Apparel Merchandising

Apparel Merchandising

INTRODUCTION

Merchandising is an important part of marketing. It is the planning and supervision involved in marketing a particular product and making it available at places, times, prices and in quantities that will best serve to realize the marketing objectives of a business. It involves all activities necessary to determine and satisfy the wants and needs of a consumer. It offers the goods at a time and in a place where it can be conveniently purchased. The products must be available in good quantities and in qualities. In textile industry many methods of production are employed to produce products. The techniques adopted to sell the products to consumers are referred as apparel merchandising.

Merchandising deals with the selection, orders and purchase of actual product. One must understand that demand is the foundation upon which all retailers plan their merchandise. Merchandise is chosen carefully to best serve the needs of the target market. The merchandiser requires special skills which include, predicting what one will sell and when it well sell best. A thorough knowledge of the merchandise that includes garment types, its details and methods of production, qualities and finishes are prerequisites to merchandising.

Apparel merchandising involves a constant watch of the production of the apparel products. Merchandiser should be well aware of what a customer wants this season and whether the product produced by the manufacturer is as per the needs of the customer. He should inform the customer about the styles, quantity and quality of the product required and the time when the goods will reach the customer. Merchandising is the job where the merchandiser should have a constant interface with production and see that the ultimate aim of satisfying customer needs.

Definition of Important Terms

Merchandising may be defined as “All the planning and activities involved in bringing the goods or merchandise for sales to the customers so that it fulfils the customer needs ultimately brings customer satisfaction.” The process of apparel merchandising may be defined as the development, execution and delivery of a product line based upon the needs of a target market. Merchandising is a process of creating merchandise (goods bought and sold) based on a particular demand, whereas marketing is a process of supplying this merchandise for the market.

Merchandising is the process through which products are planned, developed, and presented to the identified target markets.

Marketing identifies the customer and determines what products to offer to that customer and how to do so while meeting the financial return objectives of the company. Sales are the operations that implement marketing and merchandising activities by physically selling the line to the retail customers according to marketing plans. Merchandising functions as a bridge between the design and sales to fulfill the needs of the buyer. Marketing is the management process through which goods and services move from concept to the customer. As a practice, it consists in coordination of four elements called 4P’s. This includes identification, selection, and development of a product, determination of its price, selection of a distribution channel to reach the customer’s place and the development and implementation of a promotional strategy.

According to American Marketing Association, merchandising encompasses “planning involved in marketing the right merchandise or service at the right place, at the right time, in the right quantities, and at the right price”. Merchandising accomplishes six Rights to replenish the customer. They are

Right Merchandise

Retailers should have the merchandise that customer wants.

Right Place

Appropriate location of the merchandise is important since it decides the accessibility.

Right Time

Apparel purchases are mostly seasonal in nature and so must be supplied promptly when it is most needed.

Right Quantity

Required amount of inventory to get profitable sales volume.

Right Price

Suitable price for the store to get profit and also to meet the competition and customer expectations.

Right Promotion

Right balance between the investment and the appeal created for the customer.