Process of Apparel Merchandising

Merchandising processes differ for individual firms according to business strategies, product types, and technology employed. The primary components of the merchandising process include the following:

What is a product line?

A product line is a group of related merchandise designed for a specific target market. The term product line may be used to refer to the total merchandise mix presented for sale by a firm, such as shoes, gloves, or men’s shirts. This general product line often has several divisions, and each of these is also referred to as a product line, but a more specific product line.

Line planning

Line planning is the formulation of the parameters that guideline development and presentation and influence the sourcing and production process. Line planning requires analysis of past-season performance, evaluation of fashion direction, and assortment of new materials. Line planning has subcategories including evaluating merchandise mix, forecasting merchandise offerings, and planning merchandise budgets, planning merchandise assortments, and analyzing and updating the merchandise plan. The line plan defines and limits the line.

Line development

Line development includes all processes required to translate a line plan into real merchandise. Line development has subcategories of line concept, creative design, line adoption, and technical design. Line development includes determining the actual merchandise that will fit out the line plan through the combination of selecting finished goods at wholesale or product development. Line development identifies merchandise that implements the line.

Line concept

A line concept includes the look and appeal that contribute to the identity and salability of a line. Line concept includes synthesis of current issues/trends and line direction. The first phase of line development is the formulation of the line concept. Once the line concept is established, two primary methods are used to complete line development: finished goods buying/sourcing and product development. Line adoption processes are a part of both finished goods buying/sourcing and product development.

Finished goods selection

Finished goods selection is an option of line development where manufacturers or retailers source goods in the apparel wholesale market.

Product development

Product development is the design and engineering required for products to be serviceable, producible, salable, and profitable. Apparel product development, as an option in line development, requires two primary phases:

Creative design

Design, which focuses on analysis, creativity, and the formation of merchandisable groups, is called creative design. It is primarily a pre-adoption product development process where line concepts and direction are converted into fabric and apparel design through it.

Line adoption

Line adoption processes involve the integration of line planning, line development, and line presentation, is occurs between creative and technical design. Line adoption decisions determine which design will become styles in the line and how the styles relate to the line plan. Designs become styles when it is accepted into the line.

Technical design

The design which involves perfecting the style and fit, engineering production patterns, testing materials, and assembly methods, developing style and quality specifications, developing detailed costs, and grading patterns. During the technical design phase of the product development, styles are prepared for production.

Primarily post-adoption product development processes are required to perfect a design into style and make the style producible at the quality level desired by the target customer. It involves perfecting the style, fit, and patterns and developing detailed specifications and costs.

It involves perfecting the style and fit, engineering production patterns, testing materials, and assembly methods, developing style and quality specifications, developing detailed costs, and grading patterns. During the technical design phase of the product development, styles are prepared for production.

Line presentation

Line presentation involves processes required to evaluate the line and make the line visible and salable. Line presentation results in the evaluation and sale of the product offering. Line presentation has three components: Internal, Wholesale, and Retail

Line preview

Date when a season’s line is presented to the sales staff by merchandising and marketing.

Line release

Date when a new line is showing to retail buyers.

If the apparel firm that is doing product development has its own retail stores, line preview, and line release may be unnecessary. Instead, merchandisers may get involved in planning the visual presentation of merchandise groups for the retail level.