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Unit 2: Buying for Traditional Retail Organizations

 Selecting the merchandise and reordering: When the buyer visits the market, especially Notes
in preparation for the next major purchasing period, the assistant usually goes
along. In this way, the buyer can get another opinion about potential selections and
familiarize the assistant with the various products. Major purchases are the
responsibility of the buyer, but some purchases, particularly from lines that have
been bought over and over again, might be delegated to the assistant.

 Reorders of fast-selling items are also generally placed by the assistant buyer. The
buyer makes the decision, but the assistant places the orders.
 Following up orders: After the orders have been placed, often delivery isn’t forthcoming
as rapidly as promised. In these situations, the assistant buyer either calls on the
vendors at the places of purchase, telephones, faxes, or e-mails to determine if there
are any delivery problems. In cases of special orders, where customers are waiting
for merchandise they have ordered from the store, the follow-up is extremely
important.
 Working with sales associates: Whether the assistant buyer is in the flagship store, as is
often the case with department stores, or in a company’s buying facility that might
be separate and apart from the store, there must be communication with the sales
associates. Through either in-person communication or some means of
telecommunication, there must be regular contact. In this way, the needs of the
shoppers, as ascertained by the sellers, may be assessed. This is extremely important
to determine what merchandise is being requested but not being stocked and any
other information that can help future purchasing plans. Although, the computer
gives a great deal of vital merchandise information to the buyer and the assistants,
it isn’t able to communicate the customers’ requests that aren’t being addressed.
This responsibility is often shared by the buyers with their assistants.
 Interacting with shoppers: By being on the selling floor during certain selling periods,
the assistant buyer can learn firsthand the wishes of the shoppers who are in the
store. Although, this information is sometimes forthcoming from the sales associates,
firsthand interaction with customers is best. With all of the tasks needed to be
performed by the assistants and the time spent performing other chores, this may be
a limited role. Whenever possible, visits to branches are also beneficial so that
department managers and sales associates can express their opinions about the
merchandise assortments.
 Performing other duties: Other daily tasks may include helping the buyer determine
which items might be considered for advertising, promotions, and visual
merchandising presentations; preparing merchandise returns to vendors; reviewing
computer printouts for assessment of all the items in the inventory; placing
merchandise in key positions to guarantee customer attention; and prescreening
lines of merchandise to determine if the buyer needs to see them. Assistant buyers
who diligently perform these duties are on their way to becoming buyers.
 Other Merchandising-related Positions: In many of the very large department stores, the
merchandising division maintains one or more departments that are technically known
as staff functions. Unlike the merchandising team that has the direct responsibility for
making the merchandising decisions, the people in the staff positions are there to advise
and support the merchandisers. Their roles are quite significant in many retail operations,
particularly those with a fashion orientation. Of major importance is the fashion director.
He or she covers the wholesale markets long before the buyer gets there. By providing
this service well in advance of the buyer’s need to prepare a model stock (the assortment
of merchandise that satisfies the needs of the customer), all of the information concerning

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