A Study of Assortment Planning Among Bridal Retail Buyers

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine and adjust as needed the Kang (1999) assortment planning model to fit the planning process of bridal retail buyers. Five buyers who are owners or managers of small, independent bridal retail businesses were selected purposively and participated in in-person interviews about their assortment planning practices. A model was developed for each company interviewed, depicting the order of the assortment planning steps as practiced by bridal retail buyers. The final models were confirmed with follow-up interviews.

Findings from this study suggest that the assortment planning steps used by bridal retailers are similar to the steps used by women's dress buyers, as found in Kang's (1999) study. Bridal buyers use the six steps proposed by Kang to be included in the assortment planning process, however the bridal buyers' assortment plan is more intuitive, integrated, and loosely constructed than that of women's dress buyers. Three following variables were considered for their affect on the bridal retail buyer's process: (a) product-specific factors, (b) company-specific factors, and (c) buyer characteristics. Within the factors, the characteristics of product type and organization size were thought to have the most effect on the process.