Joy catesby mccabe fmp

TASK

DATE

TASK

COMPLETED

DATE

COMPLETED

BRAND HISTORY

15/03/2017

X

QUESTIONNAIRE

01/05/2017

X

PESTLE

15/03/2017

X

PROJECT PROPOSAL

02/05/2017

X

COMPETITORS

16/03/2017

X

E-COMMERCE

02/05/2017

X

CURRENT CUSTOMER PROFILE

16/03/2017

X

NEW COMP SHOP

03/05/2017

X

03/05/2017

X

SWOT ANALYSIS

20/03/2017

X

NEW TARGET CUSTOMER

OVERVIEW / IDEAS

20/03/2017

X

05/05/2017

X

BUSINESS PLAN

21/03/2017

X

PINTEREST FORECAST

TREND FORECASTING

21/03/2017

X

WGSN TREND FORECAST

08/05/2017

X

MOOD / CONCEPT BOARDS

22/03/2017

X

ONLINE MARKETING 10/05/2017

X

PROMO

13/05/2017

X

ANALYSING WORK

01/04/2017

X

RANGE BUILD

17/05/2017

X

RANGE BUILD

01/04/2017

X

EVALUATION

22/05/2017

X

VM / BILLBOARDS

03/04/2017

X

COMP SHOP

15/04/2017

X

MERCH SHEETS

01/05/2017

X

‘to provide outstanding value for modern families’

Matalan.co.uk. (2017).

)

• • • • •

S O

Brand Name Affordable, Quality Products Customer Loyalty Commitment to Low Overheads Premium Brands Convenient Locations Diverse Product Range

• • • • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • •

Entry Into New Markets New Services Technology Local Expansion Higher Tax Threshold

W T • • • •

High Staff Turnover Tarnished Reputation Proximity to Competition Location limits footfall

Economy Politics and Government Market Climate Climate Change Availability of Substitute Products • Competition • • • • •

Matalan

F&F

George

TU

Matalan

F&F

George

TU

Crochet Ombre Bikini Top £10.00

F&F Border Tile Print Triangle Bikini Top £8.00

Paisley Twist Bikini Top £8.00

Crochet Bikini Top £10.00

Body: 81% Polyamide 19% Elastane.

Overlay: 93% Polyamide 7% Elastane.

Lining: 100% Polyester. Exclusive Of Trims.

Hand Wash Only. Main: 82% Polyester, 18% Elastane, Padding: 82% Nylon, 18% Elastane, Lining: 82% Polyester, 18% Elastane..

Outer fabric: 82% Nylon, 18% Elastane Cup lining: 100% Polyester

Main: 82% Polyamide 18% Elastane Lining: 100% Polyester

Matalan

F&F

George

TU

Plait Detail Bikini Bottoms £6.00

F&F Border Tile Print Side Tie Bikini Briefs £7.00

Hi Leg Paisley Twist Bikini Bottoms £5.00

Crochet Bikini Brief £8.00

82% Polyamide 18% Elastane. Lining: 100% Polyester

Hand Wash Only. Main: 82% Polyester, 18% Elastane, Lining: 82% Polyester, 18% Elastane

Outer fabric: 82% Nylon, 18% Elastane Lining: 100% Polyester

Main: 82% Polyamide 18% Elastane Lining: 100% Polyester

Matalan

F&F

George

TU

Aztec Print Kaftan £14.00

F&F Pom Pom Trim Maxi Beach Kaftan £16.00

Cold Shoulder Crochet Cover Up£12.00

Blue Tie Dye Kaftan Dress £16.00

100% Polyester. Exclusive Of Trimmings

Polyester Material Composition Machine Washable. 100% Polyester

100% Polyester

100% Polyester

Matalan

F&F

George

TU

Mule Espadrille Flatform £10.00

F&F Low Wedge Espadrille Sandals £12.00

Soft Sole Glitter Effect Sandals £18.00

Embroidered Sandals £20.00

Upper: Textile. Lining;: Sock. Sole: Other. Heel Height: Approx 2 Inch

Buckle fastenings Heel height: 5cm

Fabric composition: Upper: Textile/Other Leather Lining and Sock: Textile Outer Sole: Other Materials

Upper: Textile Lining: Other Materials Sole: Other Materials

Matalan

F&F

George

TU

Large Ombre Beach Bag £8.00

Beach Please Tote Bag 38x42cm Azure Blue £6.99

Jacquard Tote Bag £14.00

Multicoloured Zig Zag Beach Bag £14.00

Shell: 100% Paper. Lining: 100% Polyester. Dimensions: H 41Cm X W 31.5Cm X D 20Cm.

An 38x42cm azure blue tote bag from Grindstore featuring beach please

Fabric composition: 49% acrylic 46% cotton 4% polyester 1% metallised fibers

Puter: 77% Jute 14% Cotton 9% Polyester Lining: 100% Polyester

Matalan

F&F

George

TU N/A

Watermelon Circular Beach Blanket (140cm) £18.00

Country Club Microfibre Beach Life Beach Towel 70 x 150 cm £8.90

100% Cotton Aloha Printed Beach Towel £5.00

N/A

Towel: 100% Cotton. Tassels: 70% Cotton 30% Polyester

Polyester

Cotton

N/A

Through conducting this comp shop, I have learnt that on average, the George and TU ranges are slightly more expensive on some items in comparison to Matalan and F&F. However, on the swimwear items, pricing was pretty much the same.

This will mean that when creating my range, I will have to ensure the designs are unique and stand out, otherwise customers could just simply buy them from their local supermarket for the same price.

Due to this, I will also ensure that my marketing strategies really focus and promote the ranges USP in order to help it stand out from Matalan's other competitors.

Bohemian Beauty

RRP: £15.00

RRP: £12.00

RRP: £10.00

RRP: £15.00

RRP: £10.00

RRP: £8.00

RRP: £10.00

RRP: £5.00

RRP: £8.00

RRP: £15.00

RRP: £12.00

RRP: £10.00

Overall, through using WGSN to trend forecast, I have gained enough knowledge to create a successful range for Matalan which will be on trend for S/S 18 and appeal, to their existing market.

This research has helped me to discover the key shapes, colours, fabrics and patterns for the swim and beachwear. It has helped me to figure out exactly what I want my range to involve, and hopefully all of this preparation will lead to the success of the range in a years time.

Furthermore, I discovered that some of the trends overlap in areas such as colour scheme, e.g boho spirit and kinship, therefore I think that these will be the key themes I focus on for the range. Moreover, I think that these colours and styles will fit in well with the Matalan customer due to them being mature, whilst also stylish. Although the psychotropical trend is a strong theme, I believe that it wold be less attractive to the Matalan customer.

Once I had collated my research on trend forecasting, from this I then created some mood boards to help to further inspire the collection. This made subjects such as shape, pattern and colour a lot more clear for me. This gave me the opportunity to pick the strongest parts from each board, and present them onto one final mood board.

This will help me present my ideas to others to provide a strong link between the concept and the range.

This is what will help the range to become so commercial and sell well.

Overall, I think that the range of boards were a success as they clearly show the key features of the range ‘Bohemian Beauty’ which has evolved from them.

These key features include, colours, patterns, prints and shapes the range will capture whilst also showcasing the variety of sized women the range will be available for

Both the trend forecasting and visual boards were to help prepare building the range. Without these, there wouldn’t be very strong foundations to create products on.

Now that the range is complete, I think that it proves the success of all the prior research as it has very strong links to the concept of ‘kinship’ and ‘boho spirit’ whilst also embracing the Matalan customer.

This range has been built to fit anyone, therefore there are a variety of shapes to the swimwear, with higher waisted pieces for the more body conscious woman to traditional triangle bikinis for those with more confidence.

Bohemian Beauty is designed to adapt and flatter to anyone's shape with features such as removable padding, tummy control and adjustable straps on all swimwear, with the kaftans and sarongs being available in sizes S-XL. There are also a range of accessories such as shoes and hats which are available, this is to fit in with Matalan's appeal to create a whole outfit which is affordable and in one place to fit in with its customers busy lifestyles. I will now implement ways in which I can make the range a success through marketing and in store strategies.

After visiting some of Matalan's stores around Liverpool, I noticed that the way in which the items were displayed may have put customers off as clothing almost seemed to get lost on the rails die to that much stock being on the shop floor. For the Bohemian Beauty range, I would like store VM packs to be sent out which details how the range should be laid out. 3 of each size would be on the shop floor to give the range an exclusive and welcoming appeal to it. The backdrops would use warm images to remind customers to think of therefore encourage sales. The towels would be hung up to allow customers to look and feel them without having to undo and refold towels, which could make the shop floor look messy and disorganised.

.From visiting a Matalan store, I found that they use boards which help to piece together outfits, this encourages customers to buy a few items from a range to create a whole outfit.

This would be a great way to encourage customers to buy a set from the Bohemian Beauty range, as well ass accessories.

This is the billboard which I will be using on retail parks etc. to promote the range in Matalan.

I believe that this will encourage consumers to shop the range as it shows women of all different sizes in some of the pieces in the collection. I think that to improve the marketing aspect, I would use a range of women with different ages, as well as sizes to fully promote that bohemian beauty is truly for anyone.

Through using like for like data, I was able to estimate some figures for the range concerning; quantities on order, replenishment amounts and furthermore, expected profits and sales data. This has allowed me to make some judgements on how well the range will sell. Due to the like for like data being on a range which targeted the same market, with similar shapes to the products. Then as long as the print is a success, Bohemian Beauty should see similar figures.

Due to the total profit on the range being a healthy ÂŁ930,00, I may plan to expand the range into more stores and increase the quantities online, alongside new marketing strategies in order to bring in a new customer.

In order to get a better understanding of whether or not Bohemian Beauty would be a success, I created a questionnaire which I handed to 15 employees aged 35+ and 15 employees / college students ages 18+. This allowed me to gain the perspective of 30 people in a wide age range.

On the questionnaires I handed out, I got the participants to write there ages on the top of the form. This helped me to see that the majority of the people who do not currently shop at Matalan. When cross referenced with the question about why they didn’t shop at Matalan, it was majority ‘fashion’ by the younger participants.

With the Bohemian Beauty range, I feel as though I could change this perception of Matalan, as 28 people said that they would buy from the range.

In order to make this a success, I will be utilising Matalan's online website, as 75% of people said they would be most likely to purchase from the range online.

I will now use this insight to help plan my project proposal.

Bohemian Beauty

From looking at forecasts sales data on the Bohemian Beauty range, as well as hearing the positive feedback from the Matalan Pitch and questionnaire, I have decided to expand the range.

This will be in order to maximise profits and also provide a good range of items for Matalan customers to select holiday outfits from.

As well as expanding the range, I also hope to expand the market which Matalan target in order to grow sales, helping to maximise profits and hopefully help to change their brand image, encouraging a younger customer.

In my initial research into Matalan, I found out about how and why they have a target market of ages 35+. However, I believe that as Matalan continue to work towards being a more fashion conscious retailer, there's no reason why a market of 18+ couldn’t shop there.

In order to encourage this new market to shop at Matalan, I will be focusing heavily on the use of technology.

For example, the use of e-commerce, online advertising through social media and also through using student apps such as Unidays to promote the range with 20% off in the first week. I believe that this strategy would work as students look for the same affordable, yet fashionable qualities in stores as the current Matalan customer does. If I can pick the right designs which are in fashion and appeal to a wide market, there is no reason why it cannot be a success.

To ensure that I am fully prepared I will now conduct further research into the new target market and new competitors which Matalan may encounter.

Furthermore, I will be conducting some further research into S/S18 trends and the ways in which is best to market Bohemian Beauty to the younger target market, as the older and existing market will be targeted through the billboards and visual merchandising, as well as the methods I will be using, focusing mostly on social media.

“UK online fashion market grows to 10 billion pounds The UK online fashion market is expected to be worth 10 billion pounds this year, according to new research from Mintel. E-commerce is seeing a strong growth in sales as consumers prefer to shop on line. 17 percent of online spending is on clothing and footwear, up from 13 percent in 2011.

The online market will grow to 19 billion pounds in 2019 While the growth rate has slowed from a 19 percent sales surge in 2012 as the market matures, sales are still expected to reach 19 billion pounds by 2019.

UK online fashion market grows to 10 billion pounds “The market for online fashion continues to see robust growth as consumers become more accustomed to shopping online,” said Mintel’s senior fashion analyst Tamara Sender. “Increased participation in shopping via smartphones and tablets has helped to bolster sales as consumers look to shop for clothes anytime and anywhere.

“Today’s Brits are increasingly moving between devices when shopping online, as well as using mobile devices to help them shop while in-store. As consumers combine different channels to shop for clothes, retailers have to ensure that shopping is truly seamless and that they give customers a consistent shopping experience whatever channel they choose to use,” she added.

The data shows that 70 percent of internet users buy clothing and footwear online, making the category the most purchased. In the 25-34 age group that rises to 80 percent, while it is 76 percent in the 16-24 age group.

Women are the biggest shoppers with 73 percent buying online, but there has been an increase in the amount of men buying online with a 13 percentage point jump over the last year to 65 percent, Mintel said.

In terms of devices, tablets are becoming increasingly popular with 20 percent of online shoppers using one to buy clothing in the last 12 months, while 44 percent of consumers have used click-andcollect for clothing purchases over the last year.

“Convenience-seeking consumers see click-and-collect as the fastest and cheapest way of receiving items reserved or purchased online,” said Sender. “Savvy retailers are beginning to recognise the value and importance of click-and-collect and are turning these into areas in their stores where customers can relax on a sofa and have a coffee while waiting for their items. It is now more important than ever for retailers to ensure that the process is a seamless online and in-store experience, which leaves the customer wanting to order again.” (Fashionunited.uk, 2014)

From this article, it is clear to see that e-commerce is a growing trend which is starting to become a vital element to any business which intends to sell on a mass scale, as it is a great way to reach a wide range of customers, who maybe wouldn’t consider visiting a store. I am proposing to target a younger customer through the use of Matalan's existing website, as they are unlikely to visit a store, due to them being difficult to get to via public transport, unless they are a flagship city centre store.

However, in order to be able to target a younger audience, the website and its facilities will need some improvement. For example, features such as next day delivery and student discount, this will be in order to match the newly gained competitors standards.

Matalan

Boohoo

Asos

Missguided

Feather Print Bandeau Swimsuit £16.00

Morocco Snake Print Deep Plunge Swimsuit £20.00

ASOS Tropical Animal Print Frill Plunge Swimsuit From £32.00

Blue Plunge Tie Dye Swimsuit £18.00

Shell: 83%Polyester 17% Elastane.

Lining: 88% Polyester 12% Elastane Removable halter neck tie and pads

82% Polyester 18% Elastane

Machine wash 82% Polyester, 18% Elastane

82% Polyester 18% Elastane

Lining: 95% Polyester, 5% Elastane

Lining: 95% Polyester, 5% Elastane

Matalan

Boohoo

Asos

Missguided

Crochet Ombre Bikini Top £10.00

Plus Tabitha Stripe Halterneck Bikini £18.00

Monki Dark Floral Structured Bikini £18.00

Cobalt Blue High Neck Bikini Top Mix & Match £10.00

Body: 81% Polyamide 19% Elastane. Overlay: 93% Polyamide 7% Elastane. Lining: 100% Polyester. Exclusive Of Trims.

82% Polyamide 18% Elastane

82% Polyamide 18% Elastane

82% Polyamide 18% Elastane

Matalan

Boohoo

Asos

Missguided

Plait Detail Bikini Bottoms £6.00

Madrid Mix & Match Tribal High Leg Brief £8.00

Monki Dark Floral Structured Bikini £10.00

Mix & Match High Waisted Bikini Bottoms Burgundy £8.00

82% Polyamide 18% Elastane.

Lining: 100% Polyester

82% Polyamide 18% Elastane

82% Polyamide 18% Elastane.

Lining: 100% Polyester

82% Polyamide, 18% Elastane Lining: 100% Polyester

Matalan

Boohoo

Asos

Missguided

Aztec Print Kaftan £14.00

Sofia Embellished Digital Print Kaftan £18.00

ASOS Mini Chiffon Beach Kaftan with Cold Shoulders £18.00

Gold Metallic Sequin Knitted Dress £28.00

100% Polyester. Exclusive Of Trimmings

100% Polyester

100% Polyester

100% Polyester

Matalan

Boohoo

Asos

Missguided

Mule Espadrille Flatform £10.00

Gabriella Woven Espadrille £15.00

TOMS Alpargata Coral Twill Open Toe Flatform Espadrilles From £55.00

Navy Denim Tassel Flatform Espadrilles £25.00

Upper: Textile. Lining;: Sock. Sole: Other. Heel Height: Approx 2 Inch

100% Textile Upper

Wipe with a soft cloth 100% Textile Upper

Wipe Clean

Matalan

Boohoo

Asos

Missguided

Large Ombre Beach Bag £8.00

Mae Pineapple Print Beach Bag £10.00

Mango Beach Bag With Fringing From £35.99

Missguided Striped Oversized Beach Bag From £20.00

Shell: 100% Paper. Lining: 100% Polyester. Dimensions: H 41Cm X W 31.5Cm X D 20Cm.

100% Polyester

100% Textile Upper

100% Textile Upper

Matalan

Boohoo

Asos

Missguided

N/A

Watermelon Circular Beach Blanket (140cm) ÂŁ18.00

N/A

South Beach Geo Round Beach Towel From ÂŁ24.00

Red Rounded Printed Tassel Beach Towel ÂŁ25.00

Towel: 100% Cotton.

Tassels: 70% Cotton 30% Polyester

N/A

100% Cotton Measurements: 140cm/55

Hand Wash

Conducting this comp shop has allowed me to gauge the price points of competitors which Matalan will come into contact with through the introduction of the new target market. I have learnt from this research that Matalan are on average, the cheapest. It has also shown me that the same fabrics are being used, therefore there is no dip in quality to account for the cheaper pricing.

This will be a huge advantage of Matalan entering the market as it will make them more attractive for the younger market, such as students, who have minimal disposable income.

Through the Bohemian Beauty range being on trend for S/S 18 and being affordable, I believe that as long as the range is marketed and promoted correctly, it should be a success online with the new target market. One of Matalan's weaknesses, as pointed out on the SWOT analysis, is that their brand image has been tarnished with the perception that it is for older people, therefore by directly targeting the same markets as online giants ASOS & BOOHOO with similar products, but for a more affordable price, the strategy should be a success.

This is Hollie, 19 from Liverpool.

She is a full time student studying Primary Education, however works part time at a supermarket to earn some extra money which she saves to attend festivals, and go on holiday with her friends at the end of the summer.

This leaves her with little disposable income, however she is very fashion conscious and always wants to be seen wearing the latest trends.

Her favourite places to shop are Topshop, River Island, ASOS, Missguided and BOOHOO. However she prefers to shop online due to her busy lifestyle and the ease of which she can purchase items.

For example, she has a premium account wish ASOS which allows her to have free next day delivery for a whole year.

This encourages her to constantly return to the site, although she sometimes spends more on a garment than she would hope to, purely because of the ease in which she can shop online, and also because she gets 10% student discount, which most of the time is raised to 20% when some of the online pure players have student days on using apps such as unidays or NUS.

As my proposal involves targeting a younger market, I decided to undertake some research into the trends which customers aged 18+ would be looking at to gain inspiration for their S/S 18 holidays.

To do this I used Pinterest, a popular platform which 10.4 million users scroll through every week to find the latest trends.

When searching for S/S 18, one of the biggest trends which stood out to me was the beachwear co-ords.

There were many examples of how swimwear could be merged with matching day wear to create full outfits not only used on the beach.

As pinterest is an app used all around the world, it is the perfect platform to gain global inspiration, this is then used throughout the fashion industry in the form of prints and colours inspired by different countries across the globe.

(Pinterest, 2017)

I think that this concept would be a perfect fit for my expanded range as it is a great way to utilise a few pieces by turning them into a few different outfits, for different occasions where the piece can be dressed up or down. This would fit in very well with the ‘mix & match’ element which runs through the existing range.

This screenshot taken from the current Matalan website. It has a few advantages and disadvantages which I have listed below.

As my new strategy is to target a younger audience through the use of the ecommerce function to the business, I will work on the disadvantages in order to make shopping online at Matalan a much more enjoyable experience. This will hopefully encourage better sales and also return custom, as the promotional period may prove to be a success. However this may only lead to short term profit growth, it is important that through launching the Bohemian Beauty range online, that new customers would be encouraged to visit Matalan again to shop their other lines and be inspired to become a repeat customer.

ADVANTAGES

DISADVANTAGES

•

Good level of product information

•

Bland images

•

Clear range of images

•

No suggested items for the selected product

•

Clear & attractive delivery information

•

Only shown on one sized model

•

Easy to navigate I will now work towards ways in which I can improve the website to cater for both the existing Matalan customer, and also the new, younger customer.

(Matalan.co.uk, 2017)

To improve online sales, and due to the mix and match nature of the Bohemian Beauty range, I have added a ‘style with’ feature to the website, this will hopefully encourage customers to buy more than one item from the range.

This will be a feature I hope will appeal to the older, existing target market, as they may struggle to come up with outfits by themselves, and this will therefore make there shopping experience a lot easier. An attribute which Matalan prides itself on, having everything you need under one roof.

I have also included a promotional offer in large text, this will hopefully get the attention of customers and encourage them to buy a complete outfit from the range, in order to get the discounted beach towel. This offer will only be available for the first two weeks of the range being launched, and will be featured in on their social media pages, and send in an email to existing customers.

The final change which I made to the Matalan website, was that the images used were a lot more interesting to look at so that the buyer could imagine how the product looks when on different body shapes, every piece would be modelled on 2 different women, a size 10 and a size 18. This will promote Bohemian Beauty as a range for all women.

The minor changes which I made to the website were the introduction of student discount, through promotional codes being provided on the unidays app, and also information on the features of some of the garments e.g removable padding and tummy control.

Overall, I think that these few changes could make a massive difference in online sales. The introduction of the ‘style with’ feature will hopefully then be used for every item listed on the site in order to help increase basket prices.

Bohemian Beauty Deep V Swimsuit £15.00

Style With…

Promotional Offer!

BUY ANY 3 ITEMS FROM THE BOHEMIAN BEAUTY RANGE FOR 50% OFF BEACH TOWEL!

-‘Our data centric approach and omni-channel presence creates unprecedented purchase intent’ – UNIDAYS is a company which provides both businesses and consumers a great opportunity. The company allows students from across the globe to shop well known stores, for a discounted price.

Unidays understands that students don’t have the income to spend on clothing, technology and other things, they making shopping at certain places more affordable, and therefore more attractive.

By teaming up with Unidays, Matalan could increase sales as well as gaining a new customer, who in the long run may become a returning customer. This would achieve the business aims of expansion and revitalising the brand name. With over 2 million users all looking for the latest fashions, for the most affordable price, Matalan is heading for success using this strategy.

(Corporate.myunidays.com, 2017)

One of the ways in which I plan to bring in the new, younger target market is through offering student discount.

Matalan may not be the first retailer which comes to mind for a student to shop online, however through offering student discount and showcasing the range on a platform which wont require them initially searching ‘Matalan’ into their browser.

Hopefully this strategy will help to change the younger markets perception of Matalan, and with constant new releases of fashionable products planned for future growth, will help to turn Matalan into a shop for everyone who wants fashionable, affordable clothing – regardless of age or size.

Another way in which I plan to target the younger audience, is through the use of social media.

The younger market is more likely to pay attention to brands which promote via social media accounts such as Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat, however it will be getting the followings up which I think will be the hardest part. I could overcome this through using celebrity endorsement which the target market would relate to. The chosen person could take photographs wearing outfits from the range and tagging Matalan in the images. This would change Matalan's outdated image.

£8.00

£8.00

£15.00 £5.00 £15.00

£10.00

To the right is the estimated sales figures for the new additions to the Bohemian Beauty range,.

The total profits for the additions came to ÂŁ470,350, this will increase the total profits for the Bohemian Beauty range to ÂŁ1,400,650.

I believe that this is the overall profits achievable for the range if the promotions prove to be a success. These figures are based on the range being sold online, in 4 flagship stores and 6 retail park stores. If these estimates turn out to be accurate, in future, the more luxury ranges may be expanded out into the smaller stores, depending on whether or not they have the space and correct customer.

Overall, I feel confident that I have built what would be a successful beachwear range for Matalan. I began creating a women's swim and beachwear range to fit and flatter all shapes and sizes, as this would appeal to their current target market. The range was built with the idea of changing a woman's perception of swimwear, and that just because you may be more curvy than the average woman, doesn’t mean you have to wear black to the beach. This was what I found through my initial research of looking at what was available for women through the form of a comp shop. From this, I found that there were little options for this market of women 35+ size 18 and upwards who want to wear fashionable, on trend pieces to the beach. The majority of items that I came across were either black, or had a design which wouldn’t completely flatter a larger woman's body, or sculpt and support it in a way which would be comfortable. This is where the ‘Beauty’ element of the range came from, as everyone deserves to feel good about themselves on holiday, and furthermore, being able to express themselves through the fashions they choose to wear, not only select an item purely because it’s the only one in their size.

However, I didn’t want to focus on a purely plus sized market, as I wanted a range which anyone could wear, this soon became the USP for the new range.

The ‘Bohemian’ element came into the range after carrying out trend forecasting using WGSN, I came across a few main trends, one of them being ‘boho spirit’ I loved the colours and patterns associated with this for the Matalan customer, as the colours were quite safe and gave a great warm beach vibe. However, there were also bold prints which would push customers to add a bit of flare to their holiday pieces. Furthermore I believed that this would help the range to stand out on the shop floor, as some of the stores I visited during market research, were quite dull and bland. From this experience I also decided that visual merchandising would become a huge part of transforming Matalan's brand image.

The Bohemian Beauty range is perfect for the current Matalan customer as it is age appropriate, however still fashionable, and it meets the needs of the market Matalan supply to. The range is affordable, a huge element to why customers shop at Matalan. This I found out from producing a customer profile. Furthermore, the range has a mix & match element to it, where a customer could create an entire outfit for both a day at the beach, or an evening meal out from just one collection. This appeals to the ease of shopping at Matalan , to fit in with any ladies fast paced life style. I have also ensured that the range would be as easily accessible as possible through the use of ‘get the look’ boards which would be situated next to items on the shop floor. Moreover, the e-commerce website would also be getting a facelift to ensure that customers are confident in what they are purchasing and how they can create a variety of looks.

The introduction of the new and improved website, also comes with the introduction of a new target market. This id due to my revised business plan revolving around expanding into younger markets to help expand and develop a fresh look. I planned to achieve this using student discount and other marketing strategies such as social media and celebrity endorsement.

I ensured that the range would appeal to the younger audience through some additional research into global trends. I achieved this through using Pinterest to trend forecast which shapes and styles were in for S/S18. I used Pinterest due to its huge following of young girls interested in fashion. This revealed to me that co-ords and matching sets were going to be a huge fashion. This encouraged me to design the final 6 pieces to the collection.

Pitch feedback-

The additional pieces which I added to my collection and inspired by Pinterest, fit in perfectly with the rest of the range as the swimwear and day wear can be mixed for a casual daytime look at the bar, for example the frill bikini top with high wasted flared trousers and accessories. Or, the blouse and a skirt could be worn in the evening for a meal. The Bohemian Beauty range is incredibly versatile, this will appeal to anyone interested in current trends who has affordability and ease at the forefront of their mind. This, I feel is the perfect range for a combination of busy mums with little disposable income, and students in a similar position. Both markets I have aimed to target.

I think that Bohemian Beauty range truly does appeal to the target market as I have chosen a trend which is appealing, easy to wear, fashionable and will appeal to a wide age range. Furthermore, when I was completing the financial spreadsheets, through using like for like data I was able to get an estimate on what the profits for the collection would be over £1.4 Million. This return, if made possible could be used to further improve the e-commerce element to the business. For example, next day delivery and free returns. This is due to the fashion retail marked evolving at a very fast pace, if Matalan wants to keep up with online competitors, they will have to offer the same, and if not improved levels of service than the likes of asos etc. This will only maximise Matalan's appeal for convenience.

When pitching to Matalan, I learnt many things which will help me to improve during my career, for example I learnt that my pitching skills could’ve been a lot better, however that my main concepts and ideas were strong. They liked the idea of having different sized women wearing pieces from the range, this is the concept on which the entire range lies. Going forward, I would plan to keep a permanent range entitled ‘beauty’ at Matalan, which sticks to the main framework which I have created.

This could become a staple brand which customers who enjoy it will shop again and again. The main basis beautiful garments for all would be consistent, however new trends, shapes, styles colours and patterns could open up a whole new set of doors for Matalan.

I think that the branding of my range works very well with the young, fresh look of the collection, I think that it has a lot of commercial potential as it links strongly to Matalan and could be advertised in so many different ways which would appeal to both of the markets I intend to target. Following the buying cycle throughout this project has been vital, it has guided me through initial idea, to building the range and then being creative with ways in which I can make it reach my intended audience. Focusing on visual merchandising gave me an insight into how a buyer has to think of everything, and along with a good set of collegues can come up with ways to help sell the garments they are buying in. It has taught me that good sales comes down to a lot more than whether or not the buyer has made a good decision, there are many other influences. For example, Bohemian Beauty may not sell well in stores if the stock is messy or hidden behind other items. This is why I put a strong visual merchandising pack together, to prevent as many problems s possible before they occur. This comes back to what I have learnt about critical path, and that planning is an extremely important aspect of the buying role.

Overall, I have enjoyed building the range for a large retailer such as Matalan, as it has enlightened me to the importance of all of the research and planning which needs to go into concepts and ranges to ensure there success. I feel that overall, Bohemian Beauty would be a success and I have thoroughly enjoyed developing creative skills through designing using Photoshop and planning marketing strategies and also gaining a huge wealth of knowledge into the role a buyer and merchandiser.

DATE

TASK COMPLETED

15.03.2017

Today I completed a brand history, pestle report, competitors and customer profile. These have helped me to understand Matalan as a business, who they appeal to and what I may have to work on to ensure that my range will sell well to their customers whilst meeting their standards and working fro their values.

20.03.2017

I have now completed a swot analysis and produced an overview of my main ideas for the range, this was a great opportunity to brainstorm and set some fundamental ideas down , I can now build on these to create a successful range and business plan.

27.03.2017

Today I researched into s/s18 trends. Trend forecasting will be great when choosing colours, patterns and shapes for the new range, it will ensure that it will be on trend for the summer drop.

03.04.2017

Analysing my work has helped me to understand the importance of the process of trend forecasting, and condensing the main ideas and concepts into visual boards which have inspired my bohemian beauty collection.

10.04.2017

Today I produced a comparative shop, this will help me to price my garments in order to stay competitive, it also allowed me to see which styles competitors are using.

24.04.2017

01.05.2017

Creating merchandising spreadsheets gave me a great insight into the role of a merchandiser and also an estimate on how well the range may turn out through using like for like data.

08.05.2017

Now that I have created my project proposal, I can work towards improving and expanding on my business idea and range.

15.05.2017

This week I have worked towards my new business proposal, to do this I carried out a directional shop which gave me a very useful insight to the new competitors which Matalan would be facing if they take on my proposal.

22.05.2017

This is the final week of working on my FMP, I have built my new range, marketing strategies and also evaluated my work.

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Fashionunited.uk. (2014). UK online fashion market grows to 10 billion pounds. [online] Available at: https://fashionunited.uk/v1/fashion/uk-online-fashion-marketgrows-to-p10bn/2014091513787 [Accessed 18 Oct. 2016].

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Matalan.co.uk. (2017). Crochet Ombre Bikini Top – Matalan. [online] Available at: https://www.matalan.co.uk/product/detail/s2649345/crochet-ombre-bikini-top [Accessed 17 May 2017].

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Pinterest. (2017). Pinterest. [online] Available at: https://uk.pinterest.com/ [Accessed 17 May 2017].

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Corporate.myunidays.com. (2017). Connecting brands + students | Gen Z marketing experts | UNiDAYS. [online] Available at: https://corporate.myunidays.com/GB/en-GB/index [Accessed 17 May 2017].

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Retailresearch.org. (2017). Online Retailing Research - Centre for Retail Research, Nottingham UK. [online] Available at: http://www.retailresearch.org/onlineretailing.php

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Anon, (2016). [online] Available at: https://www.wgsn.com/news