As Fashion Merchandiser

How to Draw Strategy from a Comparison Shopping repute Milliards Mini-Case As an FM student you stand already done very much of makeping reports. This exercise is intended to show you how to use this information as an analytical tool. Comparative shopping Is done In the Industry constantly. hardly the point of the task Is to Identify strengths and weaknesses of your stores merchandise mix In equality to the competitors. are you offering the customer something unique in one segment of your line of descent, solely not in others? Are you Just a measly second in comparison too throng competitor?Are you under- or everywhere-developed in certain classifications? Are your legal injurys in line with the abide of your store? In relation to your competition? Are there business opportunities that no one has addressed yet (market voids)? In this exercise, you are the purchaser for Milliards Department Stores Mens Sport Shirt Department. Your boss has asked you to do a comparison s hopping analysis in order to determine ways to adjust your assortments to improve sales and profits. Milliards Is a mostly moderate department store with some business done at better price points as well.Womens, Mens, and Kids are all carried, along with all the usual plate Store categories. Within Womens, both Misses and Womens (Plus size) are carried. The store is predominantly branded, but there is some private enounce merchandise carried within the departments. For 201 3 Private label has not been as profitable as mark merchandise and the buyer of Mens sport shirts is seeing a tailor toward labels Note This Is a self-contained case study. Mallards Is a fictitious store. Therefore, you must(prenominal) Limit yourself to Information In this write-up only. Work on the skill of written material with specificity.Dont answer competitor-by- competitor give one assessment that takes all competitors into consideration) b. wherefore are these segments at a competitive advantage? C . Which components are not at a competitive advantage? D. Why not? trio Step After finishing your study, you read in the paper that doubting doubting doubting doubting Thomas & Blake is going out of business Even though they continued to have decent revenues, their debt load finally did them in. They could no longer afford to play along the stores open. 3. A. Does this change provide an environmental opportunity for you? . Does the issue of branded vs.. Private label enter into this consideration? Why or why not? C. How aptitude you adjust the assortments in your department to pounce on the misfortunes at Thomas & Blake? Be very specific. A. Yes, When Thomas & Blake goes out of business, that gives you an opportunity to take over Thomas & Flakes market share with the right merchandising strategy. B. Maybe , because Thomas & Blake is a typical department store that doesnt have over Thomas & Flakes customer. They might want to consider private label. C.Compare to Thomas & Flakes sh opping analysis. Milliards of necessity make the price range of the better regular classification a bit higher from $80 to $120. Also, the price range of the better stupendous/Tall classification need to be adjusted higher from $50 to $90 in order to meet the need of the customers who used to shop at Thomas & Blake. D. Fourth Step Of course, nothing stands still in the world of retailing. Just as you start to celebrate the loss of a key competitor, another news item hits the local paper Wall-Mart is climax to town Ouch