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Pavitar Parkash Singh, Lovely Professional University Unit 5: Buying for Off-site Retail Operations

Unit 5: Buying for Off-site Retail Operations Notes

CONTENTS
Objectives
Introduction

5.1 Catalog Retailing
5.1.1 Department Stores
5.1.2 Specialty-Chain Organizations

5.1.3 Catalog Operations
5.2 Home Shopping Networks
5.3 E-Tailing
5.4 Off-site Buyer Duties and Responsibilities
5.4.1 Catalogs

5.4.2 Home Buying Networks
5.4.3 E-Tailing
5.5 Summary

5.6 Keywords
5.7 Review Questions
5.8 Further Readings

Objectives

After studying this unit, you will be able to:

 Discuss the Concept of Catalog Retailing
 Explain the Home Shopping Networks
 Describe the Concept of E-Tailing

 Explain the Duties and Responsibilities of an Off-site Buyer
Introduction

There is a great deal of evidence that the traditional approach to retailing —namely, stores, or
brick-and-mortar retailing establishments as they are referred to by industry professionals,
where customers make their purchases is being challenged. At the beginning of the twenty-first
century, retailers of every size and format were either significantly involved in selling by other
means, such as catalogs or through e-tailing on Internet Web sites, or formulating plans to
become involved. Although the catalog business is not new, it has never had the impact on retail
sales that it does today. In the past, most stores sent catalogs to their customers during peak
selling periods such as Christmas or Mother’s Day, and perhaps to announce a sale. Today, the
picture has changed radically. Consumer mailboxes are being inundated with as many as four
or five catalogs a day from the very same stores the consumers would normally visit and from
companies who sell merchandise by this means without any stores. At the same time, other

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