Unit 2&3 Katie Dalton
Action Plan Proposal
Action Plan
Date completed by
Completed
History of Brand
9.03.16
YES
General Matalan Mood Board
10.03.16
YES
Matalan Customer Profile
10.03.16
YES
Trend Forecasting
11.03.16
YES
Mood/Concept Board for range
16.03.16
YES
Build Range
16.03.16
YES
Customer Profile and Analysis
17.03.16
YES
Business Plan- Aims, Elevator pitch, mission statement etc.
17.03.16
YES
Financial Spreadsheet and written analysis
18.03.16
YES
Commercial branding and Advertising Ideas
23.03.16
Practise pitch
30.03.16
Final Pitch at Matalan
31.03.16
Interview Task
30.03.16
History of the brand
Matalan is a British found retail company established in 1985 by John Hargreaves in order to provide outstanding value for modern families. Matalan evolve trends and style to fit the ever changing modern family needs, by proving them with highest quality clothing for the lowest prices, which enables the company to run a modern and happy family home. Matalan's success amongst modern families has rewarded them with a prestigious gold award at the Mumsnet Family friendly awards for two consecutive years. The company has experienced phenomenal growth within recent years meaning Modern families have access to 217 stores across the UK that offer late night opening and a free click and collect service that has been created to fit in with that modern family lifestyle, proving there is always time to shop with Matalan. Catering to all types of modern families across the UK is the sole reason behind Matalan's success. Matalan consists of four departments, Womenswear, Menswear, Kidswear and Homeware, emphasising exactly how they're made for modern families, which I also show through the excellent balance between quality and affordability. Matalan is known as an ‘out of town’ retailer as they tend to situate their stores in an area outside of the town centre in order to keep their prices low and pass savings onto the customer as they work towards delighting the customer, which sets them apart from most retailers due to their positive attitude towards customers. Matalan's emphasis on affordability has contributed to Matalan's stability in regards to sales remaining strong. Within stores Matalan offer a number of different brands unique to Matalan that offer customers with a range of different stylish and classic pieces, which makes Matalan a truly engaging place to shop for customers. Due to Matalan's huge success amongst modern families the company has began to open stores within town centres and overseas to expand their company and continue to grow. Whilst Matalan's prices are lower, there stores are bigger as they trade in a much higher volume than most other retail stores. As a company made for modern families Matalan have created their own ethical sourcing policy which they hold themselves responsible for proving customers with clothing products that have been produced ethically, this form of sourcing has been a huge part of Matalan for the past two decades. Matalan believes that building long term relationships with established suppliers helps to create a better business and better products for consumers which is why Matalan ensure suppliers provide them with a safe and secure working environments that meets the requirements set out in Matalan's ethical manufacturing outline. Matalan work alongside suppliers to ensure they are constantly developing ideas that will contribute to the improvement of working conditions within manufacturing factory's. By setting health and safety standards regularly to prevent any accidents within manufacturing factories this helps Matalan monitor worker conditions in manufacturing factories. Matalan works alongside the Accord organisation which helps to build fire and building safety in factories to ensure workers safety when producing garments for the store. The requirements set out by the accord organisation are to ensure suppler factories exceed requirements set by Matalan in regards to production and that the health and safety of Matalan's factories are maintained. Alongside physical retail stores Matalan also offer an online shopping service for customers to enjoy the Matalan shopping experience within the comfort of their home. The online store allows for customers to have products delivered to their home in addition to a free click and collect service which delivers desired products to customers local Matalan store in order for them to collect products freely based upon their convenience. This allows for consumers to adapt shopping at Matalan in with their busy lifestyles, which contributes to the stores success. In addition to excellent delivery services Matalan also offer a loyalty card system to customers to encourage them to shop within store and build up a personal relationship with the store due to the rewards provided to customers when shopping within store. The Matalan card acts as an incentive to customers that offers them a number of privileges for being a Matalan customer, such as, cardholder discounts and offers, vouches via email or post and updates on products and offers. The Matalan card can be registered to mobile phone apps allowing for customers to be rewarded on the go, which fits in perfectly with Matalan's mission statement ‘Made for Modern Families’ as they are adapting their system to fit with the update of modern technology amongst families in todays society. Matalan's brand image portrays the latest trends from celebrities to catwalks through a more basic approach that appeals to the modern family. Whilst keeping up with trends Matalan focus more on the customer rather that what's happening on the catwalk, which is why Matalan is popular amongst families, although various trends may make a small appearance throughout the store.
History of the brand
Matalan have an excellent balance between style, quality and affordability. As a retail store Matalan tend to adapt current and upcoming trends within their ranges, whilst various pieces are rather modern, most pieces however appear to be tailored to women of an older generation perhaps between the ages of 25-40 as pieces appear more classic and practical, proving Matalan target women with practically and comfort through clothing. Matalan feature the same pieces in various patterns and colours keeping their ranges rather basic, avoiding any chance of experimenting with different styles and pieces. Matalan work with a number of celebrity endorsements, such as, Abby Clancy who has opened Matalan up to a younger target customer through her occasion wear collection. Although, the collection is only featured in store at certain points throughout the year, again limiting Matalan to a younger target audience. Apart from a lack of trend focused collections Matalan do provide women with a number of departments that cater to their every need from clothing and footwear to accessories and nightwear, giving consumers every reason to shop at Matalan. Matalan stock a number of labels within store including their own private labels and well know and loved labels. In addition to the previously mentioned Abby Clancy collection, Matalan also stocks a number of formal wear brands, which are, Papaya collection and Papaya Classic, which is targeted at formal wear for older customers. In regards to the formal/occasion wear brands Matalan also stock a brand named ‘soon’ which a range of higher quality designs, giving Matalan a sophisticated image. Aside from formal wear Matalan also stock brand that produce garments of a more casual nature, such as, Papaya Weekend and Falmer heritage, which helps create the balance between formal and casual wear for the store. Whilst, stocking your basic brands Matalan also stock Rogers&Rogers which is a range for larger women size 18 to 30. This emphasise the idea that Matalan is made for modern
History of the brand
Visual merchandising As previously mentioned the majority of Matalan's stores are located out of town centres in order to keep their prices low and pass savings onto customers. They are able to do this as out of town rent prices are a lot lower for stores, therefore the savings they make on rent are able to go into the growth of the company. However, as of recent years due to Matalan's success and continued increase of profits Matalan have been able to extend their store growth into town centre locations and overseas. Similar to the brand image and style Matalan have a very basic and classic store layout. Each department is clean cut, making it easy for consumers to find what they're looking for in each department. In addition to the store layout Matalan’s visual merchandising is also very basic, the VM is kept to a minimum again targeting an older consumer as there is no eye catching display to catch the attention of those younger desired customers. Therefore, I believe Matalan must experiment with their store image in order to attract potential customers into the store through window displays and store layout.
Customer Profile
This is Jeanette. Jeanette is 36 years old and works as Primary teacher at a local school in her home town of Liverpool. Jeanette is a wife and the mother of two children, aged 7 and 9. When Jeanette is not at home she loves spending time with her family whether it be movie dates to the cinema or bowling at the weekend or holidays abroad during her time off. Jeanette earns an average yearly wage, which means Jeanette is not much of a big spender, especially when it comes to herself. Jeanette loves affordability and finding barging's when it comes to buying herself clothes. Jeanette appreciates quality at reasonable prices as she believes in a good piece of item lasting her a few years or more before she has to get rid. As a family women, Jeanette loves practicality in clothing and clothing that is comfortable to wear in any situation, even when she attends the occasional social event with her work colleagues and friends. As a Modern yet traditional woman, Jeanette likes to keep things classic but enjoys purchasing the odd staple piece that brings each outfit together to appear more well thought of and put together.
Bed dressing is no longer reserved solely for the bedroom. An array of night gowns, silk robes and pyjama style silk trousers made their way down SS16 catwalks. The mood of the trend appears more sensual than sexy. Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy proved oyster coloured silk robes appear luxe and provide a soft complexion whilst trailing ribbons portray the idea of becoming undone this season, which is imbued with sensuality, emphasising the theme of the season. Boudoir dressing encourages people to go a step beyond simple pyjama dressing, as your pyjamas are now a fashion statement piece.
The pure romance and sun kissed skin during the magic moment when dusk turns to night ignites the imagination of the sunset. Designers this season have featured bold yellows and fiery oranges and cinnamon, leaving no colours this spring/summer season but an ombre of glowing sunset hues. The sunset palette is the brightest colour palette of the season.
Mega Trend: Graceful Graceful is a megatrend for SS16 that consist of a number of mini trends within one. Below are some examples of the graceful megatrend. Pretty Distress Dainty Graphics Milky Vision As always floral prints and Traditional craft has been Milky moulds help to inspire a patterns have made an reinterpreted in contemporary creamy pastel palette for SS16. appearance during the form. Brodeire anglasie gets given The milk moulds add a hazy and Spring/Summer season. However, edge whilst lace is treated in a blurred texture adding interesting this season floral relief has been modern way along with raised surface effects to fabrics, glass prettily distressed to achieve a patterns being dealt in a delicate table top and decorative items. new vintage note through acid manner. The lace effects amplify wash and laser techniques used the shape without loosing its soft to modernise and romanticise and pretty aspect.
Print and Graphics: Deep Summer For this Spring/Summer season a popular print is deep summer which consists of solarised/phsycadellic and cinematic graphics. Through this trend the universe is seen through a psycadellic filter. The twisted perspective of the deep oceans inspire solarised prints and wired colour distortions and bleeds updating tropical floral.
Fabrics and Materials: Metallic Luxury Metallic fabrics have evolved towards a more subtle movement along with a softer iridescence and colour tints. Subtle painted ribbon stripes and embossed patterns add a luxurious and decorative surface interest.
Forecast Design: Tropical Traveller A casual high summer story with a cultural mixture of prints that help blur the lines between tomboy and feminine style. Colours used provide a hazy and sun bleached aesthetic to feel this electric theme. The theme consists of a number of key piece which include casual cotton city shorts paired with Hawaiian print shirts and outsized string vests, whilst elevating the look with luxurious rope and leather sandals.
Materials and Details -Textured Raffa -Jacquard Metallic -Sacking Cloth -Woven and Knitted fabrics -Hand Weaves -Batik Prints
Forecast Design: Soft Power Relaxed tailored separates made modern through unexpected lengths and proportions evokes a nostalgic feel. Key pieces for this theme include, oversized duster coats paired with dropped crotch updated tailored shorts and boxy crop tops. For this theme textured balloon trousers demonstrate a relaxed edge through the masculine influences.
Material and Details -Lightweight Wool -Silk Jacquards -Micro Dots -Pin Stripes -Double Breasted Fastenings -Rolled Hemlines
Knit and Jersey Pearlescent Shimmer Shimmering pearlescent yarns and finishes imbue jerseys with a meditative glow. Soft foil coatings in smooth and cracked coatings reflect a softer mother of pear look. Smooth and crepe texture jersey emit lunar light effects with sparkling yarns.
Design Development :Jackets and Outwear The Cropped Bomber The staple zip through bomber acquires experimental proportions with voluminous cuffed sleeves and a cropped hem that sits just above the waist allowing the sporty elements to remain whilst allowing the piece to be paired with evening attire for a contemporary look.
Design Development: Trousers and Shorts Cropped Trousers
For this Spring/Summer season both casual and formal wear have been merged through cropped trousers. Cropped trousers have been given with a luxe twist through elasticated waits and a glossy cotton twill.
The future primal theme digs up lacquered metallic, bronze being the key of the new metal trend this season. The shape is clean and minimal with a slightly brutalist edge. This trend is brute and beautiful due to the volcanic bronzed colour gradation. The natural and undefined placement prints are complemented by surface texturing.
Trend Forecasting Analysis For Spring/Summer 16/17 there have been a number of inspirations drawn from a number of different concepts globally. From trend forecasting using websites, such as, Vogue and WGSN, it is clear that this SS season is all about making the season clear through the popular prints, shapes and colour palettes chosen. This SS season bright and bold colour palettes project a youthful appearance through block colours and pin stripes. As clearly shown from my trend forecast it is clear that sunset hues are a popular choice of colour for this season as they reflect clearly the magic moments of the sunset, taking the award for the brightest colour palette of the season. In addition to this bold colour palette, deep summer has provided a clear inspiration for prints and graphics this season. This particular print consists of iconic summer plants, such as, palm trees, which have been projected through a psychedelic filter. Colour distortions and bleeds have been used to project the prints through a bold 3D image. These popular colour palettes and prints fit in perfectly with the forecast design ‘Tropical Traveller’ for SS16/17. Tropical Traveller provides a high casual summer story with a cultural mixture of prints. This forecast design helps blur the lines between tomboy and feminine, which is a reoccurring aim across a wide variety of trends globally. In regards to blurring the lines between what is deemed as masculine and what appears feminine, key pieces for SS16/17 include cropped bomber jackets and cropped trousers which offer no clear definition of body shape. These effortless pieces are loosed fitting to add an element of sports and a contemporary look to womenswear. Aside from the contemporary aspects of the trends this SS season, a popular mega trend appears to be Boudoir Dressing. Boudoir Dressing reflects and restores the sensuality within womenswear. The idea and mood of the trend is portrayed through an array of pyjama like pieces, which include silk robes and silk trousers. These silk pieces appear luxe and provide a soft complexion offering women a luxurious and sensual collection that also restores comfort in womenswear. In addition to the muted oyster colours used within this trend, a number of colour trends feature similar muted tones, such as, Milky Moulds, which is a trending colour palette inspired by creamy pastel colours that adds an interesting surface to fabrics. Although SS is all about bold and bright colours that project an exciting light through fashion, this season there is a clear contrast between the fun filled colours and prints and the muted and oversized garments, which offer a distinction of choice for a wide variety of consumers across the globe. Although, within each trend all fabrics used are lightweight and in accordance to the weather during the season.
Current and signature garments
Classic Shirts
Swing Dresses
Flared Pants
Matalan appear to have a specific image for women that consists of Causal and Formal clothing, although the ranges appear to have no balance between the two, which can be off putting for customers as they may struggle to find garments that can be styled for specific occasions. Most of the garments at Matalan appear to be loose fitting, which fail to flatter a women's figure as the garments appear to mask it, which is highlighted by the number of swing dresses and flared pants displayed above and in store. Matalan offer quite a classic ‘office’ look for women which has become their brand image, due to the number of similar shaped shirts and dresses in store, complemented by the never ending prints that appear to be suited to women of an older generation. These shirts and swing dresses appear to be Matalan focal point in all ranges as these pieces continue to appear in all ranges each season, featuring different colour waves and patterns each time. Overall Matalan have a very basic style that appears to an older generation of women aged 25-60. Matalan's style is made for women who are less focused on fashion and more focused on comfort and practicality. Aside form colours, patterns and prints used within Matalan's collections each season, Matalan are not trend focused and appear to have a lack of trending pieces within store, again highlighting that they focus on comfort and practicality to attract their target customer rather than offering them a number of on trend pieces in store that would make customers a lot more fashion forward. The only trend Matalan appear to have followed is the frenzy for flared pants. It appears that the majority of Matalan's target audience are of an older generation, therefore the flared pants frenzy would suit them perfectly, as flares were a trend during the 70’s, which was when most of Matalan's target customer were born, therefore this would most likely appeal to them.
Customer Profile
Lilly-Anne is 30 years of age and currently works in a solicitors office in her home town of Liverpool. Lilly-Anne lives in a detached house near the city centre with her fiancĂŠ James, who currently works in engineering for a car company. Lilly-Anne has no children and spends her spare time outside of work being social amongst her small circle of friends. Lilly-Anne enjoys spending her weekend evenings with her fiancĂŠ and their closest friends having cocktail nights and dinner dates. Lilly-Anne loves the long nights of summer, which she spends planning the next city break for her and James. Lilly-Anne earns a healthy wage and between her and her fiancĂŠ they are able to live comfortably, although they are quite savvy with their spending, although the luxurious Jeep parked in the garage says otherwise. Lilly-Anne has an elegant element to her personality, which reflects through her mature and classy attitude, as well as her sense of style. Although, Lilly-Anne is an elegant women she also has a carless side to her in regards to her appearance, although she enjoys looking glamourous for her social evenings, Lilly-Anne prefers to be comfortable within her clothing as it pursues her confidence.
Customer Profile Analysis
My customer profile highlights clearly the targeted customer for my range at Matalan. My range at Matalan is targeted towards a social and working women between the ages of 25-35. I am not aiming to target a new customer for Matalan, I have chosen to stick with their current target market. My aim is to provide the current customer with something new and fresh in store that offers them the chance to appear on trend and fashion forward. The reason I chose to stay with Matalan's current target market is because I wanted to aim to provide the current customer with something new and fresh in store that offers them the chance to appear on trend and fashion forward. Matalan is made for modern families and so I believe my choice of customer fits in perfectly with Matalan's brand image. My customer is a middle aged women, engaged and building a career, which is what a good percentage of modern family's in todays society consists of. My customers personality and attitude towards fashion is similar to what Matalan projects across to consumers, in the sense that Matalan focus on comfort and confidence rather than trends. The chosen theme behind my range has an elegant essence to it, which I thought was a new and fresh look for Matalan's brand image as they don’t really have this type of range/style at their store available to more social and younger women. Therefore, my customer profile presents a thoroughly thought out typical target customer for my range that will appeal to the overall style of the range. The range meets my customer profile through relaxed yet elegant pieces as my customer enjoys to be comfortable in her clothing rather than completely on trend as comfort makes her confidence shine through. As my customer profile presents a professional working women, the range meets this certain type of lifestyle as it is a classic range consisting of sensual pieces that still preserve the feminine elements of a women. Although, my customer is slightly younger than the average Matalan customer my customer profile still fits in perfectly with Matalan's overall current target customer.
Business Summary As a buyer for Matalan my business plan will be tailored towards supplying Matalan with a number of marketing strategies to make my range at Matalan a huge success. I am building a range for the womenswear department at Matalan. My range will develop on Matalan's current brand image by offering a more on trend and luxurious collection. My range will be built for SS16/17 which is projected through the chosen brand name, ‘Boudoir Dressing’ I chose this name as I felt it represented the classic and elegant feel to the collection ‘Boudoir Dressing’ is all about the elements of pyjama dressing, from fabrics, shapes and styles that work together to create a comfortable and elegant evening wear collection. ‘Boudoir Dressing’ was the name taken from the mega trend description and I felt this would be the perfect name for the range as it projects exactly what it is all about. Boudoir Dressing has the potential to influence Matalan's current customers to step outside of their comfort zone and find a new comfort wit the silky essence of my range. My garments will be specifically made for women between the ages of 25-35, However, I believe my collection will also capture the attention of mature women of an older generation. I will provide consumers with pieces, such as, Dresses, Jumpsuits and bottoms as well as coats and accessories, that feature a luxurious silk fabric and lace detailing. As my range is tailored to eveningwear most pieces are dressy rather than casual, although the collection features a cropped turtle neck sweater that can be paired with all bottoms from the collection. My range will be sold in all Matalan flagship stores as well as all other individual Matalan stores. In addition to being sold in store my range will also be sold online at Matalan.co.uk. Business Aims I have created and set myself a number of business targets for my range to achieve in order to benefit Matalan as a business. Firstly, I have set myself a short term business aim which is to hopefully maximise profits for Matalan through sales for my range. It is important that I use my range to work towards maximising profits for Matalan as they will keep me employed as a buyer and allow myself to expand more on building my ranges. Secondly, as a mid term aim for my range at Matalan, I aim to expand my range globally along with Matalan as they are currently working to break through the international market. Hopefully, I aim to provide Matalan with new and potential opportunities globally through my range in order to expand their business. Finally, long term I aim to open Matalan up to a new customer market and potentially expand the target market by attracting new customers through my on trend ranges at an affordable price. The Market: Customers My customers are individual women between the ages of 25-35 looking to shop for a minimalistic evening outfit that they are able to attend social events in whilst feeling comfortable. The typical Matalan customer for my womenswear range is highly likely o be a working women at the age of 30 who enjoys attending social events and has enough money spare to splash out on new outfit's but is also conscious of her money, meaning she prefers practicality and comfort in her clothing. Typically the women would have a decent Job/Career earing around £18,000-£25,000 per year, which means she would be comfortable paying Matalan's prices for garments as she has a disposable income. As Matalan are a UK based company, my typical customer as an older women is most likely to look for influence and inspiration from UK street style and magazines etc. I wanted my womenswear range to clearly replicate a current catwalk trend as I wanted to provide my typical customer with an on trend collection that delivers pieces to consumers with a new sense of style and makes them appear more fashion forward without having to put in much effort. Customers will be encouraged to purchase pieces from my range through the luxurious silk fabric used that is the forefront of my collection, which also provides customers with excellent garment quality, which means customers will be receiving their moneys worth with each piece. Matalan is known as a brand for affordability and providing customers with excellent quality garments highlighting the brands mission statement ‘Made for modern families’. I believe by providing customers with the latest fashion trends through my range at Matalan at an affordable price it will be a huge success amongst Matalan customers. Due to Matalan's excellent reputation amongst women for comfort and practicality, customers will be looking for these elements within my range which is exactly what my range is all about fitting both the needs of customers and Matalan's brand image, making my range good quality fashion at Matalan. Matalan is mainly located in out of town locations which makes it difficult for a majority of consumer to access. Although, Matalan have began to expand and now have a number of branches inside the town centre. Having stores in both versatile locations caters for the needs of all Matalan's target customers. Out of town stores allow for customers to shop in a controlled and peaceful atmosphere, fitting to those who do not enjoy the shopping experience, whilst town centre stores are accessible to the majority of customers as they are located on the high street allowing for browsing customers to pop in store without having to go out of the way. Both these locations play a huge part in the success of the business, meaning my range will be placed in all Matalan stores. As a buyer for Matalan I will have to use a lot of advertisement in regards to a lot of Matalan stores being locate outside of the town centre in order to attract customers to the store regardless of its accessibility. I will develop my advertising strategies further when discussing my marketing strategies. Matalan have an excellent brand image and reputation which makes the store popular amongst most families and women due to its practical and affordable clothing of excellent quality., Matalan have gained a lot of customers due to their excellent brand Image and hopefully my range will help to develop the customer base further as well as maximise the success of the company. In regards to my womenswear collection at Matalan a lot of customers will be previous excising customers looking to branch out into something new and exciting with good quality. Women will be able to find similar shapes to Matalan’s current collections within my collection that have been recreated to reflect current trends. As women will be looking for pieces at an affordable price they will find exactly what they are looking for at Matalan.
Marketing Strategies The main purpose of using marketing strategies is to target and contact current and potential customers to inform them about the new range released in store. There are a number of marketing strategies that can be used to do so. Social Media In todays society social media plays a huge part in our lives and so it is beneficial to use social media apps, such as Instagram, Facebook and twitter to advertise clothing and brands. In regards to social media apps Instagram is the most popular and used social media platform therefore as a buyer for Matalan I will use Matalan's Instagram page to post up to date information about my range at an easy and quick pace. Instagram allows for company's to contact and communicate with consumers with a rapid response rate. Instagram allows for images to be posted with captions, therefore as a buyer I will post images of my new range at Matalan with details of the garments, such as, pricing, fabrics and release dates in order to inform consumers about the new range. Social media apps do not cost anything to advertise therefore this form of advertising would allow myself to save money from the budget to focus on the garments rather than the advertising. Social media advertising is a convenient form of advertising for both company and the consumer as social media can be used on the go and at any time meaning consumers do not have to move from homes to receive information or view the latest range a Matalan. Instagram also allows for consumers to share images with family and friends which acts as a form of word of mouth advertisement as images are passed on which will gain m range more reconciliation. By posting images of my range on Instagram this can deliver a form of inspiration to consumers on how to wear and style the pieces which will act as a form of inspiration to motivate consumers to purchase pieces for the range. Advertisements I have chosen to advertise my range for Matalan through a number of different forms of adverting. Matalan currently use big platforms of advertisement such as, billboards, bus stops and TV advertisements etc.. Which have proven to be successful for the company in the past. Therefore, I will continue to use these forms of advertising for my range at Matalan. Due to customers of my range typically being of an older age and generation I feel as if TV advertisement's would work best for this target customer as they are most likely to spend a decent amount of time watching TV after a long day of work, therefore I will produce a TV advertisement that will play in between television programmes after 6pm as this is the average time a potential customer will finish work during the week and as a buyer for Matalan I believe this form of advertising will capture the most attention from the target customer. In addition to TV advertisement I also intend to use billboards and bus stops to post advertisements for my range in order to attract the attention of potential customers, these billboards and bus stops will be posted in and around the town centre, within a short distance to the actual store in hopes to encourage potential customers to visit the store. Also, images of the collection will be posted in magazines and newspapers in order to intrigue women who enjoy reading rather than watching TV. Business Literature In order to promote my range to current and potential customer I will produce and hand out look books for my range around the town centre to hopefully attract customers to the store as they are intrigued by the content on inside the look book. Also, look books will be posted through the letterboxes of current customers who hold a Matalan loyalty card, this will keep current customers up to date and aware of any new ranges at in order to inspire and motivate them to view the collection. In addition to look books, emails and SMS messages will also be sent out to current loyalty card holders featuring important content about my new range at Matalan .
Elevator Pitch
Champagne Sunset presents a comfortable element to elegant evening wear for women. Champagne Sunset is a collection based off the mega trend that is ‘Pyjama Dressing’ in order to provide women with a elegant evening outfit that maintains the comfort of sleepwear, keeping them comfortable and confident in a sensual garment. Here at Matalan, we lack in elegance and key trends, therefore I believe my collection Champagne Sunset can fill this niche in the market, as it reflects clearly the top trends whilst projecting elegance through garment choices for women aged 25-35. The collection will be prices between £30-£70 based upon the luxurious silk fabrics used for key pieces.
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SS16 Boudoir Dressing
Concept board analysis
As a buyer for Matalan my aim is to target Matalan's current target market, specifically women aged between 25-35, whilst still targeting the older generation of women who shop at Matalan between the ages of 35-60, which would allow myself as a buyer to build a range that is trend focused in order to grab the attention of the younger generation of high street consumers. Whilst keeping to a similar style of Matalan's brand image I would feature trending themes, pieces and colour palettes within the range to make Matalan appear more fashion forward for SS16/17, for example my range will feature loose fitting, flared pants, which is a reoccurring piece throughout various collections at Matalan. As a buyer, In order to appeal to younger women than Matalan's current main target customer I would use the mega trend of ‘Boudoir Dressing’ as young women need something more sensual and edgy at Matalan that illuminates their figures and feminism, as it appears Matalan's key pieces don’t currently offer this. Also, I would include trending key pieces within the range as these key pieces will be what consumers desire, therefore featuring the pieces at Matalan at an affordable price will drive potential consumers into store, where they will find exactly what they are looking for. These key pieces include Flared Silk pants and lightweight duster Jackets. These pieces reflect specific statement pieces used on the catwalk for the mega trend that Is ‘Pyjama Dressing’. Also, in order to reflect clearly the inspiration behind the collection a number of pieces will appear to be made from a luxurious silk. However, as the range will be projected to consumers of lower budget the affordability of the pieces must fit exactly with the target customer, therefore I will use fabrics with elements of silk and a silk finish, such as satin silk. The concept behind the range is highlighted clearly through the mood board presented. I have created a simplistic mood board which focus solely on each individual element of the concept behind the range. The board projects the concept of ‘pyjama dressing’. The board shows images of garments inspired clearly by pyjamas, whether it be the fabric or the shape and style of the pyjama. This mood board focuses clearly on the main influence behind the range. I then went on to detail into the mood board, such as lace, as I aspire to have lace detailing within my range. The colour palette for this concept board consists of more classic neutral colours away from your wacky bold colours or your pastels that are usually used during Spring/Summer. The colour palette features beautiful and elegant summer hues, such as elegant gold, Mink and Jet black, providing a clear contrast of colours for the collection. These colours represent Cleary the beautiful elegance of summer, which will be clearly reflected through my range as it will be targeted at elegant women and so the elegant colour palette used with reflect this, without being too bold and brassy. As my range features more elegant fabrics, such as, silk for certain pieces the price range for the collection will be priced slightly higher than Matalan's typical selling prices as the quality will be there for consumers. Therefore, as my target customer is slightly older than the younger generation they will be capable of paying higher prices, although they will still be affordable so I wont be completely eliminating any other customers.
Financial Spreadsheet
Financial Spreadsheet Analysis
As a buyer it is important that I analyse my financial spreadsheet to ensure that my financial planning will enable success for my range. The financial spreadsheet displays the costing price of garments and their RRP price, theses figures help figure out the margin percentage of the range overall which is a huge importance as they also add up together to produce the total cost for the overall range, as well as, dictating how much money each garment will make during its 16 week selling period. From this information as a buyer I am able to analyse best sellers from each range which will indicate which garments will need to be replenished. Replenishment decisions will be made by analysing sales figures from each week during the 16 week selling period. From the financial spreadsheet produced for my womenswear range it is clear that the best seller amongst consumers is the Silk Duster coat in gold as the figures show 10 coats were sold within one week, therefore in order to keep up with sales per week, I must ensure further units for the quantity of replenishment for this garment are added to continue the sales increasing in order to keep up with consumer demand for the garment I must take 15% of the overall number of products and divide the figures out across the replenishment for the range. I must add more units of quantity to replenishing the coat as it is the best seller, in order to balance the replenishment out I will deduct units from the least popular items which is four pieces in total according to figures taken from my financial spreadsheet, which are the black oversized slip dress, the midi flared pants and the clutch bag and stilettos heals. Therefore the figures for these four items will be reduced for replenishment, in order to prevent the profit of the range being affected. Overall, financial spreadsheets ensure myself as a buyer that I am fully aware of how many pieces need to be stocked in store, replenishment figures and the overall cost of the range, which encourages any future decisions made by myself as a buyer.
Styling
For both the Hair and Makeup styling I wish to use a subtle make up and hair look to take the concentration away from the face to highlight the outfit. For the make up I intend for models to have a golden/dewy finish of foundation by using a subtle contour and strobing, whilst the eyes and lips stay natural and complimented by a strong and bold brow. I intend for models to have slicked back hair that appears elegant and well put together whilst also appearing quite effortless.
Evaluation During the Dragons Den pitch for Matalan I worked both individually and as part of a team, which benefited myself in the role of pitching a womenswear range to buyers and recruitment staff at Matalan's head office. In preparation for the pitch I worked along side my classmates as part of a team to practise pitching my presentation to them where they then would assess my work and provide constructive criticism to ensure I could present my work to Matalan to the best of my ability. Allowing my classmates to assess my work allowed for myself to make the correct changes and adapt my work to produce a commercial idea for a range at Matalan. In addition to class mates assessing my work I also worked as part of a team to self assess my work as well as others. Giving feedback to other students about their work helped myself gain clear knowledge and understanding of the important elements that needed to be featured in my work in order for it to be a success. Being integrated into a team helped to promote motivation for each and every team member, this was due to taking all feedback on board whether it be positive or negative as each piece of feedback helped to improve my work. Also, working as apart of team allowed myself to asses and deliver feedback to my peers, the feedback I gave was used for peers to make the correct changes to their work in order for them to improve. In order to manage my time reasonably for my pitch I created an action plan that I followed thoroughly which gave myself a clear time frame for each task to be completed. Delegating a specific amount of time to each task and providing them with deadlines pushed myself to meet all targets in order to ensure everything was completed in time for my trip to Matalan's head office, to prevent any added stress. After all tasks were completed, I devoted my time and concentration to organising my pitch and how I would present it to buyers at Matalan's head office. I began to organise each category into a slide and produced queue cards to match each individual slide in order to enable myself to talk about each slide in great detail to deliver as much information about my business plan and range as possible to Matalan. Using visuals I also gave Matalan interesting images to look at rather than everything be vocal, this was to keep the buyers enticed in my work in order to provoke more details and information from myself about the range. Whilst practising my pitch to former peers I found myself to be quite filled with nerves as this was something I had never experienced before. However, working as part of a team allowed myself to overcome this problem as they provide myself with the correct feedback in order to ensure I had excellent communication skills, former peers advised that I project my body language towards the professionals at Matalan and make eye contact with necessary. I found this feedback from my peers gave myself the boost of confidence that I needed in order to present myself in a profession manner. At Matalan I was able to present myself in a professional manner through my organisational skills, my communication skills and overall persona. It was important that I projected myself as a professional to Matalan as I wanted them as professional buyers to buy into my range as it was something I very much believed in. As a potential buyer I also wanted to use my professionalism to gain a clear perspective on what it is like to work in industry as a buyer for a big company, which in this case was Matalan. Presenting myself professionally allowed for myself to gain the respect of the professional buyers at Matalan which was a form of effective presentation of myself. After presenting the pitch at Matalan I then received feedback from the professionals at Matalan, which stated, ‘Katie had good visuals and her trend research was good however, the trend chosen would not be commercial for the Matalan customer. As busy mums, our consumer look for easy to wear clothing that will last and can be worn for different occasions and, unfortunately, boudoir dressing does not suit that lifestyle.’ The feedback received had quite a positive effect on myself as it confirmed my thoughts on how the pitch went for myself, as I also believed my ideas and range where to outgoing for the Matalan customer and did not fit in with their current target market. From this feedback I have taken the advice to research trends and brands that can combine there image together to produce a successful range that is suited to the Matalan customer.
Final Major Project Katie Dalton
Personal Development Rationale
I have chosen to create a more relaxed and contemporary style range for womenswear at Forever 21 that shies away from their usual bohemian/chic image in order to develop on their current contemporary wear as I feel this is an area of the brand that has a lack of focus due to the brand focusing more on a chic and bohemian style. My reason behind this range is to keep current customer returning to the store due to fresh pieces that will keep consumers looking on trend all through the season. As well as bring a new custom to Forever 21 that opens the brand up to expansion amongst the customer market. I aim to introduce 3 small ranges for my overall urban range, which are, Day Wear, Night Wear and Shoe and Accessories. I also plan to use a celebrity endorsement for the range, Ashley Benson as she stars in the most crazed about show of the moment and portrays an relaxed look in her lifestyle, which most fans and young women aspire to. I feel using a well-known and loved celebrity to endorse the range will be an excellent marketing strategy and help boost the sales for the range by attracting new customers to the store. Forever 21 as a store target mainly a younger market of women and so I believe an urban range will cater to different types of personality's and style of women of this generation. Using a celebrity endorsement for my range will give Forever 21 the upper hand when competing with competing high street stores as Forever 21 are an international brand they have the ability to use international celebrity's rather than local ones that will only appeal to a smaller target market. Researching into the brand and the celebrity profile, I have gained clear knowledge and understanding on how to build a successful range that will target Forever 21 customers successfully.
Resources Needed •WGSN •Vogue •Photoshop •Forever 21 website/ In store •CAD Images •Instagram •Tumblr •Pinterest Skills In order to produce my project I will require a number of skills to allow myself to complete my project to the best of my ability, all skills which have been acquired during the time at my course. I will need to have excellent Photoshop skills in order to build and create concept boards for my range as well as project patterns and colours into desired CAD images for my range. Also, I will need excellent ability to trend forecast using WGSN in order to gather trends to project them through my range. In addition to creative skills I will also need to use and develop my industry specific skills in order to build directional and comparative shops etc. Consultations To help create and maintain industry professional standards for my work I will require regularly feedback from my tutor as well as my peers and I also could potentially receive feedback and advice from managers within my current retail job.
Processes and practices Below are a number of process and practices I will carry out in order to complete my project. •Brand Research- I will research into my chosen brand thoroughly to help gain an overall understanding of the brand as well as build a customer profile. This will help clear my knowledge and understand of the brand and allow myself to see clearly their style and brand image. •Comp Shop- It is important that I build a comp shop before building my range for the brand as it gives myself a clear perspective on what my range will be competing against and what key pieces need to be incorporated into my range. I will produce a comp shop by carrying out desk and field research in all competing stores. •Directional Shop- A directional shop is key when building a range as it allows my self as a buyer to view the current stock for the brand and how I can develop on this and build a successful range. I will do this by browsing the website and visiting in store. •PESTLE Report- I will review external and internal factors to determine how they could impact the development of my range and retailer. I will write my PESTLE in the form of a report and use articles to back up all information. •SWOT Analysis- A SWOT analysis will be produced to analyse strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that could possibly impact my range and retailer. •Trend Forecasting – A vital element in building a range as it provides useful information on what's trending and what key pieces I can include in my range in order to build a successful range and maximise profits for the store. •Concept Board- I will use Photoshop to visually generate ideas for the concept behind my range to creatively solve problems and gain a clear perspective of my overall concept and idea. •Range Plan- I will gather a number of suitable CADS for my range and using Photoshop I will define colours and patterns into my CADS to build a range that reflects my chosen trend and concept. The range plan will include RRP and cost price as well as fabric choices and COO. •Financial Spreadsheet – Using EXCEL I will produce a financial spreadsheet that will break down the financial information of each garment within the range, which will indicate which items of stock will need replenishing. •Business Plan- In order to enable financial success for my range I will produce an in depth business plan that will include all information in regards to business aims and an elevator pitch for my range, in order to ensure sales. The business plan will also include a number of marketing strategies to encourage sales for my range. •Market Strategies- I will implement a number of marketing strategies to advertise my range in order to encourage sales and maximise profits for my range and the retailer. •Logo- Using Photoshop I will design a logo that will be unique to my range in order for it to become recognisable to consumers. •C.V and Portfolio- I will build and produce a CV and Portfolio as part of my self-promotional package in order to prepare myself for industry with something to present at interviews to further my career as a buyer. •Reflective Diary- At the end of each week I will log into my reflective diary on my progress during the week, which will indicate areas of development and areas of success for my project. •Lead Times- I will produce an estimated chart on the lead times for my range to ensure I have throughout logistics for my range and how it will fit into my critical path. •Look Book- I will produce a visually stimulating look book that will showcase styling options for my range.
Identification of potential risks and contingences • I must ensure all Photoshop projects are completed within college time as I don’t have access to this programme at home, if Photoshop tasks are not completed within college time then this may delay the project being completed within the time frame given I order to meet the deadline. • When using a celebrity endorsement I must ensure all pieces within my range suit to the style and image of the celebrity in order to project the influence clearly to consumers in order for them to buy into the range. • I must ensure all work is saved on to my memory drive and also have aback up to prevent any work from being lost and delaying the deadline for the project.
Action Plan
Date of completion
Completed
Forever 21 brand Research/ Market Research
21/04/16
Done
Forever 21 Mood Board
21/04/16
Done
Current Customer Profile and New Customer Profile
21/04/16
Done
Celebrity endorsement research
22/04/16
Done
Trend Forecasting
22/04/16
Done
PESTLE CV
28/04/16
Done Done
SWOT
29/04/16
Done
Comp Shop
29/04/16
Done
Directional Shop
4/05/16
Done
Mood Board/ Concept Board
4/05/16
Done
Range Customer Survey
5/05/16
Done
Business Plan
6/05/16
Done
Interview prep Financial Spreadsheet and Analysis Wissi and Analysis
11/05/16
Done Done
Marketing Ideas Interview task
12/05/16
Done Done
Look book
13/05/16
Done
Evaluation Costs and constraints
19/05/16
Pitch
27/05/16
Done
Forever 21 is an American born fashion retailer that has expanded in over 48 countries globally, including the UK, Asia and the middle east, making it a massive hit amongst consumers internationally. Forever 21 is an all round retailer offering Womenswear, Menswear and Kidswear featuring the latest trends with great quality and excellent value. As a fashion retailer most of the brands stock is manufactured in China, which allows for the store to sell products to consumers at an affordable price, which is highlighted through Forever 21s valued reputation of trendy offerings and its economical pricing. Forever 21 aim to inspire all customers through providing a captivating and exciting store environment that provides customers with a never ending flow of fun, on trend fashions at great value. Forever 21 believe their customer is not of a particular age but has a fashion forward personality and trendy back ground as well as a fresh and young spirit. Forever 21 caters to the needs of everyone, through individual styles, sizing and every phase of life. This is what makes Forever 21 so successful internationally as they are able to provide to a number of different target customers.
Marketing- Advertising
Forever 21 use social media apps, such as Instagram to inspire and encourage followers to shop at the store. Being one of the most followed brands on Instagram internationally, Forever 21 use their Instagram platform to portray their brand across a wide variety of potential consumers globally. Forever 21 encourage consumer to post image wearing Forever 21 products with the hashtag ‘#F21xME’ this allows for followers to see items styled in a number of different ways with the hopes to be inspired to visit the store/website and purchase products they have seen on Instagram. Instagram is a very powerful form advertising for Forever 21 as Instagram is used mostly by their target audience and so using Instagram to reach out to their target audience has become a lot easier as they are able to reach out and communicate with consumers on fast pace, regular basis.
In addition to Instagram, Forever 21 recently launched a Tumblr Blog, #F21XMUSIC. Forever 21 recently launched this during Coachella, the biggest festival of the year, which has a massive celebrity attendance. This allowed for Forever 21 to the celebrity platform to celebrity's to post images to their Tumblr site from Coachella in order for it to gain recognition. Forever 21 aim to include style tips for the perfect, effortless music outfit as well as the best street style looks of the moment in order to again encourage viewers to purchase products from the brand. In order to make the experience enjoyable and more enticing to viewers, the Tumblr sit also includes giveaways for concert/festival tickets, Spotify playlists of the moment and insider access to the brand and its partnering artists. Forever 21 have an excellent marketing strategy for advertising there brand as they have the power of using platforms followed by their target audience in order to reach out and encourage them to shop in store.
Snap-Button Cotton Jacket £20.00
Faux Suede Halter Dress £20.00
f21 contemporary Crochet Flared Trousers £19.00
f21 contemporary Longline Drawstring Jacket £34.00
f21 contemporary Faux Suede Jacket £32.00
Denim Overall Dress £19.00
f21 contemporary Staycation T-Shirt Dress £23.00
f21 contemporary Eyelash Lace Maxi Skirt £20.00
f21 contemporary Zip-Front Denim Skirt £19.00
Fringe Faux Suede Jacket £39.00
f21 contemporary Embellished Peasant Top £20.00
f21 contemporary Floral Skater Skirt £8.00
Longline Open-Front Vest £30.00
f21 contemporary Floral Surplice Crop Top £13.00
f21 contemporary Lace-Up Floral Print Playsuits £20.00
Dropped-Sleeved Boxy Jacket £30.00
f21 contemporary Beastie Boys Graphic Tee £13.00
Lace-Up Corduroy Playsuits £19.00
Lace Maxi Dress £23.00
f21 contemporary Mood Graphic Tee £13.00
f21 contemporary Smocked Leaf Print Shorts £11.00
Crochet Mini Dress £23.00
f21 contemporary Mickey Mouse Ringer Crop Top £13.00
Contemporary Floral Playsuits £23.00
f21 contemporary Ruffled Floral Print Dress £15.00
f21 contemporary Whisker Wash Distressed Skinny Jeans £21.00
f21 contemporary Two-Pocket Culottes £14.00
As part of my brand/market research it is vital to review and analyse current stock in store. On the previous slide I have gathered a small selection of current products form the womenswear at Forever 21 from a range of jackets and t-shirts to dresses and trousers, the purpose of this was to provide myself with a clear perspective of Forever 21’s brand image as well as key pieces and pricing in store. It is important as a buyer that I am aware of previous and current stock as this will influence certain pieces in my range in order to ensure they are a success and are suitable for the brand image. It is clear that as a brand Forever 21 mainly portray a feminine and contemporary image for womenswear, both styles are showcased through out the store clearly, although it appears the brand focuses more on portraying their bohemian/feminine style more than others, which has become apparent through my current stock research. As a brand Forever 21 offer a wide range of options for different individuals, which plays a huge part in their success clearly.
Comp Shop
Twill jacket £24.99
Shorts with lace details £14.99
Fringed skirt £29.99
Bomber jacket £29.99
Satin shorts £19.99
Jacquard-weave skirt £14.99
Patterned dress £24.99
Jersey top £7.99
Patterned trousers £12.99
Lace dress £29.99
Crinkled strappy top £7.99
Jacquard-weave bomber jacket £49.99
Dress with fringes £19.99
Cold shoulder top £7.99
T-shirt dress £9.99
Satin playsuit £29.99
Strappy top with fringes £14.99
Embroidered tulle dress £49.99
Cotton playsuit £24.99
T-shirt with a print motif £7.99
Beaded jacket £79.99
Slim High Ankle Trashed Jeans £29.99
Denim skirt £19.99
Skirt with appliqués £29.99
Comp Shop
Blue Floral Print Wrap Dress £14.99
Petite Khaki Bomber Jacket £34.99
Red Floral Print Flutter Sleeve Playsuit £19.99
Blue Denim Sleeveless Jacket £32.99
Parisian Black Floral Print Frill Dress £19.99
Blue Tropical Print Strappy Jumpsuit £19.99
Cream Crochet Scallop Hem Shorts £17.99
Black Floral Print Cold Shoulder Long Sleeve Playsuit £22.99
Black Fine Knit Embroidered Tunic Dress £27.99
Cameo Rose Blue Stripe Print Shorts £14.99
Navy Denim Button Front Pinafore Dress £27.99
Aztec Print Cold Shoulder T-Shirt £11.99
White California Baseball T-Shirt £12.99
Tan Leather-Look A-Line Skirt £14.99
Black Rose Print Split Side Maxi Skirt £19.99
Black Ribbed Beverly Hills T-Shirt £9.99
White Tile Print Crochet Trim Midi Dress £19.99
Patchwork Badge Fray Hem Denim Jacket £24.99
Comp Shop
Cherri Tan Suede Lace Up Fringe Bodycon Dress £30.00
Kennie Pink Printed Bardot Playsuit £22.00
Carley Blue Dark Wash Extreme Rip Boyfriend Jeans £25.00
Minah Black Mesh Maxi Skirt £15.00
Abelle Monochrome Printed Jersey Flares £15.00
Kayley Black Patchwork Dress £30.00
Kiara Black Lace Up Peplum Shirt £20.00
Angie Black Floral Embroidered Shorts £20.00
Carla White Extreme Rip Cropped Denim Dungarees £28.00
Pheobe Black Paisley Mesh Midi Skirt £12.00
Oliviah White Floral Chiffon Maxi Skirt £15.00
Fawny Black Floral Print A-Line Mini Skirt £12.00
Katey Black Bell Sleeve Lace Crop Top £18.00
Loucina Black Floral Jumpsuit £18.00
Archer White Rose Print Cape Midi Dress £30.00
Kay Black Lace Tassel Playsuit £25.00
Danna Cream Floral Print Dress £25.00
Alaya Black Crochet Maxi Dress £35.00
Rora Khaki Faux Suede Fringe Detail Biker Jacket £35.00
Cruz Dusty Pink Satin Bomber Jacket £30.00
Mandie Pink Tropical Print Culotte Jumpsuit £22.00
Comp shop evaluation I have previously carried out a comparative shop using forever 21 and their current competitors. The purpose of the comp shop is to view products that competing stores stock in comparison to Forever 21 in terms of style and price. When building a range a comparative shop plays a huge part in the process as gives myself as a buyer a clear perspective of the style and price range my range must fall under in order to be a success in competing with my competitors. A comp shop will allow myself to keep on top and update of products within store and within competing stores to again ensure my range includes enough to make sales in comparison to my competitors. For my comp shop I chose to view womenswear from what I believe to be the top competitors for Forever 21, which are, H&M, New Look and the online store PrettyLittleThing.com. For womenswear I analysed each product from Jackets and T-shirts to Pants and Dresses in order to ensure I had a wide variety of garments to analyse and compare for my comp shop. Each store portrays their own unique image as well as an overall similar brand image to Forever 21. Firstly, I reviewed H&M. Browsing through their website I gathered a number of garments with prices. I found that H&M offer a more classic overall image than Forever 21. H&M provide consumers with a number of different styles, ranging from tailored wear to festival wear., which allows for them to have a wider target audience in comparison to Forever 21 who have a more focused target audience. Similar to Forever 21, H&M’s bohemian style focuses more on festival wear which appeals to most young women in todays society, which makes them a big competitor as well as the great quality and affordable prices. From the comp shop it is clear that Forever 21 and H&M share a similar price range, although H&M do have a selection of higher quality pieces which allows for them to sell at high prices, which works in the favour of Forever 21 as they can offer similar products for a more affordable price that will appeal more to their target audience. I then moved onto analyse New Look as a brand and their products in store, in order to compare them regarding style and price to products from Forever 21. These two brands are slightly diverse from one another whilst also sharing quite a few similarity's in regards to style and product pricing. Whilst Forever 21 offer unique and trend driven products, New Look have a lack of trend focused collections in comparison to Forever 21 although they do have various trend inspired pieces New Look tend to keep to offering consumers with effortless pieces that are suitable for women of any age, from teens to women up to the ages of 50, whereas Forever 21 again have a more focused target audience. In regards to similarity's both Forever 21 and New Look offer excellent quality clothing at affordable prices which targets the majority of young women as consumers. With both stores offering affordable prices this makes them big competitors as consumers tend to find similar products in both stores and usually compare the prices, meaning on store will loose out whilst the other makes sales. Forever 21 focus on portraying their brand image as a contemporary/ bohemian chic store, where consumers can find pieces ranging from festival wear to casual street wear, which in comparison New Look doesn’t have. Although New Look stock street wear, their image appears more feminine and classic rather than on trend and contemporary. This means New Look can offer products for people who aren’t as fashion forward as the average Forever 21 customer meaning Forever 21 could potentially loose custom due to a lack of focus on consumers as a whole, rather than a particular individual. Outside of high street stores I also reviewed the online store ‘PrettyLittleThing.com’ as a competitor to Forever 21 as a brand. I believe PrettyLittleThing.com may be the biggest competitor to Forever 21 as the store is accessible to a wider audience and almost duplicates the image of Forever 21 as a brand. PrettyLittleThing.com stocks a number of products from festival wear, casual wear and occasion wear, similarly to Forever 21 which creates huge competition for the brand as both stores also have a similar RRP price bracket. As todays society has become technology obsessed it is more likely that as n online store PrettyLittleThing.com can attract more custom through its easy access and ability to shop without having to leave your house. PrettyLittleThing.com also poses as a threat to Forever 21 also being an international brand that consumers globally have access to, in addition the excellent quality and pricing.
Directional Shop As a buyer it is important that a directional shop is produced before building a range as it allows myself as a buyer to stay on trend with the global market, which provides myself with key colours, fabrics and styles for the current season in order to ensure key trends are filtered down through the catwalk to high street stores. For my directional shop I have reviewed to international brands both online and in store that are considered high end. The purpose of choosing high end brand is to compare trends, style and pricing to ensure Forever 21 as a brand are keeping on top trend forecasting for their in store ranges. As well as providing the best competitive prices possible for similar products.
Directional Shop
For Love and Lemons Eva Midi Dress with Floral Embroidery £260.00
Denver Knit Crop Top £94.86
SU2Cx REVOLVE Barcelona Midi Skirt £149.96
Elenora Romper £143.69
x REVOLVE Skirt £88.58
I firstly reviewed the brand ‘For Love&Lemons’, This brand is a high end brand inspired by a bohemian image. The brand produces luxurious pieces from occasion wear, casual wear and swimwear, although the brand may be regarded as too luxurious for casual/street wear. From my directional shop I have gathered a selection of products that project ‘For Love&Lemons’ as a brand clearly. From my current stock review of Forever 21 it was clear that for SS16 they focused on a bohemian style collection suitable for summer festivals, which appeared quite floral and girly. In comparison I found that ‘For Love&Lemons’ also stocked a SS collection inspired by festival, which again appeared rather feminine, although their collection appears to be more inspired by classical bohemian style, including gypsy skirts and crochet tops with hints of floral prints throughout the collection. Although Both brands are rather similar, their RRP vary as ‘For Love&Lemons’ is of a higher quality in comparison to Forever 21, which makes them a huge competitor as consumers will be willing to pay that little extra for better quality in certain circumstances. However, in regards to Forever 21’s main target audience which is women aged 17-24, Forever 21 is the first option as it is more affordable. From the directional shop it is clear that products from high end brands have also filtered down through high street making it easier for high street brands to compete with those of a higher end. Looking at similar products I found that the skirts and rompers at Forever 21 were more relaxed in comparison to the skirts found at ‘For Love&Lemons’ which highlights the luxurious image of the brand.
Directional Shop
Bohemian Winds Maxi £428.00
Western tan fringe jacket £450.00
Over the Moon Tee £78.00
Garden Print Set £450.00
Lime Squeeze Pant £148.00
After reviewing Free People as a brand I gathered a number of products to produce a directional shop for the brand in order to analyse the comparisons to Forever 21 as a brand in regards to Style, quality and pricing. For SS16 a massive influence for womenswear appears to be the chic and classic bohemian image. As a brand Free people showcase this image through all collections each season as this is what their brand is all about. During my directional shop I discovered that as a brand Forever 21 as of recently have also tried to convey this brand image through recent collections inspired by the style that is considered ‘boho’, which has made free people a massive competitor, the only difference being free people is a high end brand in comparison to Forever 21 which is a high street retailer. After reviewing products from Free People I discovered free people have a selection of occasion wear as well as casual wear, which is what Forever 21 is best known for as a high street retailer. From my directional shop it is clear that certain key pieces from free people, such as, the lace dress and floral romper have been used as inspiration for a certain number of pieces stocked at Forever 21. In regards to comparing products, I found at Forever 21 trousers and tops were more relaxed whilst Free People have a lot of detail focused into their trousers and tops, making them more intricate and attractive, which again proves their high end image.
Store Layout Forever 21 is an international retailer that has a huge amount of retail stores globally. Forever 21 take pride in the layout of each retail store as they are the sole purpose for attracting customers into the brand. Each Forever 21 store Is laid out similarly to intrigue customers and make their shopping experience in store an exceptional one they wont forget. Each store has a playful and energetic vibe through the use of bold colours and the loud and current music that vis blasted through out store to allow customers to have a fun and joyful experience shopping in store. Aside from the spacious layout, the use of mannequins in store are used physically to advertise garments through extravagant posing and posture, inside store Forever 21 have a limited number of mannequins positioned in a ‘boring’ way. Each mannequin showcase a playful and stylish image, in hopes to influence and reflect upon all consumers in store. Annotations and quotations are placed around store within each collection as part of an excellent marketing campaign to again intrigue the consumer and persuade them to buy into products at the store.
Current Customer Profile Alisha Marie is a 20 year old girl from Orange County, California. Alisha is a fun spirited and charismatic person, who enjoys devoting her time to her friends and the beach. As a social person Alisha is a avid festival goer and loves portraying her feminine chic personality through her clothing choices. Alisha is a fashion forward women who is quite active on social media updating followers on the latest pieces in her wardrobe.
Celebrity Profile: Ashley Benson
Ashley Benson is a 26 year old American actress best known for role as the infamous Hanna Marin in the mystery thriller TV series Pretty Little Liars. Ashley portrays a very laid back personality outside of her acting career and appears to have a relaxed street wear style, that appears almost effortless, which she herself would describe as ‘edgy chic’. Ashley’s style is all about standing aside from everyone else. As a role model to most young women of modern day, Ashley would make the perfect celebrity endorsement for Forever 21 as a high street store as she can offer a range to young women that offers on trend pieces for an affordable price.
New customer profile Amanda Steele is a 19 year old Art Student from London, England, who enjoys spending her life outside of college attending social events with friends and fine dates at the Art Gallery with her graphic designer boyfriend. Amanda has a relaxed personality but is filled with timeless energy and enjoys being edgy and outrageous. In regards to her style Amanda has a very minimalistic and contemporary style as she likes to be set aside form the crowd.
Key Pieces SS17
The souvenir jacket is a result of the luxurious ‘Gucci Effect’. Inspired by the traditional dragons and cherry blossoms from Japan, the souvenir bomber jacket has impacted both women's and menswear this SS/17 season. Shiny and satin finishes for this jacket are important as they give the bomber a luxe finish.
Key Pieces SS17
SS17 is all about bringing back the focus of the waist with belted pieces added to over sized and shapeless blouses for a modern update in womenswear. For the belted blouse, solid tones and boxy structured shapes are vital for the contemporary image.
Key Pieces SS17
Menswear is an on going muse for womenswear SS17. Simple T-shirts are paired with feminine key pieces to create a boy meets girl aesthetic. Loose fit T-shirts and oversized pieces create a summer camp retro look for SS17.
Key Pieces SS17
The button down mini skirt has enjoyed a resurgence in retail for SS17. The Luxe mini skirts are worn in a casual context paired with hoodies and flat shoes for a fresh styling direction for SS17.
Key Pieces SS17
The hoodie has become a must have piece amongst street stylers and catwalks this SS17. Over sized fits are key while cut off sleeves, knotted designs and light weight options provide an update for summer.
Key Pieces SS17
Largely influenced by the love for all things 1990, the denim skirt has made a massive impact on fashion retailers for SS17. The frayed and unfinished hemlines have given the skirt a modern update for summer through design interest.
Prints and Graphics SS17
Tropical Iridescences Exotic rainforest flora and jungle foliage are intensified as saturated accents glow on a sea of black for an iridescent finish. This dramatic colouration proves for a popular print this SS17 and updates the tropical floral for womenswear.
This trend includes adventurous volume, minimised detail and subtle utility references unite for a directional look that is gracious yet functional.
Colours SS17
The striking combination of machine red and black plum echoes a powerful and bold message. Charged with energy these colour levels are key tones for SS17. A shot of electric fuchsia provides an important accent tone creating a confident and elevated look for womenswear. In addition orchid marks the importance of purple as a fashion colour and moves away from your typical pastel pinks for SS. The chalky tone offers a modernity to womenswear for SS17.These colours of SS17 have made a confident appearance in street wear for this season.
PESTLE
POLITICAL Employment Laws An employment law is designed to protect the rights of an employer/employee. All employers are legally expected to present all new and current employees a written contract. A contract is a signed document that states an employees working hours and wages plus any legal obligations of the employee. As a contract is used for legal reasons if an employer were to make any changes to an employees contract without consulting with the employer then this would cause a number of legal issues as it is a breach of contract. As of recently Forever 21 have demoted all full time contracts to part time, leaving employees with restricted working hours less than 29 hours per week, which also in certain international stores removes employees from the rights to qualify for health insurance as well as paid time off. (The Huffington Post, 2013) This particular change in contracts for employees has caused quite the controversy amongst society and in the media as the purpose behind the demoting of hours is due to forever 21 wanting to avoid paying employees health insurance, which has lead society to believe the company have no compassion towards employees, gaining the brand name a bad reputation amongst consumers. As a buyer this could effect my range as consumers will avoid buying into the brand due to the unfair treatment of employees. Although, on the other hand Forever 21 will argue that their decision to cut hours was both rational and understandable. As a company that boasts regularly low prices and frequent sales the company's success is largely dependant upon its ability to maintain low manufacturing and operational costs, giving them an excellent reason to cut employees hours in order to save money and build profits.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/16/forever-21-memo_n_3769605.html
PESTLE ECONOMICAL
An economy is a system of economic activity in a country. In regards to resources, money, materials and labour. Economic problems regularly occur in most countries which enables them to learn how to make the best use of limited resources in order to benefit the economy. An economical factor that effects the retail industry is the national minimum wage and the national living wage rates. The hourly rate for the minimum wage depends upon your age. In order to receive the national minimum wage you must be of school leaving age, any one below school leaving age will be paid based upon decisions made by the company they work for. (Gov.uk, 2016) Over to the right I have inserted a screenshot of the previous and current rates of the minimum wage taken fro the government website. As an international retail company it is important that Forever 21 comply to the law in regards to paying employees the national minimum wage for their age as they are such a huge retail company with a massive reputation followed internationally. If Forever 21 were to disregard the national minimum wage to employees then this would demonstrate a clear disregard for the law. It is important that Forever 21 offer all employees of all ages the national minimum wage in order for employees to keep up with the cost of living as the minimum wage takes into consideration the economy when determining each wage for each age. However, the cost of living in the UK is continuing to rise faster than anywhere else in Europe as employment contracts are tied to the cost of living Forever 21 should be offering national minimum wage to employees as the further the cost of living increases in the UK then the more difficult it will become for residents to live in the UK as the wage doesn’t seem to be increasing alongside the living wage, therefore it is important that as an international company Forever 21 should be offering their employees the best wage possible in order for the to avoid any struggles. In regards to myself as a buyer for the brand, if Forever 21 failed to offer employees national minimum wage then this would cause major issues in head office, as the head office is locate din area of high cost living, leaving buyers to struggle financially. In addition to this, consumers who are financially unstable will not be able to afford to shop regularly for clothes, leaving brands, such as Forever 21 a lack of consumers which would effect the stores turnover.
https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates
PESTLE SOCIOLOGICAL
Social issues within the retail industry are heavily influenced by a number of individuals within society, which influence a widespread of society rather than just the individual. Social issues tend to follow through the crowd and create a domino effect, becoming a religious and obsessive way of life for certain individuals. There are a number of social issues in todays society that have become and obsessive way of life for particular indivuals that tend to follow the crowd, such as, social media. Social media has consumed the lives of many in todays society, making people reliant on using certain social media apps for a number of unhealthy hours a day. Social media is responsible for influencing people in todays society majorly as social media slows for us to updated frequently about the latest gadgets and trend regarding fashion and celebrity news and lifestyles at a fast and easy pace. The number one culprit of social media in todays society is Instagram which has over 150 million active users globally, which continues to grow. Instagram offers huge opportunities for brands, in terms of communication and interaction as well as advertising to consumers. The visual content of Instagram is a key asset for brands as it allows for people to engage quickly and directly. Due to the massive following of Instagram, consumers and followers are encouraged to follow a number of brands and celebrities which makes them easily persuaded and encouraged to adapt to the luxurious lifestyle showcased visually. In regards to cultural expectations in todays society, celebrities hold a massive influence over society, making individuals expected to have the best of everything from gadgets to clothing and accessories, which may be disheartening to some people as they are unable to afford to live that particular lifestyle in todays society due to financial issues. Social media allows for people to portray specific parts of their lifestyle that indicate they live a ‘perfect’ life through goods and material items, especially celebrity users. Celebrities appear to be all about their appearance and material items, which has a major influence on the people of todays society, especially those of a younger generation as they obsessive over social media and follow social media influence religiously. Teenagers in todays society desire the latest designer names and brands as well as gadgets and luxuries, which appear to be robbing teens of todays society of their youth as they are more concerned in competing with materials and goods. In todays society due to cultural influences from social media, nobody has their own individuality as everyone has conformed into one through following the same influences. However, this works in the favour of high street brands, such as, Forever 21 as they can potential use celebrity endorsements to entice consumers due to the massive influence celebrities hold over society today as well as producing fast and cheap products that mirror those of celebrities. Due to this as a buyer for Forever 21 I will constantly need to be on top of all social media apps and the influences it has on the fashion industry, which will help myself when buying garments to put in store. Social media is a useful source to use as a buyer for Forever 21 as social media is responsible for creating highly viable and instant sales for womenswear on the high street. After conducting my market research I discovered Forever 21 have a popular presence on social media, mainly through their Instagram and Tumblr page, which I have previously developed on.
PESTLE TECHNOLOGICAL The power of technology is huge in todays society and holds a massive influence over individuals today as it allows for us to connect to the internet for a number of resources that provide us with skills and knowledge that can be used in industry for practical purposes. Technology allows for us to work at a fast pace in order to keep up with the constant changes within society. Technology is constantly developing allowing us to become more advanced as a society. Mobile phone technology has become one of the greatest forms of technology ever designed as it gives us on hand access to contact people globally as well as explore the internet anywhere in the world at any time. Having a mobile that allows us to connect to the internet gives consumers easy access to online shopping on the go. By partnering up with mobile apps also, consumers can download shops to their phone to make shopping easier and accessible at all times. In todays society individuals have become obsessive over mobile technology and feel as if mobiles are a part of them, which they cannot live without. Studies show that the average person spends an estimated 90 minutes a day on their phone, this is especially targeted towards teenagers and young adults. (Mail Online, 2016) Although mobile phones have become the most useful source of technology they also have a number disadvantages to users. As mobile phones are constantly developing, more and more people are becoming more reliant upon their mobile phones, meaning the number of social activities in an individuals life are decreasing rapidly as they have the majority of things needed on their phone, such as takeaway food deliveries and online shops, leaving society unsociable amongst each other. The ability to download an app that gives individuals easy access to online shops means they no longer have to travel into the town centre to shop at their favourite store, making shopping easier and more accessible to consumers. This will benefit Forever 21 as a store as it will boost online sales in order to match in store sales, boosting the overall profit for the brand as indivuals who don’t have a Forever 21 store within a close proximity to their location can also shop at the brand through their online store. In regards to Forever 21 as an international brand mobile technology allows for clothes orders to be made internationally, allowing for forever 21 to attract custom from consumers internationally rather than just locally. As a buyer for Forever 21 mobile phones allow for myself to connect suppliers and business partners internationally at a fast and easy pace. This allows for myself to make business deals without any complications which works in my favour as a buyer as it prevents any lost time during the buying process. Also, as a buyer having a mobile phone allows for myself to personally keep up with consumer spending and behaviour through online shopping statistics and following all social media apps.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-45763/Youngsters-addictedmobile-phones.html
PESTLE LEGAL Laws are legal rules put into place that become legal and acceptable for individuals to commit. Each legal law varies depending on the country. In regards to the fashion retail industry there are a number of laws put into place in order to prevent brands from committing illegal actions that may lead to the brand getting into a number of complications with the law. A number one law in regards to fashion retail is. Copyright. Copyright is major law that must be considered when working in the fashion industry, if this law is not followed then this could lead to a number of issues and controversy amongst brands, in regards to designers especially. The issue of copyright within the fashion industry is a problem that occurs regular as many designers have been accused of stealing designs or images for garments without consulting or seeking permission from the original creator. Under the copyright law it is illegal to reproduce or display the work of others without crediting the owner of the artwork before production, without any permission or credit for the original owner the artwork then becomes an issue of copyright. If a brand is to violate the laws of copyright then the brand is at risk of being sued for copyright infringement by the original owner of the artwork used. In regards to Forever 21 as a brand there has been a number of occasions were the copyright law has been concerned. Forever 21 has been sued as a brand over 50 times for allegedly stealing the work of other designers. Below I have inserted a link that entails a number of pieces Forever 21 have allegedly ‘knocked off’ designers. Although Forever 21 have been sued over 50 times due to copyright, the brand has never lost a case when taken t court, preventing the brand from being sued with copyright infringement. As a buyer copyright can have a major effect on my job role within industry. As a buyer I will have to carefully consider each design when buying particular garments in for the brand. As a buyer if I were to be conducting any form of copyright then it is likely the brand will be sued for my actions, which may lead to a court case and potential prosecution for the brand as well a loss of job for myself as a buyer. Therefore, as a buyer for Forever 21 this is a particular area I must avoid which puts added pressure upon my job role as Forever 21 as a brand have previously found themselves in court fighting against copyright infringement.
Jezebel.com. (2016). [online] Available at: http://jezebel.com/5822762/howforever-21-keeps-getting-away-withdesigner-knockoffs [Accessed 12 May 2016].
PESTLE ENVIROMENTAL Environmental issues are issues that occur globally due to the environmental system, which is influenced by how we live as a society. Society as a whole has contributed to a number of environmental issues globally that have effected the environment throughout time and are still continuing to cause issues. Environmental issues are factors that must be considered within the fashion industry of an economic and social nature. Within the fashion industry all EU regulations must be followed through during production in order to prevent any health and safety issues during production, such as, factories collapsing, which has occurred a number of times in production factories in poor working countries. The EU regulation of visiting working factories during production is a law that must be followed out by a buyer in order to consider all environment issues when carrying out their job. An environmental issue that effects the fashion industry is global warming. Global warming is the increase in carbon dioxide levels and green house gases that could lead to an overall rise in the temperature of the earth. Global warming effects the fashion industry majorly though uncertainty. Uncertainty is the number factor that holds a massive influence over the fashion industry in regards to global warming. Uncertainty is the idea that due to global warming the change in weather has become a constant issue as summers are becoming hotter and winter weather is disappearing in certain countries due to the current rise in temperature of the earth. This means retailers will have t become more strategic regarding future plans of production that consider any complications or crisis and how to deal with them in the most responsible way. Due to the constant changes to the earth the climate change cannot easily be predicted leaving retailers at risk. The unpredictable climate change will effect the fashion industry through choice of garments as hotter countries are becoming unbearable in regards to heat whilst other countries are becoming a warmer climate to live in. This makes it hard for buyer to differentiate garments between seasons, meaning clothes suitable for warmer weather will have to put into production all year round. Although, buyers will not have a time frame of weather changes due to other change in climate being unpredictable, adding extra pressure on buyers during production as they will be looking to place products in store that will benefit and suit the needs of the weather as well as the consumer. In addition to the actual garments, the garment makers will also be effected during production through global warming as previously mentioned hotter countries will suffer from unbearable weather changes making it difficult for factory workers to produce garments through such conditions which could effect the timing of the critical path for a buyer.
STRENGTHS
OPPORTUNITES -
-Offer a huge variety of clothing to all Men, Women and Children -Strong online presence via its official website -Strong financials in terms of profits -Converting stores to make them more attractive and convenient -International brand with store in over 48 countries globally -Strong brand name -on trend
WEAKNESSES -
Limited Number of stores in Latin America and Europe Copyright ideas from a number of designers Sued on several occasions paying bad wages to employees High staff turnover Weak supply chain
-
S.W.O.T
Open market in Latin America and Europe Research and development amongst designers to avoid copyright Online marketing reduce cost of production to lower prices and pay employees a high wage new products new markets Celebrity endorsement
THREATS -Presence of strong competitors internationally, H&M, Urban outfitters, wet seal etc -Negative perception due to bad publicity
S.W.O.T Analysis It is vital in the role of a buyer that I critically analyse the SWOT previously produced by cross sectioning internal and external factors to interpret how they both effect the brand overall. Analysing these factors are important as it will enable myself as a buyer to provide excellent business strategies that can be used to overcome any weaknesses found in the SWOT for Forever 21. A strength found in the SWOT for Forever 21 is that as a brand they are trend forward and constantly up to date with all trends, offering consumers exactly what they are looking for, which plays a huge part in the brands success. Although Forever 21 are trend forward, as a strength this could be at risk in regards to competing brands as they can also offer consumers with a number of trend forward collections that could possibly make it difficult for Forever 21 to compete and attract the custom as competitors are also offering consumers on trend pieces, similar to Forever 21. This is recognised as threat for the brand in the SWOT, which states that Forever 21 have a presence of strong competitors internationally. As a buyer a business strategy I could implement in order to overcome this threat is by encouraging the brand to continue to expand their market globally and open a number of small stores in similar locations rather than one flag ship store in a specific location, as I believe this will make the brand more accessible and desirable to consumers and allow them to compete successful against other similar brands, leading to a potential bigger profit for the brand. Another strength found in the SWOT for Forever 21 as a brand is that they have a strong only presence via their brand website, which allows for the brand to reach out to a number of consumers on a global scale, which as a strength also allows for them to overcome the weakness of having a high level of competitors as their excellent online presence allows for the brand to reach out to consumers their competitors have no access to, again making Forever 21 a bigger profit earning than competitors each year. Therefore as a buyer it is important that as a buyer I always this strength to encourage sales for my range by ensuring it is available online globally as well as in store. Although, Forever 21 as a band have an excellent brand reputation, they have a number of weaknesses that put their brand name at risk, such as paying low wages to employees, which was found in the previous SWOT, which has been confirmed by the high staff turn over statistics of Forever 21 stores as an overall. However, as a weakness the SWOT also lists a number of opportunities I could put into place as a buyer to overcome this weakness. One opportunity that will help to successfully overcome this weakness is encouraging reduced costs during production in order to use the extra money to pay employees a higher wage. This opportunity will allow for employees to be encouraged and motivated to continue to work for the brand due to the pay rise, as a buyer it is important that I ensure the brand has loyal working staff that will push the sales for my range in order for it to be a success in store. This opportunity will also help to tarnish any bad image/reputation of the brand as employees will be happy to work for the company. Another great opportunity for Forever 21 to overcome all weaknesses and threats as well as magnify their strengths is the introduction of a celebrity endorsed range, which myself a buyer will take great advantage of for my upcoming range. Celebrity endorsement is an excellent business and marketing strategy for Forever 21 in order to encourage consumers to shop in store for the opportunity to become their celebrity icon through choices of clothing endorsed by a celebrity of the moment. Overall, my SWOT analysis has provided myself as a buyer with vital information regarding Forever 21’s internal and external factors and how they can impact the company and benefit the brand in order to continue its success. I will use this SWOT analysis as a part of my research when implementing business and marketing strategies in order to launch my range for the brand.
Interview Practice Questions: Task1 What are the qualities of a good leader? The qualities of a good leader include excellent communication skills between themselves and staff members in order to deliver tasks across clearly and understood. Although, a good leader should be welcoming to staff and not too friendly as the there are lines that should not be crossed by staff as they may loose respect of the leader. A good leader should also be organised within their role as this will reflect their ability to work well. How well did your college experience prepare you for this Job? During my year experience at college I was able to develop my knowledge and skills in order to give myself a clear focus on what my chosen career path would be. From my experience at college it was clear that my skills and expertise became perfectly suited to the role of a buyer as I became engulfed in all given task in regards to a buyer, I found myself clearly organising my tasks to ensure they were all complete by the given deadline and produced at the best of my ability as I strived on achieving the best grades possible within this course as I was driven to become a buyer. My experience at college lead me to producing ranges for a number of retailers, where I developed the skills to predict current trends and produce comparative shops that would benefit my chosen career path. I also learned how to produce financial spreadsheets and work alongside other students as part of team, which is a requirement of being a buyer at head office. What has been your biggest professional disappointment? My biggest professional disappointment was an incident that occurred in a recent Interview for my professional career, when I was asked to carry out a number of tasks and projects in order to qualify for a second Interview, After completing all projects and making it to the second interview, I found the company had avoided explain the correct Job role they wanted me to fulfil and had interviewed me for a completely different role that I felt was beyond my abilities. I felt that this was a disappointment because I worked extremely hard to get to that place and the company betrayed my trust and left me feeling stranded and pressured to take the job, However, I followed my gut instinct and declined the Job. I overcame this disappointment by highlighting the positives of the situation, which was that I had an excellent CV and Portfolio that they believed was good enough for a job role beyond my experience. Do you prefer to work in Small, Medium or Large Companies? Tailor to the company you are interviewing for. Who was your favourite manager and why? A good manager would be a person with the ability to communicate excellently with staff without completely overtaking the situation as this allows for staff to develop their skills and expertise within the Job role as the manager is giving them an opportunity to develop or overcome a situation. Also, a good manager would allow their staff to develop themselves as humans and as an employee through freedom. A good Manager would have the ability to notice and praise staff when they do well, not just when they perform their job role wrong as praise from a manager allows for the manager to help motivate staff. How did you prepare for this work? I prepared for this work by carrying out research on the brand(mention name), researching the brand history gave me clear insight into what the brand is all about, how it works and its overall image. This presented me with the important knowledge needed to work for the company. As part of my preparation for this Job I also researched thoroughly the Job role to ensure my skills and expertise matched those required for the Job role. A team experience you found disappointing? When working for my recent employer, Primark a team experience I found disappointing was when the manager provided a number of employees with clear instructions for when the shop shut to recover and replenish the stock. I found this experience disappointing because only myself and another team member followed instructions and completed the task whilst other team members huddled around to snigger and make comments whilst we completed the Job and the manager allowed for them to stand around. One way I would overcome this negative experience would be by talking to the other team members and encouraging them to take part in the team work.
Do you prefer to work Independently or in a team? I am quite a versatile person and enjoy working both independently and as part of team. Working as part of team allows for communication to be delivered easily it also reduces the work load fairly across the team which reduces the stress and pressure between the team. Also I enjoy working independently as I am quite an independent person and so I enjoy being creative in my own way and producing work credited to me completely. (examples for both).
Do you work well under pressure? I believe I work well under pressure. In high pressured situations I prioritise my tasks in order to ensure they all are completed by the deadline. By prioritising my tasks it allows my self to complete
Interview Practice Questions: Task1 What techniques and tools do you use to keep yourself organised? In order to keep myself organised I hand write or produce an organisational diary on the computer, which allows myself to be organised regarding tasks that need to be carried out. Having an organisational diary allows my self to have excellent time management.
Tell me about a difficult experience you had in the workplace? At my recent place of employment Primark, I was faced with a difficult experience, which was, an aggressive and rude customer of a similar age to myself who found it acceptable to make nasty comments at myself when serving her on the tills. This difficult experience was dealt with my excellent customer service skills which I had developed since working for the company. I responded to the customer politely like any other customer and waited till she left until I left the room to get myself together and shake off the angry feeling received from the customer. From this I learned how to remain calm in all situations and to handle myself in a professional matter.
How do you feel about taking NO for an answer? In regards to the rejection of a Job taking NO for an answer is not an Issue as I believe I can learn from this experience and turn the negatives into positives for future interviews.
When given an important assignment, how do you approach it? When given an important assignment I prioritise all my tasks and make a list of what needs to be completing and within a certain timeframe.
What was the most stressful situation you have faced? In my recent Job as a Sales Advisor at Primark I was faced with a stressful situation, which was a working Saturday during Christmas where 10 members of staff called in sick and so we were left with a limited number of staff. It was stressful because there were hardly any staff, so the working staff were crossed through all departments putting a strain on themselves as they found it stressful to complete their own jobs as well as others, including myself. I overcame this situation by prioritising my tasks.
What do you think you can bring to this position? I am a creative person and so I believe I can bring a unique flare to this position through my ability to trend forecast and predict current trends. . As an organised person I believe I can bring an organisation skill to the position that will help keep my time management in check and ensure all action plans and critical paths are completed before the deadline.
How do you evaluate your ability to handle conflict? I would evaluate my ability to deal with conflict at high standards as In a situation revolving conflict I would place my feelings aside and step back from the situation to mediate with both sides of the argument and deal with the conflict in a mature and responsible way.
What quality of your or personal traits matter the most in your career? I am an Honest and Trustworthy person, which would ensure that I would have no problem when having to use criticism in order to complete a work load at perfect standards. In regards to myself being trustworthy this means I am also reliable and can ensure that all work loads are completed before the deadline. I am also quite a friendly and bubbly person, which means I will have no issues building relationships with suppliers as I am quite approachable and confident also. My determination and ambitious personality also means that I am a driven person who will stop at nothing until the end goal is achieved.
You have not done this sort of Job before. How will you succeed? Although I have no experience in this Job role, I do have an educational background of buying which presented myself with the skills and expertise to be able to fulfil this role completely based upon the requirements. My educational background enables my capability to perform this role correctly and of high standards. Also, I am honest and confident person therefore I will have no problem asking former employees for help when an issues arises in the office.
How do you handle meeting a deadline?
Interview Practice Questions: Task2 Potential buying questions What are your long term career goals? I hope to develop my career within the fashion industry and eventually work as a Buyer in head office for a well known brand with an excellent reputation in the fashion industry. What do you expect from this job role and the company? From this Job Role and Company I hope to develop my skis and expertise further and build myself up through various positions within the fashion industry that will help contribute to my role as a buyer for the company. Tell me about your proudest achievement? My proudest achievement aside from fashion, is the time I took part in the International Tall Ships race, where I earned a certificate in sailing through my Team Building and Communication Skills, as well as persistence and determination which I will be able to transfer through to a career in Buying. Tell us about the last time you had to negotiate with someone? The last time I had to negotiate with someone was What are the top three skills you feel are important to have as a buyer? Excellent Communication Skills Team Building Skills Ability to Trend Forecast
Discuss which skills and techniques you have learnt and how you could transfer these into a future buying position? During my time at College I have developed a number of skills and techniques that I will be able to transfer into a future Buying position. I have produced a self promotional package that includes a number of pieces of work that showcase my visual work as well as written and communicational. I have developed excellent communication and computer skills, on adobe programmes such as, Photoshop, as well as a number of techniques, such as, the ability to forecast trends and develop visual concept boards and develop a range from this.
Go to Sixth Form
2 Years
Skills -
Excellent communication skills Independent Time Management Computer Skills Writing Skills
Actions Needed -
Attend Open days Fill out an application Aim for a retail job within the field part time along your studies
College Course
1 Year
Head Office Position
-Organisational -Ability to meet deadlines -Trend Forecasting -Confidence -Developed on communication skills
-
Build a portfolio Apply for numerous Jobs Attend Interviews -Attend Job Fairs
Go to Sixth Form
2 Years
Skills -
Excellent communication skills Independent Time Management Computer Skills Writing Skills
Actions Needed -Attend Uni open days -Produce a personal statement -Gain work experience within Industry to better your application -Produce a portfolio
University
3 Years
Industry Buying Job
-Interview skills -Preparation skills -Ability to work towards a deadline -Organisational skills -Professionalism
-Attend Interviews -Attend Job fairs -Build on your portfolio -Produce a self promotional package
Go to Sixth Form
2 Years
Skills -
Excellent communication skills Independent Time Management Computer Skills Writing Skills
Actions Needed -Apply for interns -Attend Interviews -Attend Internship events and speak to company's -Build a portfolio and CV
Internship
8 Years
Head of Buying
-Head Office experience -Buying experience -Professional experience -Negotiation skills -Communication -Organisational
-Experience in different departments -Attend meetings and conferences -Keep and organise records -Process payments -Negotiate with sellers
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Financial Spreadsheet
Financial Spreadsheet Analysis
As a buyer for Forever 21 it is important that I critically analyse the financial spreadsheet produced for each range to ensure that all financial planning for the range will enable success. The financial spreadsheet is a spreadsheet containing a number of figures in regards to RRP, Cost Price and Quantity replenishment etc. The RRP and Cost price are used against each other to provide a margin percentage for each product within the range, which is important as they also contribute to working out the total cost for the overall range, through predicting how many garments will sell each week and the total number of replenishment for each product will be needed in order to make sales and increase profits during the 16 week selling period. From this information as a buyer I am able to use this to indicate which garments will be best sellers in store during the 16 week period. From the financial spreadsheet produced for my Womenswear Day Wear Range. It is clear that the best seller appears to be the ‘Pink Cropped Bomber’ as the figures show an average 27 are sold per week, in order to keep these sales continuing as a buyer I must ensure the product is replenished enough throughout the total 16 week on sale period., in order to keep up with customer demand and continue to make sales, which will lead to an increase in profits. The quantity plus replenishment figures are decided through a simple calculation which takes 15% of the overall number of products and divides the total figure out between each product, depending on how well they sell in store. Overall, financial spreadsheets are vital during the production process when building a range as it allows for the buyers and merchandisers to work together to build a range enabled for success through financial figures, which helps any future decisions to be made by the buyer.
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Financial Spreadsheet
Financial Spreadsheet Analysis
As a buyer for Forever 21 it is important that I critically analyse the financial spreadsheet produced for each range to ensure that all financial planning for the range will enable success. The financial spreadsheet is a spreadsheet containing a number of figures in regards to RRP, Cost Price and Quantity replenishment etc. The RRP and Cost price are used against each other to provide a margin percentage for each product within the range, which is important as they also contribute to working out the total cost for the overall range, through predicting how many garments will sell each week and the total number of replenishment for each product will be needed in order to make sales and increase profits during the 16 week selling period. From this information as a buyer I am able to use this to indicate which garments will be best sellers in store during the 16 week period. From the financial spreadsheet produced for my Womenswear Evening Wear Range. It is clear that the best seller appears to be the ‘Denim Jumpsuit’ as the figures show an average 22 are sold per week, in order to keep these sales continuing as a buyer I must ensure the product is replenished enough throughout the total 16 week on sale period, in order to keep up with customer demand and continue to make sales, which will lead to an increase in profits. The quantity plus replenishment figures are decided through a simple calculation which takes 15% of the overall number of products and divides the total figure out between each product, depending on how well they sell in store. Overall, financial spreadsheets are vital during the production process when building a range as it allows for the buyers and merchandisers to work together to build a range enabled for success through financial figures, which helps any future decisions to be made by the buyer.
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SS17
Customer Survey Name: Erin Robertson
Age: 18
What is your current occupation/status?
Sales Assistant
Do you shop often?
I tend to do a big shop about once a month around pay day.
What are your top 3 favourite stores to shop at for clothes?
Boohoo, Primark and H&M.
Do you usually shop at Forever 21?
Sometimes, depending on what type of clothes I am looking to buy and depending on the occasion.
How would you describe you sense of style?
Average, I don’t really have a specific style I just buy what I like.
Would you say you follow trends often?
Not really.
How much do you spend on clothes each month?
Too much, around ÂŁ150 depending on what I am buying clothes for.
Looking at this range can you pick out a I am a huge fan of the denim skirt. piece you would most likely buy and why. What do you think will be the best seller for this range?
Again I believe the denim skirt will be a best seller as it is nice staple piece for the summer.
Customer Survey Name: Abbie Dalton
Age: 19
What is your current occupation/status?
Student and Sales Assistant.
Do you shop often?
Yes! Too often.
What are your top 3 favourite stores to shop at for clothes?
River Island, New Look and H&M.
Do you usually shop at Forever 21?
Sometimes.
How would you describe you sense of style?
Basic and Trend driven, very high street.
Would you say you follow trends often?
Most of the time as I like to keep up to date and on level with everyone.
How much do you spend on clothes each month?
Between ÂŁ100-200 depending on if I have nay special occasions or events to attend then I usually spend more .
Looking at this range can you pick out a piece you would most likely buy and why.
The pink bomber as it is more suited with my wardrobe as well as the floral pumps as I find them really pretty and perfect for summer.
What do you think will be the best seller for this range?
The floral bomber jacket as its not like your usual bomber and is quite trendy and would make a great staple piece for summer as it has a lot of different styling opportunities.
Customer Survey Name: Rachel Moon
Age: 19
What is your current occupation/status?
Steward for OCS at Echo Arena Liverpool.
Do you shop often?
Around 3-4 times a month.
What are your top 3 favourite stores to shop at for clothes?
River Island, New Look and Forever 21.
Do you usually shop at Forever 21?
Yes, I shop there often and have a number of items from the store.
How would you describe you sense of style?
Basic, I mostly pay it safe with jeans and top.
Would you say you follow trends often?
Yes, most of the time.
How much do you spend on clothes each month?
Around ÂŁ70-100.
Looking at this range can you pick out a piece you would most likely buy and why.
The camel coloured bomber jacket and floral top as I love the designs and these pieces are usually the type of pieces I look for when shopping.
What do you think will be the best seller for this range?
The floral bomber jacket as it is very stylish and on trend and would be great for the summer.
Customer Survey Name: Jennifer Standley
Age: 17
What is your current occupation/status?
Retail Assistant.
Do you shop often?
On occasion.
What are your top 3 favourite stores to shop at for clothes?
H&M, New Look and Primark.
Do you usually shop at Forever 21?
Not really.
How would you describe you sense of style?
Basic, Laid Back and Simple.
Would you say you follow trends often?
Sometimes, depending on the trend and if its similar to my style.
How much do you spend on clothes each month?
Around £50, I don’t shop too often.
Looking at this range can you pick out a Personally, I really like the pink bomber piece you would most likely buy and why. jacket as its really nice and on trend and I could wear it with a lot. What do you think will be the best seller for this range?
The cropped turtle neck tops as they are affordable and simple and can be worn a lot of ways with numerous pieces.
Customer Survey Analysis As a buyer it is important that I gather as much field research as possible when working on a project in regards to consumers as I want to provide consumers with a range that meets their needs and is also a success for the brand. For my SS17 range I created a survey that would be delivered to women within the town centre that consisted of a number of questions that would help myself define as a buyer the type of customer that will be interested in my range. Also, by showing potential consumers images of my range I was able to receive positive feedback on the range that would help indicate any best sellers for the range, which will play huge part in my replenishment decisions for the range and provide myself with a clear view on how well my range will sell amongst consumers. From my market research I selected four surveys to analyse. From the surveys it is clear that potential consumers fall into the target customer bracket provided by myself for the range as well as the overall target customer for Forever 21 as a brand, this means my range will be successful amongst my target customer. Alongside, the age bracket of potential consumers questioned all indicated that they were students or currently working part time meaning they are limited to what they are able to spend on clothes each month, however I found good percentage of their wages each month is actually spent shopping for clothes. This allowed for my self to confirm the prices of each garment, making them affordable for my target customer, meaning they are more likely to sell well amongst consumers due to the affordability. For my survey I asked all potential consumers there top 3 favourite high street stores to give myself a clear perspective as a buyer as to who my range would be competing with, this information was rather useful as it allowed myself as a buyer to ensure all my products had the ability to compete with competitors through trends, style and shape etc. helping my range to be a success at Forever 21 amongst consumers. Finally, in regards to the actual range I allowed for potential customers to view the range in order to pick pieces they are likely to purchase and what they believe as a consumer would be the overall best seller. Each response was a mixed review which gave myself an overall general indication of what patterns, colours and styles would sell more than others. Overall, the majority of consumers stated that they would purchase the bomber jacket and also predicted that the bomber jackets would be the best seller as they are key pieces in every wardrobe, allowing for people with different sense of styles to style the jackets in a number of different ways, which expands the customer market for this particular range and garment. On the other hand, from the information collected a number of consumers stated that they believed the more simple pieces, such as the denim skirt, and cropped t-shirt would be the best sellers and something they would purchase as a potential consumer as they nice simple pieces that they feel they could wear all year around with other garments of their choice. Overall, most consumers chose pieces from the day wear range rather than the evening wear range indicating although it will still be a success it will not sell as well as the day wear as it is more practical and casual in comparison to the eveningwear range and is suitable to a wide spread audience. Although I have received positive feedback from consumers about the ranges overall for Forever 21 which indicates that it will be a success in store amongst customers.
Business Plan Business Summary As a buyer for Forever 21 my business plan will be aimed towards supplying Forever 21 with a number of business ideas and marketing strategies that will drive my range at Forever 21 towards being a huge success within store. I am building two womenswear ranges for Forever 21 that will develop on Forever 21’s current contemporary image by offering on trend and key pieces for the Spring/Summer season, where the brand currently have a lack of attention. I have chosen to name my collection ‘Urban Florals’ for the day wear range and ‘Urban City’ for the night wear range as I feel these name projected the theme of each collection rather well. The Daywear range I have created for Forever 21 projects a contemporary vibe whilst keeping to its feminine style through colours and floral prints, which is portrayed exactly through the name in hopes to draw attention to the pieces and encourage consumers to find out more about the range. Whilst the night time range is all about showcasing contemporary and relaxed pieces transformed into wearable evening wear that is suitable to wear for a number of evening events, for those who have a more laid back and relaxed personality when it c comes to fashion, which again I feel is portrayed perfectly through the collection name. Both ranges are designed to target Forever 21’s current target market of women between the ages of 17-24 by featuring the latest trends and key pieces for the season at an affordable price. As the range will be for the summer season, the collection features a number of pieces from Skirts to trousers to jumpsuits and dresses as well as bomber jackets, providing consumers a number of options and choices in regards to their personal preference. My range will be sold internationally in all Forever 21 Flagship stores as well as online at Forever21.com. Business Aims As a buyer I have provided myself with a number of business aims and targets for my range at Forever 21 to reach in order to make my range a success and benefit Forever 21 as a brand. I began by setting myself with a short term range for the business which is to potentially maximise profits for Forever 21 as a brand with my range within the first year of my range being sold in store. It is important that as a buyer I use my range to drive profits upwards for Forever 21 as a brand as they are more likely to keep myself employed as a buyer for the brand and allow myself to expand and develop my ranges. A second business aim I have put in place for myself as a buyer for Forever 21 is a mid term aim that aims to expand my range globally into all Forever 21 stores in addition to the flagship stores, in or to again expand and develop my range and make it a global success. Finally, as a buyer for Forever 21 a long term business aim is open Forever 21 up to a new customer market through the development of Forever 21’s contemporary image by expanding the range in order to attract new and current customers to the range through on trend pieces and affordable prices.
Market Strategies The main purpose of using marketing strategies is to target and attract current and potential customers to inform them about the range launched in store as well as any fashion related news. There are a number of different marketing strategies that can be used to reach out to customers in regards to advertising. Celebrity Endorsement As a buyer for my range I have decided the best form of marketing to advertise my range to current and potential customers through a celebrity endorsement. After thoroughly researching through social media platforms I have chosen to use American Actress Ashly Benson as a celebrity endorsement for my range as I feel she is the most suitable to advertise my range. Ashley Benson is one of the most current and up coming Actress of the moment for the younger generation due to her infamous part as ‘Hanna Marin’ in the ABC TV Hit show ‘Pretty Little Liars’. The platform Ashley has been given from this show has allowed her to become an icon and role model in the eyes of many through her social media pages, such as, Instagram and Twitter for all things relating to Fashion and Beauty. Ashly has a similar age to Forever 21s target customer, making her the perfect endorsement as potential customers will be able to relate with her on a personal level due to being close in age as well as her personal style which will reach out to many through endorsing my range at Forever 21. My range at Forever 21 is a contemporary/urban range which I feel Ashley portrays excellently through her daily wardrobe. Social Media In todays society Social Media plays a huge part in consumer behaviour and spending and so as a buyer for an international brand, social media is the perfect platform to use to reach out to all potential consumers globally. In regards to social media apps such, Instagram has been proven to be the most popular one within the fashion industry as it is a fast and easy way of communicating personally with potential consumers to receive instant feedback on the latest trends and products etc. As a buyer for Forever 21 I will use their Instagram page to post recent images of the latest products in store from my range as well as any important information regarding my range, prices and promotions. Social media is one of the most beneficial forms of advertising for myself as a buyer due to its convenience as social media can be used by both the consumer and brand on the go at any time, meaning consumers do not have to move from their homes in order to receive any information or view the latest products at Forever 21. Instagram also allows for images to be shared globally to friends and family which fortunately for the brand acts as a form of word of mouth advertising, allowing for my range and the brand to gain more recognition amongst current and potential consumers. Instagram is an except platform for my brand to use as it has no advertising costs, allowing my self as a buyer to advertise my range without any charges or limits gaining the range more attention and bringing in the brand a bigger profit through sales of my range. In addition to the brands Instagram, my choice of celebrity endorsement will also be sponsored to post images of the range to her social media in order to advertise the range to potential consumers due to her iconic platform within the world of social media, which will also fulfil her role as celebrity endorsement for the range. Also, on a few occasions Ashley will also be using the Forever 21 Instagram page to communicate with potential consumers through Q&A’s which will attract follows to the Instagram page which will encourage them take a glance at Forever 21 as a brand and the products they sell. As of recently Forever 21 now run a Tumblr blog the posts images, videos and text of the latest products, promotions and inspirations for the brand. Forever 21 launched their Tumblr blog with the iconic Coachella festival in order for the blog to gain a wide audience and recognition. As a buyer for the brand, my chosen celebrity endorsement will be required to become active on the blog posting images of the range and her top picks etc., whilst also choosing a personal Spotify playlist that potential consumers can listen to when visiting the blog, this will hopefully encourage consumers to buy into the range as the blog visit allows them to relate to the celebrity endorsement on a personal level through fashion. Advertising In addition to social media advertising I have also chosen to advertise my range through TV and Magazine advertisements, which keeps in touch with Forever 21s current marketing strategies in regards to advertising. Therefore, these forms of advertising are most likely to be a success amongst current and potential consumers for Forever 21. Due to potential consumers of my range being between the ages of 17-24 they are most likely to see TV and Magazine advertisements as they fall within their interests, which is why I believe these forms of advertisements will be a great success in capturing potential consumers attention. Images of the collection and Images of the chosen celebrity endorsement supporting the collection will be used in magazine articles as well as short clips of the celebrity endorsement looking glamourous in the collection will be used as TV adverts in order to encourage and intrigue the potential consumer to buy into the range at Forever 21. Business Literature In order to promote my range upon the high street to potential consumers I will produce a look book that will be passed out on the door at Forever 21 as well as through the high street in hopes to attract potential customers to drop in the store whilst out in the high street shopping as hopefully they will be intrigued by the content of the look book. In addition to personally handing out the look books the will also be located by each till bank in order for customers to take copies at their leisure whilst shopping in store. Also, for any customer signed up to the Forever 21 newsletter will also receive PDF copies of the look book as well as emails and SMS updates about in store ranges and news.
Advertising In addition to social media advertising I have also chosen to advertise my range through TV and Magazine advertisements, which keeps in touch with Forever 21s current marketing strategies in regards to advertising. Therefore, these forms of advertising are most likely to be a success amongst current and potential consumers for Forever 21. Due to potential consumers of my range being between the ages of 17-24 they are most likely to see TV and Magazine advertisements as they fall within their interests, which is why I believe these forms of advertisements will be a great success in capturing potential consumers attention. Images of the collection and Images of the chosen celebrity endorsement supporting the collection will be used in magazine articles as well as short clips of the celebrity endorsement looking glamourous in the collection will be used as TV adverts in order to encourage and intrigue the potential consumer to buy into the range at Forever 21. Business Literature In order to promote my range upon the high street to potential consumers I will produce a look book that will be passed out on the door at Forever 21 as well as through the high street in hopes to attract potential customers to drop in the store whilst out in the high street shopping as hopefully they will be intrigued by the content of the look book. In addition to personally handing out the look books the will also be located by each till bank in order for customers to take copies at their leisure whilst shopping in store. Also, for any customer signed up to the Forever 21 newsletter will also receive PDF copies of the look book as well as emails and SMS updates about in store ranges and news. In addition to the look book, I will also produce and hand out promotional leaflets offering consumers 20% In store when spending a certain amount in store. The leaflets will include images of my range and celebrity endorsement to attract and persuade consumers into store.
Promotional Leaflet
WSSI
WSSI
WSSI Analysis It is important as a buyer that I analyse all data from the wssi’s produced in regards to my range as this will all future decisions made by myself as a buyer. The first WSSI produced represents the sale figures for the Printed Bomber Jacket. As my range launches in store during the first week I have produced a WSSI predicting a weekly sale of 16 for the printed bomber jacket. According to the WSSI produced it is clear that the Jacket actually fell below the predicted weekly sales for the first week due to the lack of coverage for the jacket during the advertisement period leading up to the launch of the range. After the first week on sale, the figure of sales for the bomber Jacket Increased noticeably due to the chosen celebrity endorsement being spotted wearing the Jacket, which encouraged sales, making the sales easily double the predicted weekly sales for the second week. The sales for the Jacket then remained high for the following 2 weeks, due to social media apps reposting the image of Ashley Benson supporting the Jacket up until week 5 and 6 wear the sales of the Jacket remind low, although they were still higher than the weekly predicted sales, ensuring the profit for the range was continuing to increase. From the WSSI produced it is clear that sales for the Jacket remained low for 2 weeks only before Increasing massively due to the Jacket being featured in an iconic fashion magazine, due to the high following of the magazine, readers were encouraged to purchase the Jacket, allowing for sales to continue to increase and remain above the predicted weekly sales for a number of 3 weeks, until they dropped increasingly leaving the Jacket to sell slightly above predicted sales, until it continued to decrease as the 16 week sale time frame came to an end. This WSSI highlights that this jacket was not one of my best sellers from the range overall. Analysing WSSI number 2, from the sales figures it is clear that the Light Denim Skirt is the best selling product from the range. The figures from the WSSI show the skirt sold almost double the units than predicted for each weekly sale, ensuring all profits for the product continued to increase for the 16 week sale time frame, which overall benefited the overall range profit. During the second week on sale, the weather began to warm up, encouraging consumers to purchase summer garments, which the skirt falls under, making weekly sales to continually increase along with the temperature of the weather. With the warmer weather a denim trend has been created making the sales for denim sky rocket, which again benefits my product which is clear from the figures shown in the WSSI. During week 7,8 and 9, there was a negative decrease in numbers due to a cold spell in the weather, However, after week 9 the sales revisited an increase again due to the increase in warm weather. The sales then continued to remain above the predicted weekly sales average figure for the remainder of the 16 week sales period. Due to the sales being higher than the figures predicted as a buyer it was in my main concerns and responsibilities to intake extra stock during week 5,10 and 11, with these being the strongest week for sales. I then went on to produce a WSSI for a product from my evening wear range, in order to develop a diverse outlook on sales for both my ranges overall. WSSI number 3 highlights the 16 week sales figures for the Maxi Knit Dress. As the range was launched in stores during week 1, the sales figures for the product were low and continued to decrease through weeks 2 and 3, making the dress loose out on profit for the range, this was due to the poorly VM used to display the product ibn store. After week 3, during week 4 the VM for the product was then adjusted and rearranged in store, which lead to an increase in sales, reaching just below the weekly predicted sales for the week. In addition to the VM encouraging sales for the following 2 weeks, during week 6 social media apps were used to advertise the dress to potential consumers on the Forever 21 Instagram Page as well as Ashely Benson’s(Celebrity Endorsement) Instagram page, in hopes for the dress to gain a following and encourage sales for the following weeks. After 3 weeks of high sales, the figures began to decrease due to social media images posted becoming outdated. The WISS highlights that due to the decrease in sales, as a buyer I was left with a high amount of stock 4 weeks before the end of the 16 week sale period, meaning I had to implement an end of season sale, to again encourage sales and get clear of any remaining stock. The sale included a 25% off the original price, which lead to sales fluctuate between increased and decreased figures, leaving a very small remainder of stock left and a slightly smaller profit due to sales figures remaining low throughout the last few weeks on sale, clearly highlighting that the Maxi Knit Dress was not one of the high selling products for the evening wear range. The final WSSI produced represented another piece from my evening wear range. It was important for myself as a buyer to produce a number of WSSI’s for each range in order to compare overall sales figures for each range, which indicates which range will be the best overall seller at Forever 21. As the range is launched in store, the sales figures for the first week for the Denim Jumpsuit have doubled the predicted weekly sale due to the range being freshly new in store which attracted a lot of attention. For the following 5 weeks, the sales figures continued to increase which as a buyer I believe is due to the denim trend being one of the biggest of the summer. In order to keep the sales figures increasing as a buyer I implemented a 2 week sale during week 7 and 8 of 20% of the original price, which proved to be a success according to the WSSI which highlighted yet again another increase in sales for the Denim Jumpsuit. Due to the high sales figures for the Jumpsuit, during week 3,6 and 7 as a buyer I replenished stock in order to keep up with weekly sales. After week 7 and 8 when the product featured a mid season sale, the sales figures following began to decrease and continued to decrease until an end of season sale was implemented for the final 2 on sale weeks, which lead to a noticeably big increase in sales for the Denim Jumpsuit, leaving the range with a profit and myself as a buyer with a low number of remaining stock.
During production, a process that could be at risk of developing a number of issues for the production process is Design. During the beginning of the design process there has been proven to be number of issues, beginning with the actual design. A number of design ideas may be disapproved during the process for many reasons, such as, style and not conforming to the initial idea for the product/range. Also, during the design process, a number of issues may occur in regards to fabric, colour and sizing after being sampled. Fabric and colour issues are easily overcome, whereas the sizing can become a major issue during the design process, especially in regards to womenswear, which is what my current range for Forever 21 is as women's body shapes vary massively, therefore as a buyer I must ensure all sizes produced are based upon standard sizing I order to avoid any issues with sizing and keep on target of the critical path as the design process cannot risk meeting the deadline as this will effect the rest of the critical path.
Design Issue Constraints During production process, sourcing is the idea of sourcing materials and garments etc. From other countries globally. These countries are usually eastern countries, such as , China, Bangladesh, India and the far east. Sourcing can cause a number of issues for buyers during the production process n regards to cultural differences, time differences and language barriers, which all contribute to making communication difficult between buyers and suppliers globally. In order to overcome this issue, buyers must have access to technology, in order to communicate electronically through emails and skype. Also, it is important as a buyer when travelling to these countries to negotiate that you must travel with a professional translator who can communicate with both the buyer and supplier.
Sourcing Another issue that may occur during production process in regards to sourcing is any natural disasters that could possibly damage fabrics and materials or prevent materials/products being shipped over. Sourcing from far east countries puts sourcing at risk through natural disasters that could destroy growing crops, used to produce materials and fabrics, such as, cotton and silk. As a buyer this becomes a massive issue as it will become difficult to find another supplier within short notice that can produce the same as what the previous supplier was offering, which leads to a time constraint on the critical path making it difficult for the production process to meet the required deadlines. Also, natural disasters could occur that could prevent products being shipped on time to meet the deadline, which again causes issues for the buyer through
As a buyer it is important that I consider costs of sample shipping as well as final production shipping during the production process, as a buyer I must ensure both of these costs are fitted within the financial budget for the production. It is important that I include sample shipping in the costs otherwise it may lead to future problems for the production. If I don’t not cover the costs for sample shipping then as a buyer I will not be able to physically check products and ensure production is correct. This prevents production from continuing without all problems acknowledged before hand. As a buyer if I was to ignore sample shipping then this could cause a number of issues that would lead to added time upon the critical path as products would have to be shipped back and forth if they are not fit for purpose.
Shipping
Costs
Fabric
As a buyer it is important that shipping is organised clearly into the critical path In order to reach targets and meet deadlines for production. As a buyer it is important that I ensure I have excellent negotiation skills to be able to negotiate prices with suppliers in order to receive the best price possible that will benefit the financial budget whilst also contributing to the overall profit of the range built in production. Also, as a buyer it is important that I receive the best possible deal that will ensure all products are shipped to store in time to meet the deadline, this means I will have to secure a deal with a reliable supplier. If the supplier is unreliable and does not manage to ship the products to the store before the deadline then this will effect the launch date, leading to an overall negative impact on sales and profits for the range as they will have a smaller sales window.
The cost price of fabric is determined by the materials used and the location of sourcing for the fabric. Sourcing from far east countries has a bigger cost price than sourcing from the UK, which would work out cheaper due to having no shipping costs, However, in regards to my range for Forever 21 as a buyer it is important that I use my financial budget to source from the far east as they can provide myself with the exact fabrics required, whereas in some case if I were to source from the UK I may have to substitute certain fabrics. On top of fabric prices I will also have to consider additional costs for prints and patterns on fabrics, which my range features a lot of, therefore again, it would be cheaper as a buyer for myself to source from the far east. Also, as a buyer I must ensure that all fabrics have excellent quality and meet the fabric quality standards for the brand. As a high street brand Forever 21 offer great quality clothing, therefore as a buyer I must keep up to these standards with all fabric choices, again making the costing price for fabrics a little more expensive, although I would make back the money within a profit due to excellent quality clothing making sales.
Critical Path Process
Lead Times
Date
PLANNING
4 WEEKS
September 2nd 2016
RESEARCH
2-4 WEEKS
September 23rd 2016
DESIGN
3 WEEKS
October 14th 2016
PROTO SAMPLES & COSTINGS
2-4 WEEKS
November 4th 2016
PRE RANGE SELCTION MEETING
3 DAYS TO FLY OUT AND VISIT FACTORIES
November 7th 2016
NEGOTIATION / TRIP TO FACTORIES
2 WEEKS
November 21st 2016
FINAL RANGE SELCTION MEETINGS
ACESSORIE APPROVALS- 4 WEEKS
December 19th 2016
PLACE ORDER
2 DAYS TO FLYING OUT TO PLACE ORDER
December 23rd 2017
GARMENT FITTINGS
4 WEEKS
January 1st 2017
FABRIC ORDER
6 WEEKS
February 12th 2017
TRIM AND COLOUR APPROVALS
2 DAYS GOING TO TRADE SHOWS
February 15th 2017
BUL PRODUCTION PLUS SHIPPING
SHIPPING LEAD TIME- 12 WEEKS
May 5th 2017
WAREHOUSE-STORE ALLOCATION
2 WEEKS TO BREAK ALL THE STOCK DOWN
May 19th 2017
PRODUCT LAUNCHED IN STORE
16 WEEKS
May 26th 2017
This shows that my critical path will run from the September 2nd 2016 and will follow through to the in store launch date which is predicted to be May 26th 2017. This shows that the critical path will run for 46 weeks in total before the launch. The range will then be stored in store for approximately 16 weeks. This shows the break down of each task I will complete throughout the year and the time it will take to do each process.
Key Events Month
Events
Implications to Merchandising
May
Range Launch
Increased Sales
June
Hot weather
Increased Sales
July
Celebrity Endorsement
Increased Sales
August
Bad weather
Decreased Sales
September
End of season sales
Increased Sales
My range will be launched in stores during the month of May across all Forever 21 high street stores Internationally, receiving a huge global coverage and audience, which is why the sales for the launch are predicted to increase during the first week sold in store. For the launch of the range in stores, I have presented a number of marketing strategies that will be put into place for the launch that will encourage and increase sales for the range during the first week on sale. A major marketing strategy in place for the launch is the celebrity endorsed advertisement. As a brand Forever 21 lack in celebrity endorsed collections in store, therefore as a buyer I have chosen this weakness to provide the store with an excellent opportunity that will target customers and maximise profits. During the launch, social media posts, on favoured apps, such as , Instagram and Tumblr will be used to provide media coverage for the range through images and short videos posted showcasing the range to potential consumers. Included in this marketing strategy will be Ashley Benson(Celebrity Endorsement) who will part take in a massive social media event, which includes answering questions in short Instagram clips asked by followers and potential consumers for the brand. The idea of this event is to encourage potential consumers to visit their nearest Forever 21 store to view the range, as celebrity's hold the biggest influence over todays generation. After the first month of sales, it has been predicted that there will be a noticeable change in weather, during the summer season. During June ,the weather had begun to warm up, meaning people were looking to re vamp their summer wardrobe as summer clothes will now be needed, as the range will be launched in stores internationally, this includes both cold and warm climate countries, meaning the range will sell more in warmer countries, although with the problem of global warming continuing to occur, people in naturally cold countries will also be looking to buy summer clothes they do not already own due to the rise in the temperature of weather, which again means an increase in sales for the range, which presents as an implication for merchandisers. Moving on to July, there is an expected increase in sales due to a key event in the sales time period. During July, along with Ashley Benson, a number of influential celebrity's have been spotted wearing a Jacket from the range, which encouraged potential consumers to visit the store and buy into the range, due to celebrity's holding a massive influence over the public In todays generation. As we approach August, the weather began to take a turn for the weather began to take a turn for the worst as it began to leave the summer season behind, meaning sales for my range began to decrease as consumers no longer needed summer goods as they were beginning to brink back there winter wardrobe, especially in naturally cold countries, such as England etc. This is an implication for merchandisers as they will have to deal with the negative effect after having increased sales for the previous weeks since the launch in store. September is the finishing month for sales of my range in store, as the range is expected to be discontinued in store as of September 1 st, therefore as a buyer I have implemented an end of season sale to encourage sales in order to get rid of all remaining stock, which again will lead to an increase in sales for the range overall, maximising profits for both the range and brand.
Pitch Evaluation For the final major project it was required that I present a pitch for my chosen retailer entailing my range and any business and financial strategies used in order to build the range and make sure it is a success within my chosen brand. For the pitch I worked both individually and as part of a team. This was beneficial for myself as a potential buyer as I must have the capability to work with and without others in any situation. In preparation for the pitch I worked along side my classmates as part of a team to practise pitching my presentation to them where they then would assess my work and provide constructive criticism to ensure I could present my work to others to the best of my ability. In order to manage my time reasonably for my pitch and show a clear understanding of my skills and knowledge within the buying I created an action plan that I followed thoroughly which gave myself a clear time frame for each presentation slide to be introduced as well as flash cards to present each presentation slide clearly and fluent, in order to keep the viewers engaged in my presentation and to encourage myself to talk about each slide in great detail to deliver as much information about my business plan, marketing strategies and range as possible. I began the presentation with a visual mood board that included a number of images taken from my market research on Forever 21 as a brand, the mood board was used to visually stimulate the idea of Forever 21 as a brand to views. Using a visual to begin the presentation with allowed for views to be engaged in my presentation straight away, which helps keep their focus throughout in order for myself to pitch my range across successfully. As I had previously presented a pitch to professionals before, I did not feel nervous at all about pitching my range to peers as I had a lot of confidence in my range and believed it was a commercial idea that would work successfully for an international retailer, such as, Forever 21 themselves. Although, I felt confident about my pitch I believe my body language could've been a lot stronger during the pitch as I believe this would've helped to encourage my peers into buying into my range more, it is clear to myself that this is an area of development for myself that must be worked on in order to benefit future presentations. Aside from my body language being very relaxed and appearing unprofessional, I communicated each topic area from my presentation across really well to my peers. Using visuals to visually engage peers in each topic, worked in my favour as it prevented the peers from having a lack of focus for my presentation. Each visual clearly represented the chosen topic area, allowing for less information to be included n each slide. It was important that a number of visuals were included within each topic as it highlighted my creative skills on computer aided programmes, such as, Photoshop as well as again keeping peers engaged in my work. Each topic area covered showed clear knowledge and understanding through out the presentation. I was able to use visuals and key words to stimulate key scenes used to present my presentation in a professional manner, that shows my skills and expertise within the buying industry. In addition to using visuals, Using a steady and clear voice I was able to inform my peers with all details about my range and any marketing strategies I would implement in order to advertise my range successfully, it was important that I was able to exchange information clearly and confidently as it provided my peers with a clear understanding of the motives behind my range. Overall, I believe there are a number of strengths and development areas I have discovered through presenting my pitch. From presenting in front of a number of peers it is clear as previously mentioned that a change in body language is necessary in order to make my presentation a lot better, in regards to my next presentation i will aim to have stronger body language and stand more confidently when speaking and presenting. Also, after presenting my pitch, I was asked a question by my tutor that I was unclear of the answer, therefore as an area for development I must ensure clearly understand each and every topic area and any possible questions before presenting my pitch. Aside from development areas, I also have a number of strengths that were highlighted through my presentation. I believe my marketing ideas were excellent and had the ability to encourage peers to buy into the range. Overall, I am pretty pleased with how the presentation panned out. From my presentation I have gained extra confidence and feel capable of presenting potential ranges to future buyers in regards to industry and industry interviews and meetings. Pitching my range to peers was a really beneficial exercise to prepare myself for industry.
Evaluation
There are a number of mixed components chosen for each of the ranges I have built as buyer, which offer a wide variety of options for consumers. When building my range the initial idea was to create a women's collection for both Day wear and Evening wear that reached out to a consumer market who follow an urban and contemporary style as I felt as a buyer looking in on an outside perspective Forever 21 as a brand had a lack of attention paid towards urban and contemporary ranges as they focused more on portraying a bohemian image, I set out to build an affordable rang of excellent quality that included important key elements of fashion and comfort together. The components within the women's Day wear range consist of a number of Bomber Jackets, which are key trending piece, along with a number of denim pieces and basic T-shirts and crop tops. Whilst the evening wear range features more simplistic and relaxed pieces, fro maxi dress to shift dresses and jumpsuits. The range focuses in on a lot of floral print, taken from the trending prints and graphics for SS17 as well as basic pieces. Including basic pieces in the range was an important elemen as it allows for not only the target market to buy into the range but also allows for current customers at Forever 21 to also purchase pieces. Including basic and neutral pieces within the range as w as loud prints, also allows for consumers to have a wide choice of options, meaning consumers with a more relaxed personality could purchase a bomber jacket that wasn't necessary as loud as the printed souvenir jacket. This allows for my range to please all consumers, regardless of style preference. The Day and Evening wear range create an excellent balance between casual and occasion wear, allowing for those consumers who don't necessarily feel the need to put to much effort into dressing for an occasion to feel glamorous whilst still feeling comfortable and keeping to the minimalistic urban style as the evening wear range is more relaxed in comparison to previous evening wear ranges at Forever 21. The statement pieces within both ranges feature Denim, which is huge mega trend for SS17 followed through from the current SS season. The denim elements to each range are key pieces that can be worn and styled with pieces from each range, allowing for th Day and Evening wear range to be cross referenced amongst each other. I believe that both of my ranges reflect clearly both Forever 21 as a brand as well as the customer target market, which is 1 24 year old women. My ranges will reflect the unique, fresh and modern image portray through their fun spirited brand image. Each range holds a total of 29(day) and 22(evening) garments includ accessories and footwear including colour waves within the range. Beginning with a small number of garments within the range is a reasonable approach to introducing a new brand/range within store as you are unable to predict how well the range will sell at first. Although, the ranges are small they still offer a wide variety of garments from t-shirts and shorts to dresses and jackets. Each range covers a number of different types of garments ,colours and prints offering multiple choice to consumers with preferences. The sizes for each range will vary to cater for a number of differen consumers. The womenswear range will begin at a size 6 and lead up to a size 14. Overall the proportion of components and sizes available to consumers is a reasonable number as it covers a wid range of pieces, which provide consumers with a multiple choice to choose from. Different pieces will be suited to different consumers making for a successful range as it is targeted to a number o different consumers which will encourage and increase sales. Due to Forever 21 already sourcing from overseas countries, such as, China, I have decided to source with suppliers that already have good relationship with the brand as this will keep Forever 21s brand reputation in tact and as I buyer i can trust that the suppliers can provide garments of excellent quality due to previous sourcin The number of each garments ordered will be decided by the figures sold of each garment during each 7 day period for the 16 week selling period. The financial spreadsheet will provide the correc information of which pieces have earned the best seller status amongst customers which will dictate the amount of stock needed for replenishment. After building each range, I created and produced a number of marketing ideas in to campaign and advertise my range to potential consumer. Marketing is a category I feel strongly about a it allow for myself to become creative and act upon a number of ideas that I believe will attract customer for my range in store. I have produced a number of visual ideas that are supported by writing communications, explaining n great detail all marketing strategies.
After completing the Final Major Project, I feel confident within my chosen career path as a Buyer for Fashion Retail as I believe the Final Major Project has provided myself with a clear identificatio as to what specific path I choose to take within the fashion Industry. It has come to light that after completing my Final Major Project that I feel most comfortable creating and building women's w ranges for high street stores as I feel I can allow for my creative flare to take control and experiment with trends and garments. From my Final Major Project I have developed new and current skill regards to the role of a buyer, in addition to continuing to gain more of a knowledge and understanding about the role of a buyer within the fashion industry. The Final Major Project allowed for myself to focus and showcase my strong points as well as produce pieces of work I had never been introduced too. This showcases my strong points as well as any other capabilities of mine. Overa feel the Final Major Project has been a very beneficial project as it has provided myself with all the skills, knowledge and expertise needed to enter the fashion industry as a potential buyer for a representative brand.
Reflective log
11.03.16 Today I carried out the task of trend forecasting. Trend forecasting allowed my self to draw inspiration for my range. The point of trend forecasting was to target the most popular trends for the season and present them in a form of concept board that I could draw inspiration from in order to kick start the ideas and concepts behind my range. From trend forecasting I have developed the ability to predict trends through noticing patterns throughout each season, each year. 18.03.16 Today I began to form a concept board that would showcase the initial inspiration and influences behind my chosen range. I began with creating a concept board on pyjama dressing as I wanted this trend to be he main source of focus for my womenswear range. From this mood board I was able to see clearly the shapes and style I would have to feature in my range to reflect this current trend. I then went on to create another concept board based on a popular colour trend for the season, The concept board was based around sunset hue colours, featuring blood orange, mustard yellow and bold red. From this mood board I was able to see clearly the colour direction I wanted to project for my range. After placing these two concept boards together I then went on to begin building a range. After a failed attempt at building the range using these colours I began to second guess my choice as the colours were clashing with the type of garments I was using and failed to project the elegance I wanted to shine through my range. Therefore, I reconsidered my colour palette and decided to continue the range using a more neutral colour palette as I felt this projected my Idea of building an elegant and comfortable range for womenswear clearly. After completing this task, I am very pleased with the outcome of my range as I feel it could be a huge success with Matalan. 22.04.16 After presenting the Matalan pitch at the Matalan head office I then had a 2 week break from college. As of today I have been back at college for a week now and have began my final major project. For my final major project I have chosen to build a contemporary street wear range for Forever 21 as after research I decided that Forever 21 do not pay enough attention to this particular style as it appears they focus their attention more towards the bohemian image of the brand especially during festival season. This week I have completed a decent amount of work including, brand research, a comp and directional shop as well as trend forecasting. Overall, I am pretty please with the amount of work completed in accordance to my action plan as I appear to be on target in order to meet my deadline. 29.04.16 Today I worked on building my range for womenswear SS17 for Forever 21. Beginning my range I found it rather difficult to comprehend the style of garments I would use as I have never built a range of an urban and contemporary background, so this range was a bit of challenge for myself. After trying a number of different CADS, styles and colours etc. I final began to feel comfortable and created a range. I created both a day time and evening wear range, which I believe reflects my concept board clearly and overall I am quite proud of myself and the end product. 6.05.16 Today I began the day with a more creative task to begin with as I recently had been focusing more on my written tasks. Today I created and produced a look book for my range for Forever 21 as part of my marketing strategies in order to advertise my range. Marketing strategies is something that highly interests me as I enjoy the creativity in marketing. I used Photoshop to create a number of images that showcased both my range and celebrity endorsment of successfully. After completing my look book I then went on to produce my financial spreadsheets, which I of course found rather draining, although after a number of attempts I managed to complete them. Finally, I then produced a customer survey that I will present to women on the high street in order to receive feedback about the brand