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Unit 1: The Buyer's Role

 In-house Video: One of the more important parts of a buyer’s job is to make certain that Notes
when new merchandise arrives at the store, the department managers and sales associates
are aware of the item’s selling points. Such factors as fabrication advantages and price
competitiveness often help to make the sale. While this type of communication is helpful
at any time during a season, it is at the beginning of a new season that it is extremely
important. At Dayton-Hudson, the buyers present the highlights of the new merchandise
that is headed for the selling floor on closed circuit TV. The buyer shows each item and
discusses its selling features. It might be the new colors for the season, a fabric that will
launder easily without the necessity of ironing, or a silhouette that has the potential to
become a winner.
Some stores are taking this method of communication even further by offering an interactive
approach. Not only may the buyer make his or her presentation, but questions and responses
may be exchanged between the buyer and the department managers.

Some major retailers have used special information days during which the buyers, store
managers, department managers, and sales associates meet to provide an orientation
about new merchandise. Such presentations may take place at in-house facilities or outside
venues. While this has been successful, it does take a great deal of planning and often a
good deal of expense, especially if the presentation arena is away from the store’s premises.
In its place, the in-house video has proven effective as well as cost efficient.

Task Discuss the use of Fax and Email in exchanging information.

Department Management

In the early 1900s, major retailers subscribed to an organizational structure known as the Mazur
Plan. It was a four-division approach to managing a retail operation that had merchandising as
one of its divisions. In this plan, the buyer was responsible not only for purchasing, but also for
the management of the selling floor and the sales associates. While this worked satisfactorily
when there was perhaps a main or flagship store and one or two branches, it didn’t work as well
when the stores started to expand. Buyers were just too busy with other chores to take care of the
daily requirements of department management. In the vast majority of retail organizations,
department management is no longer the responsibility of the buyer. In small operations,
however, where the buyer is housed within the store, this type of arrangement still exists.
Reassigning some of these duties and responsibilities to other individuals frees the buyer to
spend more time on merchandising matters.

Setting a Schedule

When one examines the many different tasks performed each and every day by the buyer, it is
obvious that only careful planning will enable him or her to perform in a productive manner.
With responsibilities such as merchandise acquisition, pricing considerations, extensive travel
to wholesale markets, meetings with market specialists, and so forth, a working schedule must
be established to do the job.
It should be noted that even the best-planned schedule doesn’t address some unforeseen situations.
Thus the schedule, while carefully executed, must allow for these unusual occurrences.

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