Merchandise and range planning

Improving merchandise and range or assortment planning (MAP) for non-food retailers through better business processes, skills and technology.

Consulting Services

Martec will work with your team to:

• Develop the optimum merchandise and assortment planning process for your company, based on relevant best practice including top down and bottom up planning, store clustering or grading, range reviews or style outs, size and pack optimization, multi-channel planning.
• Ensure effective in-season monitoring and performance management including WSSI (OTB), range optimization and sell through management.

IT Strategy and System Selection

If you are contemplating a new planning system Martec will:

• Ensure your team makes effective use of an existing planning system
• Guide and assist the selection and implementation of a new system including evaluating vendors
• Provide interim Excel based solutions when the selection project is likely to be delayed or lengthy.

Training

Martec has four main training options which can be tailored or blended to suit your requirements:

• Instructor-led two day class on merchandise and assortment planning
• Class book manual on merchandise and assortment planning
• E-learning course on buying and merchandising which covers the basics of merchandise and assortment planning
• Merchandise optimization instructor-led class.

Martec Products and Reports to Help You

• Worldwide Retail Software Directory, contains a section on merchandise planning with all the software sold in the English speaking world including apprximately 55 supplier and product profiles to help you develop a long list of companies to contact.
• ROI evaluation model for merchandise planning implementation
• Model Requirements Definition and ITT (RFP) for merchandise planning

Example Projects

• Netherlands based intimate apparel retailer which had already selected their long list of suppliers. Martec defined the selection process, created potential supplier briefings, facilitated the supplier presentation and demonstration days, provided insight on things they needed to know about each supplier (such as financial status, gaps in product road maps, potential unique project issues), developed supplier scorecard and worked through the scoring process, used our ROI model to evaluate potential benefits and gave input on risk minimization.  We also trained the team in next generation best practice through a blended approach of e-learning and weekly coaching sessions.
• US based clothing retailer is implementing all the modules of Oracle Retail including Oracle RPAS – their planning solution.  Martec is developing instructor led training in how to use RPAS (and all the other modules) to train all those working for the company at go live time.  We are also developing e-learning training for the same syllabus to train new recruits that join after go live when there aren’t enough new team members to justify an instructor-led class.