1st Edition
Fashion Buying and Merchandising The Fashion Buyer in a Digital Society
Fashion buying and merchandising has changed dramatically over the last 20 years. Aspects such as the advent of new technologies and the changing nature of the industry into one that is faster paced than ever before, as well as the shift towards more ethical and sustainable practices have resulted in a dramatic change of the roles. As a result, contemporary fast fashion retailers do not follow the traditional buying cycle processes step by step, critical paths are wildly different, and there has been a huge increase in ‘in-season buying’ as a response to heightened consumer demand.
This textbook is a comprehensive guide to 21st-century fashion buying and merchandising, considering fast fashion, sustainability, ethical issues, omnichannel retailing, and computer-aided design. It presents an up-to-date buying cycle that reflects key aspects of fashion buying and merchandising, as well as in-depth explanations of fashion product development, trend translation, and sourcing. It applies theoretical and strategic business models to buying and merchandising that have traditionally been used in marketing and management.
This book is ideal for all fashion buying and merchandising students, specifically second- and final-year undergraduate as well as MA/MSc fashion students. It will also be useful to academics and practitioners who wish to gain a greater understanding of the industry today.
1 The evolution of fashion buying and merchandising; 2 Fashion buying and merchandising roles and responsibilities in the 21st century; 3 The influence of technology on fashion buying and merchandising; 4 The buying cycle and critical path; 5 Range review; 6 Research and planning; 7 Range development; 8 Sourcing and negotiation; 9 Range finalisation; 10 Manufacturing; 11 Allocation and distribution; 12 Retail sales; 13 The impact of sustainability on fashion buying and merchandising; 14 The future of fashion buying and merchandising
Biography
Rosy Boardman is a Lecturer in Fashion Business at the University of Manchester, teaching on both the Fashion Buying & Merchandising and Fashion Marketing programmes. Her research focuses on digital strategy and innovation in the retail industry. Rosy worked as both a fashion buyer and marketing assistant prior to her career as a lecturer.
Rachel Parker-Strak is Academic Lead and a Lecturer in Fashion Buying & Merchandising at the University of Manchester. Her teaching and research focus on fashion product development and buying and merchandising. Prior to joining academia, Rachel’s industry career was in product development positions for a UK-based womenswear brand.
Claudia E. Henninger is a Lecturer in Fashion Marketing & Management at the University of Manchester with a research interest in sustainable fashion and the circular economy. Her research is published in internationally renowned journals.
"Fashion Buying and Merchandising is a timely, comprehensive and structured guide to the complexities, challenges and changes happening to the role of the buyer and merchandiser from a current and future perspective. Suitable for students, teachers and industry professionals passionate about fashion product management, it covers in-depth the multiple issues and opportunities within the discipline, enabling the reader to develop a critical understanding of today’s dynamic fashion industry. This book will prove to be a very valuable addition to teaching and learning on fashion business courses." — Bethan Alexander, Senior Teaching Fellow and Course Director, MA Fashion Retail Management, London College of Fashion, University of the Arts, London, UK
"This new textbook offers valuable insights into contemporary fashion buying and the impact of digital developments on this central retail role. Academics, buying professionals and students will find the content useful and relevant for studies and careers in this field." — Dr Helen Goworek, Associate Professor in Marketing, Durham University, UK
"Fashion Buying and Merchandising: The Fashion Buyer in a Digital Society is the only comprehensive textbook focused on both fashion buying and merchandising, reflecting a contemporary perspective particularly with the emphasis on how aspects of digital are embedded in fashion business processes. The text is relevant for students of fashion business as well as industry practitioners. The unique aspect of this text is that it is underpinned by contemporary and leading research in the field, making it a truly authoritative title." — Professor Liz Barnes, Head of School, Manchester Fashion Institute, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
