Development of an Assortment Planning Model for Fashion Sensitive Products

The purpose of this research is to develop an established assortment-planning model identifying procedures and activities for women's wear retail buyers. This research built three assortment-planning models: (a) a conceptual moddel based on a secondary data analysis, (b) a practical-use model based on interviews using questionnaire and a set of activity cards, (c) the suggested model based on the conncetion analysis of the previous two models.

Integrated DEFinition (IDEF) Functional modeling method was used to describe procedures and variables of functional activities of assortment planning and to increase the consistency of a model developing process. The variables of functional activities were determined as input, mechanism, constraint, connection, and output based on IDEF0 diagram format. Other research and pilot interviews confirmed the reliability of methodology. Experts and interviewees validated the three models.

The abstract level of the suggested assortment-planning model included following concepts: (a) problem recognition, (b) information search, (c) qualitative evaluation, (d) quantitative evaluation, (e) product selection plan, and (f) plan sales.