How to Plan Your Merchandise Buys

Although we frequently talk about the catalog industry being “item-driven,” to plan effectively, step back and look at your business from a broader categorical point of view.

Start by defining the 10 to 12 product categories that govern the merchandising focus to your customers. If you have significantly more categories, your merchandise direction may be too broad, and you may not have adequately defined your expertise or niche to your customers.