How to Develop a Profitable Merchandise Mix

By Gina Valentino

Answers to five FAQs.

Maintaining a sound balance between assortment, price points and gross margin is a difficult task for any cataloger to master.

Add to the job the "clanging" of other variables — such as the mix between new and repeat products, imports vs. domestically sourced items, branded vs. private-label merchandise, and durables vs. disposables — and you see how harmony quickly can turn to cacophony.