MISFIT
The Buying season T
he Buying season is upon us again. In my view, the most important part of retailing is the buying. If you don’t take great care and thought into your buying your business will fail, whatever else you may do. It doesn’t matter how fantastic
your customer service is, or how much you have spent on the shop fit, if you don’t have the right product you won’t take money.
If we look at the process from the manufacturers’ side - they start looking at the collection as soon as the previous seasons’ collection is sent out to the agents to sell. They spend a massive amount of money and time researching the market place and making sure they are offering the right product at the right price for their customer base. They then invest in a huge number of samples so the retailer can see most styles in the various colours. Next on their agenda is to exhibit at the trade fairs. This is a very expensive operation as, not only is there the stand cost, there is all the set up costs and then the cost of having the whole sales force there to, hopefully, take the retailer through the new collection.
So, the stage is set and the manufacturer has done
everything he can do to promote his new collection. In the meantime the agents are calling their customers to try and get an appointment either at the show or in a local stockroom that they are holding, or the agent will visit your shop all with no obligation to buy.
What is the reply from so many retailers : “I’m sorry Mr Smith is not in today. We’re not looking at any new brands. We won’t be at the show we’re on holiday. I can’t leave the shop at this time of year, I haven’t got any budget”, etc., etc.”
two brands each season and introduce two new brands, this way the consumer sees your business is moving forward and maybe you’ll discover there is life after all in those brands that have been around for 20 years.
Also, as a retailer, give the agent a chance. We have some great
young blood coming into the trade. These young people are desperate to succeed and maybe you could give them a bit of advice to help them improve their skills. You wouldn’t believe how lonely it is on the road trying to sell and unless we help them the trade will die.
I am sure there will be lots of readers who will say “well, that’s
not me” and, thank goodness, you are correct. There are some retailers who do visit trade fairs and work extremely hard and other
So, the stage is set and the manufacturer has done everything he can do to promote his new collection. In the meantime the agents are calling their customers to try and get an appointment either at the show or in a local stockroom that they are holding, or the agent will visit your shop all with no obligation to buy.
The whole process of retailing is building up a relationship between
retailer/agent/manufacturer. Having been in the Shoe trade for over 35 years, this is what used to happen years ago: The retailer would get to know the agent, who in turn would visit the retailer’s shop regularly so would understand the type of product they could sell - and the manufacturer would then feel comfortable about the retailer. Nowadays, you’re lucky if an agent visits once a year, so how does he know what to sell you if he hasn’t seen your business?
As a retailer you should visit at least one trade show each
season, not only to network with other retailers, but also take time to look at new brands. I believe a good retailer should drop at least
8 • FOOTWEAR TODAY • MARCH 2013
Misfit is written by a UK exclusively for F
ootwear T
-based independent footwear retailer oday Magazine.
retailers who are always looking for something different. It is a retailer’s duty to research the best product for their customer, just the same as it is for the manufacturer to produce the best collection for the retailer
As Benjamin Franklin once said… “Fail to prepare, prepare to fail.” Let’s hope we can start to rebuild the Agent/ Retailer relationship and making shoe retailing a bit easier for all parties. Have a good season.
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