Subject: MerchandisingSession: 13Content: Range Development process, general Range development and specific range development

Jagriti Mishra, NIFT, Gandhinagar

Product/Range development• Product/Range development is the process of market

and trend research, merchandising design, and development of the final product.

• Merchandisers or product managers, designers, and their assistants are all involved in the development of a line or collection of the fashion manufacturers’ product.

• Product/Range development is the process of market and trend research, merchandising design, and development of the final product.

• Line development is the creation of a line, also referred to as a collection( a group of garment styles that is presented by apparel companies to their customers for sale and delivery during a specific time period.

DEFINITIONS• Product range: The total product range that you are developing for

a particular market e.g. Export Product Range.• Style: A distinctive common aspect that appears in all products,

determined by the raw materials, the production techniques or inspiration behind the products e.g. Contemporary, Traditional, Classic.

• Theme/Story/Concept: A subject of trend where ideas are drawn and collated from common inspiration to create a unified ‘look’.

• Storyboard/Concept board: A visual representation of the theme/story/ concept.

• Product group: Groups of products that have the same overall function or are produced from the same material type.

• Collection: Families, groups or sets of products that have common elements of design linking them to each other e.g. decoration, shape, finish.

Product/Range development

It basically depends on the :• Season selected • Buyer(his own ranges) • Buyer strategy

The line development must achieve the following:• Understanding: acquire and maintain a thorough

sense of market and target consumer by line development team.

• Conceptualization: be able to quickly and effectively visualize new styling ideas and communicate the concepts.

• Creation: the ability to develop finished garment styles that meet the expectations set forth in conceptualization stage through an efficient design process.

Research

• Understanding of target markets• Predict market apparel requirements• Responsibility of translating marketing strategies

into salable products.

• Market research: Merchandisers can determine the characteristics of a market through segmentation studies or by collecting data directly from a company’s target market.

• Fashion trend research: Merchandisers must keep themselves updated on fashion marketplace which can be achieved through reading trade publications, international fashion magazines, using predictive services, etc.

• Color research: By forecasting agencies like Color Council, Promostyl, International Color Authority, etc.

• Fabric and trim research: Valuable forecasting on by fiber organizations like DuPont, Wool mark, Cotton Incorporated

Line plan• Sets parameters for company’s product line• Chart organized by product categories which shows

the number of styles, fabrics, colors, sizes that are expected to be included in a line

• The line must take into account the following:– The brand’s positioning– Projected sales– Economic conditions– Balance by price ranges– Balance to accommodate climate– Balance for fashion content

Color Board

Styling Directions

• Styling concepts which meet the need of the target market

• Primary factors to consider are color, fabric and sillouhette

• Inspiration from arts, music, sports, fashion etc. drives the creative process.

• Styling concepts can be communicated through style boards

Product development

• Process of creating each individual style within the line

• After the research process is over, silhouettes are developed, fabrics and trims selected, prototypes made and specifications created.

Fabric selection• Must take into consideration the following factors:• Fiber content, • fabric-construction, • texture and engineered effects, • prints, • color range, • performance characteristics-wear factors, care

requirements, drape, etc.• Versatility• Price and terms• Availability• Minimum order quantities

Silhouettes

• Transforming garment ideas into final garment sketches

Line sheets• Line sheets are created for each style group in

a line plan • Designers provide the sketches of each style in

the group along with fabric and color swatches

Prototyping

• After the silhouette has been approved, the next step is to create a prototype or the first sample.

• Try prototype on a fit model• There are two primary methods

to create prototypes:– Draping– Flat patterns

Following data are critical for a prototype request

• Company name • Season and date• Style code • Product identification• Prototype identification

code• Detailed description of the

garment• Technical drawing • Sample pattern

identification code

• Sample size measurements• Fabric description• Bill of materials• Cutting instructions• Sewing construction details• Labeling instructions• Finishing Instructions• Packaging Instructions• Target Price

Pre-costing

• Determine estimated cost for each new style• This estimate is called pre-costing• The precost formula must consist of material,

labor, overhead design and distribution, general and administrative costs and mark up

Specifications

• Preliminary product specifications are made.• Product engineering is the analysis of a style to

determine whether any pattern adjustments or construction changes can reduce the cost of producing the style while still achieving the desired design results.

Final costing• Final costing or costing for sale based on data

available

Adoption

• Line to viewed in entirety and evaluated• Company decides which styles will be dropped

from the collection and which should be retained