening to customers. Your
trend percentage figure will need to be adjusted again based on any
changes in marketing strategies by your store or the competition.
Forecast Sales. Now, it is time to make your sales forecast. Assume

that after analyzing past sales records, you determined that there was
an average 6 percent increase in sales for the previous six-month periods.
You determine that economic growth will increase sales by 2 percent
and the size of your market will grow by 5 percent. In addition, you
have learned that a competitor will be opening a new store this year,
causing an estimated 5 percent decrease in your sales. From this infor-
mation, you decide to forecast an 8 percent (6 percent 2 percent
5 percent 5 percent) increase in sales for the next period.
Sales forecasting is not a precise process, but ultimately it provides
the best starting point available from which to plan future sales. The only
other alternative—no planning—is not acceptable to professional buyers.
Because sales forecasts have such a critical impact on your store,
they need to be simultaneously challenging and attainable. If they are
not, it spells disaster. If your sales forecasts are dramatically increased
over previous periods, the cost of doing business will also have to rise
to accommodate the projected sales increase. For example, advertising
expenditures may need to be increased or additional sales associates may
be needed.
If your sales forecasts are set too high and cannot be attained, your
resulting expenses-to-sales ratio will be too high, causing profits to fall
below expectations. Or if you dramatically underestimate your sales fore-
cast and purchase an inadequate amount of inventory, you will not be
able to sufficiently meet consumer demand, which may translate into
loss of loyal customers who turn to your competitors.
Once you have developed a sales forecast, your merchandise
manager’s approval will be needed. You will want to include a brief ratio-
nale that should summarize the assumptions that you made and the
factors that you considered in developing the forecast. Input from
your manager should also have been requested while you were gathering
data to use in your sales forecast.
Once your forecast is approved, your next step will be to develop a
merchandise buying plan. That process will be described in Chapter 8.
Making Adjustments
Actual sales should be periodically monitored to determine the accu-

racy of your sales forecasts; however, the forecast should not become
a goal that must be met regardless of unforeseen competitive changes
or changes in general economic or business conditions. That would cause
inefficient use of store resources. During the selling season, you may
uncover greater-than-expected sales. You may determine that your
store does not have the capital to purchase the required inventory, greater
competition than expected may occur, or consumer demand may be
less than anticipated. Adjustments in your plan may be required.
For some products, reorders can be made quickly if you underesti-
mated consumer demand; however, manufacturers may be out of
stock, and customer dissatisfaction has already occurred. Overestimating
sales will require changes in marketing strategies. First, examine activ-
ities that might be accomplished at little expense. Consider moving
the merchandise location or retraining sales associates. Additional adver-
tising expenditures may be required, or markdowns may be needed.
FORECASTING DECISIONS
Two of the most important forecasts that buyers make are of sales
and stock levels. Let’s examine how these two important calculations
are made.
Forecasting Sales
Sales forecasting is a subjective part of the planning process, but it

involves much more than guessing. Your forecasting abilities can be
improved with practice and experience that will enable you to make
more precise and reliable forecasts (Figure 7.2).
Most retailers will develop a sales forecast, then plan the amount
of inventory required to generate that amount of sales. If basic merchan-
Figure 7.2 Some stores wait too late before collecting information on
what customers want.
dise is carried year-round, planning will be less complicated; however,

where fashion changes are frequent, keeping inventories and sales
balanced will be more difficult.
Past sales figures are important to a buyer when making sales fore-
casts, but they should be used only as a guide. In addition to past
store records, your planning and forecasting activities must also consider
other internal and external factors that are likely to affect sales. Some
of these factors include:
• Storewide or departmental promotions and sales,

• holidays,
• current storewide and departmental sales trends,
• population shifts,
• shifts in demographic characteristics of the population,
• new competition moving into the area,
• economic conditions,
• changes in store hours, and
• changes in the amount of selling space.
Year 1
SEPTEMBER
S M T W T F S
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Year 2
SEPTEMBER
S M T W T F S
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30
Figure 7.3 Buyers must make adjustments for changes in the selling
season that occur from one year to the next.
The accuracy of your forecasts will depend on the accuracy of your

past records and your ability to interpret that information in relation
to current trends and make projections about future possibilities. Fore-
casting also requires a certain amount of judgment and experience.
Buyers begin developing sales forecasts by reviewing past sales figures.

Last year’s sales figures are important, but you will also want to review
the figures for the past two or three years. You will also want to deter-
mine the reasons for any sales increases or decreases.
By analyzing sales trends for several years, you get a more realistic
picture of past sales to guide your forecasting efforts. Accurate forecasting
also involves making adjustments for differences in the number of selling
days in a month during different years. For instance, as shown in
Figure 7.3, September may have five Saturdays one year but only four
may appear in the following year’s calendar. A month with five Satur-
days would tend to generate more sales than a month with only four
Saturdays. You must also realize that there may be a variation in monthly
sales because holidays occur at different times in different years. When
Easter is in March, for example, the possibility of cold weather tends
to reduce spring clothing sales. Business conditions will also affect future
sales. When business is good, sales may increase or remain at the
usual level. Sales frequently decline, however, when business condi-
tions become unfavorable.
Sales cannot be forecast with absolute accuracy; yet buyers must make
educated guesses. One helpful guide is the average rate of increase or
decrease in sales. Although a trend may be evident, you will need to
study the reasons for the changes and the conditions that may affect
future sales before making any adjustments in plans.
A buyer has the following sales data available and wants to forecast
sales for July. The illustration below shows how a sales forecast is
developed:
PROBLEM ILLUSTRATION
Month Sales Last Year Sales This Year
April $50,000 $55,000
May $55,000 $61,000
June $59,000 $64,000
July $60,000 ?
First, you would need to determine the percentage of sales increase or decrease
for the first three months from the previous year by using the following
formula:
Percent Increase or Decrease in Sales
Difference in Sales from Last Year to This Year / Previous Year’s Sales
Your calculations for each month would be as follows:
April ($55,000 $50,000) / $50,000 10% increase
May ($61,000 $55,000) / $55,000 10.9% increase
June ($64,000 $59,000) / $59,000 8.5% increase
Although sales are currently ahead of last year for each month, the percentage
decreased from May to June. You would then want to consider the direction
of monthly sales during the current year. For example,
April to May ($61,000 $55,000) / $55,000 10.9%
May to June ($64,000 $61,000) / $61,000 4.9%
Sales growth has been declining. You would also want to consider the
direction of sales growth last year during the same period by completing the
following calculation:
June to July (Last Year) ($60,000 $59,000) /$59,000 1.7%
You could then conclude that the sales increase for July should be planned
between 1.7 and 4.9 percent. At this point, you would want to consider other
internal and external factors that might affect sales. If you feel that nothing
drastically different will occur during the month, you might arbitrarily select a
3.3 percent increase because it is approximately midway between the two figures.
Other conditions, such as more promotions from the competition or changes
in your target market, could cause you to forecast the sales fluctuation at a higher
or lower level.
Every effort should be made to ensure that your forecast is as accu-

rate as possible because all other merchandising decisions are planned
in relation to sales. Bad forecasts wreak havoc on any firm. If your
sales forecast is in error, other decisions will be in error, too. Only by
doing your homework, by researching your particular market segment,
and by talking to customers will you improve the accuracy of your
sales forecasts. Of course, you will never completely eliminate the uncer-
tainty in forecasts, but you can reduce it to a manageable level. Once
sales are forecast, you will need to plan inventory levels that will support
the sales you have predicted.
Planning Inventory Levels
After you forecast sales for a specific period, you must then plan required
inventory levels. Merchandise in stock must be sufficient to meet
sales expectations while allowing for unanticipated demand. As a buyer,
your goal will be to maintain an inventory assortment that will be
sufficient to meet customer demand and yet be small enough to ensure
a reasonable return on the store’s investment in inventory.
There are several methods of inventory planning; however, the
one most often used is the stock-to-sales ratio method. The stock-to-
sales ratio method involves maintaining inventory at a specific ratio
to sales. Stock-to-sales ratios are calculated by dividing the dollar
value of stock on hand by actual sales in dollars. For example, if a
department had merchandise valued at $40,000 to begin the month
of April and sales amounted to $20,000, the resulting stock-to-sales ratio
would be 2. The stock-to-sales ratio is calculated using the following
formula:
Stock-to-Sales Ratio Value of Stock / Actual Sales
For this example, the calculation would be made as follows:
Stock-to-Sales Ratio $40,000 / $20,000 2
The stock-to-sales ratio indicates the relationship between planned

sales and the amount of inventory required to support those sales
and is used to calculate planned BOM stock levels—the amount of
stock required to begin the month. By multiplying the stock-to-sales
ratio for the month by the planned sales for that month, you can
determine the inventory level needed at the beginning of the month
(BOM). Planned BOM inventory can be calculated using the following
formula:
Planned BOM inventory Stock-to-Sales Ratio Planned Sales
Industrywide stock-sales ratios are available from sources such as

the National Retail Federation and Dun & Bradstreet. Buyers can
also calculate stock-to-sales ratios for their store or department based
on previous stock and sales levels.
Using the stock-to-sales ratio method, calculate planned BOM inventory for
November given the following information:
Stock-to-Sales Ratio 1.2

Planned Sales for November $19,000
Planned BOM inventory Stock-to-Sales Ratio Planned Sales
Planned BOM Inventory 1.2 $19,000 $22,800
Therefore, using the stock-to-sales method of planning inventory, you would

want to start the month of November with $22,800 worth of inventory.
Determining Stock Turnover
Decisions you make in relation to sales forecasting and stock plan-

ning must yield a profit for your store. One measure of how accurately
you balance sales to inventory levels is the stock turnover rate. How
fast merchandise is sold, replenished, and sold determines the stock turn-
over for a store or department. The stock turnover rate is the number
of times the average stock is sold during a given period and is calcu-
lated using the following formula:
Stock Turnover Rate Sales / Average Stock
The average stock for any period of time is the value of inventory at
the beginning of the period, plus the value of inventory at predetermined
periods during the period (such as end of the month), plus the value
of inventory at the end of the period divided by the total number of stock
listings.
Buyers and management can determine a great deal about how well
a store, department, or product classification is doing by knowing
stock turnover rates. Like stock-to-sales ratios, turnover rates of compa-
rable retailers can be determined from trade journals. Buyers can also
use past sales data for their stores to calculate turnover. Turnover
may be determined for any period of time; however, it usually refers to
a one-year period.
Calculate stock turnover given the following information:
Total sales $60,000

Monthly inventory figures are listed below:
Month Stock Level

Jan 31 $8,000
Feb 28 $12,000
Mar 31 $14,000
Apr 30 $12,000
May 31 $10,000
June 30 $8,000
July 31 $10,000
Aug 31 $16,000
Sept 30 $18,000
Oct 31 $20,000
Nov 30 $30,000
Dec 31 $16,000
Jan 31 $6,000
Total Inventory $180,000
First, determine the average monthly inventory by dividing the total inventory
in dollars by the number of inventory listings. Average stock would be $13,846
($180,000 / 13).
Next, calculate the stock turnover rate using the following formula:
Stock Turnover Rate Sales / Average Stock
Stock Turnover Rate $60,000 / $13,846
Stock Turnover Rate 4.3
Therefore, the average stock for this department is sold and replenished 4.3 times
during the year.
Stock turnover figures can also be used to plan both sales and stock
levels using the following formula:
Sales Stock Turnover Rate Average Inventory

For example, if your goal is a 3.1 turnover rate and your average stock
is $25,000, planned sales to reach this goal would be $77,500.
The type of merchandise carried and store policies have an impact
on stock turnover; however, almost every decision a retailer makes
affects turnover. Less frequently purchased items, such as furniture
and jewelry, have much lower turnover rates than items found in a
grocery store.
Store policies in regard to carrying wide assortments of merchan-
dise in many sizes and colors will tend to cause low turnovers because
some colors and sizes may not sell as well as others. For that reason,
some stores carry only fast-selling colors and sizes to generate higher
turnover rates.
Higher stock turnover rates are usually an advantage to the store
or department because rapid turnover of stock reduces the number
and amount of markdowns required to move dated merchandise.
Merchandise that is being replaced frequently always looks fresh and
has much greater appeal to the customer. However, when attempting
to increase turnover, you must also be concerned with increased
expenses, such as advertising or more salaries for additional salespeople.
Both might be required to generate more sales. In these situations,
increased turnover may not result in increased profits.
How can buyers improve stock turnover? You will need to examine
sales and inventory information from your store or department. Slow-
turning merchandise may be due to several reasons:
• You may be attempting to carry too wide an assortment of merchan-

dise. Offering a wide selection of styles, colors, and sizes often causes
slow turnover rates. Merchandise may be remaining on your shelves for
long periods of time to satisfy a few customers.
• You may have selected the wrong merchandise. The goods that have
been purchased may not be the ones that your customers want or
need. Learn from such situations to improve your buying decisions
the next time.
• The merchandise may have been placed into stock too late. Delayed
deliveries or late purchases may cause merchandise to arrive at your
store after your customers have purchased the goods elsewhere.
• The merchandise may be priced too high. Prices may have to be reduced
to generate sales.
• The store may not be conducting an effective sales promotion campaign
for the product.
There are other reasons for low turnover rates, but these five should
be examined first. Once you have developed a sales forecast and deter-
mined required inventory levels for your store or department, you are
ready to develop your buying plan, a step that is examined in detail in
the next chapter.
FUTURE DIRECTION OF SALES FORECASTING
Quantitative skills of buyers must continue to improve. The increased

use of computers will affect sales forecasting in the years ahead. Soft-
ware packages will become easier to use and more versatile. Large
amounts of internal and external data will become available and acces-
sible quickly through computerized information systems, and better
techniques should improve the overall accuracy of computer fore-
casts. But, more competitive conditions and more volatile markets
will increase the difficulty of making accurate forecasts. The successful
buyer will be the individual who can merge computer forecasts with
his or her personal insights about the marketplace.
SUMMARY POINTS
• Forecasting involves predicting what customers are likely to do in the

future.
• Buyers use forecasting to predict what products customers will buy and
how much they will purchase.
• Buyers can make short- or long-term forecasts for specific products,
customer groups, time periods, or store locations.
• Long-term forecasts in volatile market conditions may be meaningless.
• Developing forecasts stimulates planning by forcing the buyer to have a
thorough understanding of market conditions and customers, promotes
coordination with other members of the merchandising team, and provides
a control mechanism by which to evaluate a buyer’s performance.
• When developing sales forecasts, buyers must examine all internal and
external forces that may affect sales. They collect both primary and
secondary data.
• Two of the most important forecasts that buyers make are sales and
inventory levels.
• The key component of most sales forecasting is past sales records.

• Buyers can also use stock-to-sales ratios and inventory turnover to esti-
mate sales.
• All other merchandising decisions are planned in relation to sales fore-
casts; therefore, if a sales forecast is in error, other decisions will be
inaccurate too.
REVIEW ACTIVITIES
Developing Your Retail Buying Vocabulary
Consult the Glossary if you did not add the following terms to your
vocabulary.
Average stock Market-basket analysis

BOM stock level Sales forecast
External forces Short-term forecast
Forecasting Stock-to-sales ratio
Internal forces Stock turnover rate
Long-term forecast
Understanding What You Read
1. Identify the most important source of information when buyers develop

sales forecasts.
2. Describe factors that will affect the accuracy of a sales forecast.
3. List and describe three benefits of forecasting sales.
4. Describe how buyers can increase their confidence in sales forecasting.
5. Identify economic conditions that would cause a buyer to project a
decrease in sales.
6. Describe competitive conditions that would cause a buyer to project
a decrease in sales.
7. Why do most buyers use secondary data before using primary data?
8. Describe the information provided in Survey of Buying Power.
9. List the steps needed to develop a sales forecast.
10. Describe the impact of a forecast that underestimates sales.
11. Describe the impact of a forecast that overestimates sales.
12. List several internal and external factors that should be considered along
with past sales records when forecasting sales.
13. Upon what will the accuracy of a sales forecast depend?
14. How will holidays affect monthly sales forecasts from one year to the
next?
15. What would be one source for industrywide of stock-to-sales ratios?
16. What are the advantages of forecasting an increase in stock turnover
rates?
17. How can computers be used to make sales forecasts?
Analyzing and Applying What You Read
1. As a buyer you must constantly make forecasts about consumer demand.

What factors would cause the sale of men’s ties, cigarettes, dispos-
able diapers, and American flags to increase or decrease?
2. You have developed a sales forecast for men’s suits that predicts a 20
percent increase in sales. Identify marketing strategies that could be
utilized to reach that goal.
3. Sales last year during June were $20,000. Sales this June were $21,500.
What percentage increase or decrease in sales has occurred? If this
trend continues, what sales should be forecast for next June?
4. A firm wants to maintain an average stock of $25,000 every year.
Last year, the firm had a 4.3 stock turnover rate. This year, manage-
ment forecasts that stock turnover should increase to 4.5. By what
dollar volume must sales increase for this forecasted turnover to
occur?
Application Exercises
1. A department has the following sales data available. Forecast

sales for May.
Sales Last Year Sales This Year

February $24,000 $26,000
March $26,000 $27,000
April $29,000 $29,000
May $33,000 ?
2. Use the following information to answer the questions below.
Last Year
Monthly Sales BOM Stock
January $10,000 $20,000
February $12,000 $25,000
March $14,000 $30,000
April $18,000 $38,000
May $19,000 $40,000
June $18,000 $39,000
July $19,000 $41,000
August $21,000 $43,000
September $23,000 $47,000
October $26,000 $52,000
November $31,000 $60,000
December $30,000 $58,000
Ending Inventory December 31 $28,000
a. For the time period presented, what were total sales?

b. What was the average inventory for the period?
c. What was the annual stock turnover rate?
d. Calculate last year’s stock-to-sales ratio for each of the months
given.
e. Next December, the buyer wants to maintain the current
stock-to-sales ratio but reduce the BOM stock to $55,000.
What sales must occur next year for this to occur?
Spreadsheet Skills
1. Complete the spreadsheet application problems in Chapter 7 of Making

Buying Decisions: Using the Computer as a Tool to develop your
skills with manipulating spreadsheets related to stock planning.
2. Use a spreadsheet to complete the Application Exercises above.
Internet Connection
1. On the Internet, go to www.weather.com and record the weather

forecast (highs, lows, and weather conditions) for the next three days
for your town or nearest city. Each day record the actual conditions.
Also, locate weather forecasts appearing in your local newspaper, on

TV, or on the radio. Compare the forecasts and discuss their accu-
racy. Which source made the most accurate forecasts? Compare
weather forecasting to making a short-term sales forecast.
2. On the Internet, go to www.farmersalmanac.com and compare weather
forecasts made for your area over a year ago. Discuss how such long-
range forecasts are made. How accurate were these forecasts? Compare
long-term weather forecasting to making a sales forecast.
SNAPSHOT
Family Dollar: Fine-Tuning Its Retail Strategy
Family Dollar Stores is a chain of general merchandise stores head-

quartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. The firm was started by Leon
Levine, an iron-willed merchant who turned a single store into a national
chain.
Even though the company is bigger and more professionally managed
today, a close inspection reveals that it is essentially the same busi-
ness that Leon started in 1959. Family Dollar stores are still little
stores stocked with a jumble of everything from T-shirts and tooth-
paste to cheap plastic toys. But management has found a retail strategy
that works for the company.
Management’s approach has been relatively simple—build no-frills
stores in low-income neighborhoods, sell a variety of carefully selected
merchandise at reasonable prices, and keep expenses low. Management’s
goal is to ensure that the plan is executed properly.
Today, Family Dollar operates about 6,200 stores in 44 states and
supports them with nine strategically located distribution centers. In fact,
17.2 percent of the U.S. population lives within a mile of a Family Dollar
store compared to 12.4 percent who live within a mile of a Dollar
General store. Recently, Family Dollar stores have struggled in some
areas, but remain a formidable competitor in the extreme-value retail
sector. Although posting a 9.8 percent increase in sales to $6.4 billion
in 2006, Family Dollar saw customer count and gross margin, as a
percentage of sales, decline. On the plus side, the average transaction
amount increased by 4.8 percent to $9.66.
In the 1980s, Family Dollar kept growing, but performance turned
erratic. Profits dropped, then rebounded again. And new challenges

arose not only from Wal-Mart, but also from Dollar General Stores,
which were almost the mirror image of Family Dollar stores—neigh-
borhood discount stores.
In 1993, Family Dollar found its prices being undercut by big stores
such as Wal-Mart and small stores such as Dollar General. Customer
research found shoppers still liked the Family Dollar locations, merchan-
dise, and convenience, but they did not like the prices. Customers
were going to Family Dollar for sale-priced items and doing the rest
of their shopping elsewhere. This was bad news for the company because
it made little or no profit on these items.
Management decided that to survive, prices would have to be cut.
Experiments with price-cutting were conducted in a few stores in 1994
before the strategy went companywide in 1995. All prices were cut 10
to 15 percent. To cover these cuts, advertising was reduced, which
had consisted primarily of direct mail circulars. Instead of 22 circulars
as had been released previously, only 15 were produced. This move
reduced advertising costs by $15.4 million.
It was a risky strategy that depended on customers finding the stores
on their own. Initial reports were not encouraging; same-store sales
dropped 0.8 percent, and net income fell 8 percent. Consultants,
however, said it would take 18 months for customers to catch on—
which they did.
Family Dollar seems to have found the right strategy for the urban
market. Following extensive company research, the firm launched its
“urban initiative” in 2005, a $25 million effort to strengthen its 1,400
urban stores. The initiative focused on improving hiring practices and
training for managers, while strong efforts were made to tailor merchan-
dise offerings to customers in urban markets rather than stocking the
same items in all of its stores. As a result, same-store sales gains of 3.7
percent were achieved.
Recent developments would indicate that the future is bright for
Family Dollar. Today, two-thirds of U.S. households have shopped a
dollar-store channel at least once this year.
Based on:
Dollar store markets: Family Dollar’s recipe for urban success. (2007, April 23). The
Food Institute Report, 3.
Family Dollar profits advance 6.1 percent. (2007, August 13). MMR, 5.
Family Dollar rebounds as it improves key metrics. (2007, May 28). MMR, 6.
Family Dollar works to increase relevance to customer base. (2007, April 23). Chain
Drug Review, 72.
TRENDWATCH
Using Weather Forecasts to Improve Retail Forecasts
When retailers mention the weather, it is usually as a way to explain

sales, particularly poor sales. All retailers know from experience that
store traffic and sales are definitely related to weather, but very few
retailers (estimated at less than 10 percent) keep any weather records
at all. Although most retailers realize how dependent they are on
weather, they also know how little they understand it. A check of weather
forecasting services around the country reveals that few retailers are
numbered among their clients. The idea that weather can be forecast
early enough to affect buying plans and promotional calendars is a
entirely new concept for many retailers. Yet, weather forecasting has
tremendous implications for retailers, especially in climates where
seasonal temperatures vary greatly. For instance, if buyers know that
the weather is going to be unseasonably hot or cold, they can plan
their purchases accordingly.
Most retailers, however, do not consciously factor future weather into
their business decisions. Typically, their business decisions merely assume
the weather’s effect on their business will repeat from last year to the
current year. In fact, weather is similar one year to the next only about
one-third of the time—causing most retailers to have too much or too
little seasonal merchandise on hand.
At one time, Sears employed two meteorologists to assist with long-
range planning, but discontinued the practice in 1979 due to budget cuts.
Although the meterologoists did alert buyers to expedite emergency ship-
ments of merchandise such as pumps to areas to be affected by flooding,
their main function was to examine historical sales figures and extract
the impact of weather.
Today, one weather-forecasting service—Strategic Weather Services
of Wayne, Pennsylvania—specializes in 12- and 15-month forecasts for
retailers. And, according to audits by Ernst & Young, it has an accu-
racy rate of about 70 percent. The service also provides software that
“deweatherizes” historic sales data, so that past effects of unusual
weather are taken out of previous years’ sales. The software also inte-
grates a weather forecast that adjusts future sales up or down. In doing
so, weather information is used proactively—as a way to spot opportu-
nities or improve planning.
Strategic Weather Services has found many strong correlations
between temperature and product sales, such as an increase in coat

or space heater sales when temperatures drop below normal. The
firm’s research indicates that weather can affect 10 to 30 percent of
the demand for weather-sensitive merchandise. For example, the service
routinely identifies the best periods to run promotional events, resulting
in sales increases of over 25 percent. It advised a national catalog
showroom retailer that there would be unseasonably heavy rain in the
company’s West Coast markets. The retailer altered its mix of humid-
ifiers and dehumidifiers and increased dehumidifier sales from 10,000
units to 30,000 units.
For retailers, the challenge of how to use the data still remains.
Knowing that more snow is forecasted is great information. Determining
how many additional pairs of skis to have in inventory is quite another
matter. More understanding is needed on how to apply this informa-
tion to various decision-making processes, including merchandise
allocation and planning, merchandise delivery and markdown timing,
and promotional scheduling.
Weather influences consumer behavior, affecting store traffic and
demand for specific products. Weather determines the beginning and
ending points of a merchandise season; yet weather is a huge unknown.
Retailers cannot control the weather, but they can control how it
affects their businesses. Better planning based on weather forecasts
can increase revenues and profits on weather-sensitive products.
Based on:
Circumventing the whims of weather. (1997, April). Stores, 83.
Pasquallina, Marco. (1998, September). The weather as a business tool. American
Demographics, 12–17.
Reda, Susan. (1997, September). Apparel merchants: arming for fall with weather fore-
casting. Stores, 66–68.
Rosenfeld, Jeff. (2001, January). Betting on the weather. Weatherwise, 1.
Steinhauer, Jennifer. (1997, June 6). Retailers’ usual suspect is the weather. The New
York Times, C3.
TRENDWATCH
Market-Basket Analysis: How Do Customers Shop a Store?
Sales data provide a view of what customers are purchasing but do

not provide a view of how they are buying—in what combinations and
in what quantities. One method that is being used to better determine
how customers are buying is market-basket analysis.
What is a market-basket analysis, and how do retailers use it? Market-
basket analysis is a term that describes data-mining solutions that identify
the correlations among items in a customer’s shopping basket. Buyers
and merchandisers can apply these categorical findings and respond
to customer demand more effectively. It also helps them to make strategic
planning and diagramming decisions that consider the types of items
consumers are most likely to purchase during any one shopping trip.
Their first step is to associate the products in the customers’ market
basket with a product category. Through analysis, the percentage that
each category represents is calculated. For example, if there are ten items
in a market basket and five are cosmetic products, 50 percent of the
basket is represented by the cosmetics category.
Management predetermines a percentage to represent a customer in
a particular purchase profile. For example, a retailer may determine
that having more than 25 percent of items in a product category places
a customer into the profile. In the preceding example, the customer would
be categorized as belonging to a “Beauty Conscious” shopper profile.
A market basket with more than 25 percent of the items related to
photographic equipment and supplies would be categorized as a “Photog-
rapher,” and so on for each type of basket found. In essence, the
analysis captures the key reason that the customer was in the store.
The category becomes more than a product grouping; it becomes a
shopper profile. For example, makeup, cotton balls, hair dye, and cologne
may be in different product categories and in different physical loca-
tions within a store; yet, they are all part of the “Beauty Conscious”
purchase profile.
Customers’ behavior is measured objectively by what they purchase.
By using this analysis, retailers are not trying to pin labels on customers;
they are attempting to categorize shopping experiences and analyze how
customers collectively behave while shopping.
Once specific customer purchase profiles are identified, the next
step is to provide information to decision makers, such as buyers, on
which they can act. A gross margin figure is calculated for each profile.
This figure can then be used to base decisions about key areas of the
business. For example, the data can provide information to the retailer
about how to spend advertising dollars. “Beauty Conscious” may
generate $15.24 in profits per market basket, whereas the “Photogra-
pher” generates only $2.55. Obviously, advertising dollars should be
spent on the products that generate the most profit, but further study
may show that the store is spending money on product categories that
bring in the least profit.
Another way in which market-basket analysis can be used is to make
fact-based decisions about space allocation and product placement. Space
allocation needs to be correlated with customers whose purchase profiles
generate the most profit. Also, product placement decisions can be
made by determining affinity purchases. This concept involves using
market-basket analysis to determine what items are most frequently
purchased with other items in the same market basket. For example, anal-
ysis may reveal that in the “Beauty Conscious” shopping basket, greeting
cards were found 25 percent of the time and seasonal candy was found
16 percent of the time. Such data would indicate that sales of these
two products would increase by moving them adjacent to a primary beauty
care area. By using affinity analysis, a store can be moved from being a
product-driven business to being a customer-driven business.
Decisions may not always be made using the results of market-
basket analysis. For example, new fathers with no time to go out and
socialize tend to pick up a six-pack of beer when buying disposable
diapers. This is an exploitable relationship that is not obvious at first
glance; however, it is doubtful that any retailer would stock diapers
alongside beer. But, if acted on properly, effective market-basket anal-
ysis can bring increased sales, a stronger in-stock position, and increased
customer satisfaction.
Knowing the customer better leads to a more personal relationship
between a retailer and the customer. As a retail buyer, you should realize
that every customer transaction tells a story. Implementing a market-
basket analysis is one way to reveal the details of that story.
Based on:
Johnson, Walter E. and Tratensek, Dan M. (1999, October). Market-basket analysis:
discover how customers shop your store. Do-It-Yourself Retailing, 48–54.
Koslowsky, Sam. (2006, October 15). Match ’em up. Utilizing market-basket analysis tech-
niques in marketing. Direct, 1.
Market basket offers a new set of metrics. (2003, October 27). Chain Drug Review, 52.
Nishi, Dennis. (2005, May). Market-basket mystery: what do beer and diapers have in
common? For retailers, the answer could be powerful. Chain Store Age, 12A–13A.

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00_fm1_pi-xxx 6/10/08 9:49 AM Page i

Fairchild Books, Inc.

Director of Sales and Acquisitions: Dana Meltzer-Berkowitz

Copyright © 2008 Fairchild Books, Inc., A Division of Condé Nast Publications

Second Edition Copyright © 2003

First Edition Copyright © 1993

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2007940933

Printed in the United States of America

Extended Contents vii

PART I Understanding the Retail Environment Where

PART II Getting Ready to Make Buying Decisions 93

Part III Planning and Controlling Merchandise

PART IV Purchasing Merchandise 305

PART V Motivating Customers to Buy 419

PART I Understanding the Retail Environment

Chapter 1 Today’s Buying Environment 3

Emerging and Growing Retail Formats: Where Will

Trends and Challenges Facing Retailers 20

viii • Extended Contents

SNAPSHOT: LandsEnd.com: From Catalog to Online

SNAPSHOT: Lowe’s Continues to Grow 32

TRENDWATCH: Targeting Current Customers 34

Chapter 2 The Buying Function in Retailing 37

Managing the Buying Function 45

Planning for a Buying Career 47

SNAPSHOT: The Macy’s Internship Program: Starting

SNAPSHOT: AllRetailJobs.com: Using the Internet to

TRENDWATCH: Today’s Buyer 65

Chapter 3 Buying for Different Types of Stores 67

Buying at Different Retail Formats 70

Buying for Chain Stores 75

Organizational Structure and the Buying

Buying for Your Own Store 83

Analyzing and Applying What You Read 87

SNAPSHOT: Kohl’s: A Department Store with a

SNAPSHOT: The Future of the Department Store

TRENDWATCH: Is Bigger Really Better? Will the

PART II Getting Ready to Make Buying Decisions 93

Chapter 4 Obtaining Assistance for Making Buying

Internal Sources 100

External Sources 103

Buying Offices 109

Selecting a Buying Office 114

Summary Points 117

Review Activities 118

SNAPSHOT: Talbots: Committed to Marketing

TRENDWATCH: Loyalty Cards: How Can They

TRENDWATCH: Using Different Retail Formats to

Chapter 5 Understanding Your Customers 127

Identifying Changes in Consumer Markets 130

Understanding Why Consumers Buy 136

Learning About Your Current Customers 139

Summary Points 147

Review Activities 148

xii • Extended Contents

Analyzing and Applying What You Read 149

SNAPSHOT: Trends and Countertrends: Can Buyers

TRENDWATCH: Hispanic Teens: The Largest Ethnic

TRENDWATCH: Baby Boomers: Reaching Them