Thinking about your retailer that you’ve been following this semester:
Go to your chosen retailer’s website or visit one of their locations and audit the breadth (variety) and depth (assortment) for one specific merchandise classification and category
Examples:
- Girls Size 4-6 as the classification and sportswear as the category at a department store (
- Produce as the classification and apples as the category at a supermarket
- Dinners as the classification and chicken dishes as the category at a restaurant
Questions to answer when looking at that one specific merchandise classification and category for your chosen retailer:
- Discuss the breadth and depth of the assortment in that merchandise classification and category.
- Estimate the number of SKUs available in the merchandise category
- Now play retail consultant… should the assortment in this merchandise classification and category be larger, smaller or stay the same? Support your answer with terms from the course!
- Compare the amount of PRIVATE LABEL BRAND merchandise to NATIONAL BRAND merchandise in this assortment. Why do you think your retailer has this ratio of private to national brands?
- This one might take a little research, but – in your own words – describe one way that your retailer is dealing with legal, ethical or socially responsible behavior in regards to merchandise buying
