R E A L W O R LD BU YING P ROJ E C T FA SM 245 C HLOE M AG PAYO
about samantha pleet In 2006, Samantha Pleet, a Brooklyn Based design debuted her namesake collection, intertwining elements of mystery and fantasy with modern feminism. With each of her collections, Pleet takes inspiration from music, art, history and literature and transforms them into her silhouettes. Her collections are shown in collaborative projects ranging from films to unique installations. All garments under the Samantha Pleet label is sustainably made in New York.
about le point Le Point is a San Francisco based boutique founded by stylist Pauline Montupet in 2015 that focuses on contemporary and emerging labels. The boutique offers a carefully curated mix of clothing, accessories, home goods, and beauty products. Its mission is to discover and support up-and-coming designers from all over. The SFO branch is the only one of the boutique.
SAN FRANCISCO,CA Recently ranked as the 3rd best city for Millennials by Niche, San Francisco is easily one of the most popular tourist spots in the world. Known for its spunky vibe and fresh aesthetic, San Francisco has attracted National, International, and Under-the-radar brands to set up shop. Unique concept stores much like Le Point are perfect for this city as it has its base customer basis within the Millennial Market. Samantha Pleet is an eco-conscious and unique label that fits in with Le Point’s retail concept and values and will resonate well with its current market.
jamie Age: 27 Location: The Marina, San Francisco Occupation: Public Relations Director Annual Income: $113,704 Personality Traits: Headstrong, Eco-conscious, Stylish, Outspoken Bio: After graduating from UCLA, Jamie moved to San Francisco to experience a more laid-back city experience. She enjoys coffee in the mornings and spin classes in the evenings after work.
annika Age: 23 Location: Mission Bay, San Francisco Occupation: Graphic Designer Annual Income: $73,367 Personality Traits: Quick-witted, Stylish, Eco-Conscious, Creative Bio: A fresh graduate from SCAD, and originally from Korea, Annika loves to travel. Her multi-cultural experience has shaped her view on life. She takes her downtime seriously.
TARGET CUSTOMER The target market is composed of individuals from both the millennial and gen z groups. This mostly female market is exposed to the creativity surrounding them and may even lead a creative life. Both the retailer and the brand have mid-high level price points ranging from $100-$500, and the customer will need to be able to afford this comfortably.
strategy
Le Point is selective in its product offerings per brand as it only has a certain amount of retail space. It will buy into all of Samantha Pleet’s major product categories (tops, bottoms, dresses, one-pieces, and swimwear.) As Le Point does not buy much denim products, it will not carry any of the Samantha Pleet ones. The retailer will also carry a limited amount of stock for the brand. Specifically, Le Point will carry 4 styles per category with 1-8 units per style at a given delivery period. The retailer will have 2-3 units on display with the rest in its stockroom as this its store design. Product delivery will be broken into 3 flows which will allow more control within the retailer’s inventory and in-store stock. Flow one has a more extensive product assortment & quantity as it will be used to start-up the brand’s introduction into the retailer. However, swimwear will start getting delivered to Le Point by the second flow. There will only be 1 unit per swimwear style as it is not a significant category from both the Samantha Pleet label and Le Point. It will serve mostly as a visual element on the rack. As for sizing, only size 2 will be bought for the swimwear products. For the rest of the assortment, there will be a focus on the sizes 2, 4, and 6 as these are typically the sizes of the target market and will have at least two units per each size for most styles.
PRODUCT ASSORTMENT
PRODUCT ASSORTMENT
BUYING STRATEGY
BUYING STRATEGY
BUYING STRATEGY
BUYING STRATEGY
BUYING STRATEGY
co nclusion
Based on the flow buying plan, the first flow will have the most stock as this is how the brand will introduce itself into the retailer’s marker and test which products fit the best. For the next 2 flows, stock decreases slightly, given that the retailer customizes the product assortment based on the market. In the third flow, core products such as the Twig shirt, Wave Dress, Satyr Dress, Park Shorts, and Pearl Blouse will be repurchased for in-store sales as the brand may already have a following within the retailer. Word-of-mouth will also be taken into consideration when planning the product assortment. Dresses in all 3 flows remains a primary category from the brand as it resonates well with the target market and is a strong offering from the label. In the event that Samantha Pleet becomes one of the best-selling labels for Le Point, product assortment and the number of units per size will be adjusted to meet the market’s needs. This adjustment can be made while still adhering to the minimal product assortment layout of the retailer.