CRS 231 problems in apparel retail

There are various problems in apparel retailing, some of which include the dropping of sales, size standards to fit a wide variety of customers, and selecting a line of clothes that will be successful in a competitive market.

The market is poor right now, with the dropping of sales contributing to an over shipment of stock in stores that people are not buying. People do not have the money to afford big shopping sprees. Businesses are trying to over come this issue by promoting sales of "50 percent off", "buy one get one free" or "buy one get one half off." These sales encourage customers to buy more merchandise, and spread the word about the company's good sale to get more customers and business.

Size standards is a problem in the apparel retail industry because its the merchandisers job to fit all of the different sizes of the various customers who shop at a particular store. Size ranges have to fit those who have petite and short body types, those who are tall and slim, and others who are more heavy set. A business will lose a lot of customers if they do not have clothes which will fit all sizes. Because buying a lot of fabric to fit different sizes can become expensive, there are specialty stores that cater to the various sizes. Some of these stores sell clothes for pregnant women, clothes for children, clothes for plus sizes, and even clothes for disabled people. Size standards is sill a problem, but the method of mass production has helped to solve this problem by creating department stores that sell a variety of sizes. Even though mass production is found in sweat shops where they pay their workers a minimum amount of money, it is what keeps businesses running by creating a mass supply of a variety of clothes in different sizes.

Selecting a line of clothes that will be successful in a competitive market is a major part of what keeps a business running among other stores. Picking the right color, the right style, and the right sizes to sell can either make or break a company. If a company orders a large shipment of clothes in a brand new color, consumers might not be used to this new color and at first probably will not buy any of the merchandise. Therefore, to get business, the company may have to discount the clothes to get people buying them. However, if these clothes are popular then the business will be very successful and the color could be used as a line by line favorite because the merchandisers know that it is a favorite among consumers and that it will sell. The right size in the right style is a big factor because consumers all have very different body types and some colors will either make one seem bigger or smaller, and the certain style can either be too exposed or too conservative depending on the certain look that a consumer wants. Sizes and styles are hard to work with because if someone likes a certain style, they will not buy it unless it is in their size.