Introduction

Sears is a leading integrated retailer with almost 2,500 full-line and

specialty retail stores in the United States and Canada and the home of
Shop Your Way, a social shopping experience Sears is the leading home
appliance retailer as well as a leader in tools, lawn and garden, fitness
equipment and automotive repair and maintenance. Key proprietary
brands include Kenmore, Craftsman and Diehard, with a broad apparel
offering, including such well-known labels as Lands' End, the
Kardashian Kollection, Jaclyn Smith and Joe Boxer, as well as Sofia by
Sofia Vergara and The Country Living Home Collection. The buying
Cycle refers to the key events & the processes in which the fashion
buyer is involved in order to buy a garment range for retail or a mail
order company. The length of the buying cycle varies between company
to company usually takes a year between r
eviewing the current seasons sale and delivering into stores.
The fashion industry traditionally splits the year into 2 main seasons:
spring/summer (Feb to July) and autumn/winter (August to January).
The figure below shows the buying cycle followed for a merchandize

The Main Events in Buying Cycle (autumn/ winter)

Sl. No. Actions Time Period(approx.)
1
1. Review of current season sale
Mid-August
2
2. Budget planning
End August
3
3. Comparative Shopping
August to September
4
4. Directional shopping
August to October
5
5. Sourcing for product development
October to November
6
6. Range planning
October to December
7
7. Garment samples souring for range
November
8
8. Pre selection of garment sample

Early December
9
9. Price negotiation with supplier
November, December
10
10.
Final range selection
Mid December
11
11.
Placing order for ranges
December , January
12
12.
Pre-production sampling and approvals
January to April
13
13.
Bulk garment manufacturing
April to July
14
14.
Delivery of products to retailer
June , July
15
15.
Purchase by customer
July to September

Description of various Stages in buying cycle:

Fashion Forecasting: Fashion forecasting is the prediction of mood,
behavior and buying habits of the consumer.
Colour Forecasting:Color grabs the customers' attention, makes an
emotional connection and leads them to the product. Even when the
basic product stays the same, changing the color gives a sense of
something new.
Yarn & Fabric Forecasting:It is not surprising that news
about which fabrics are "in" or "out" plays such a prominent
role in forecasting fashion.

Comparative shopping:it is undertaken at the beginning of

each season by the buying or the design team. In this the

team looks at the current merchandise in the stores of the

competitors which sell comparable ranges.
Directional shopping:
it is the term used for trips to gain inspiration for design
concepts for a new season. Buyers visit cities such as Paris,
London, Milan and New York for directional shopping trips
depending upon the
companys travel budget.

Garment Sample sourcing for range:

Garment samples are bought from different stores as during
directional shopping which resemble the product range of the
buyer or some new trend.
Range planning
: It is a stage where buyers define the detail of the range
that is to be offered to the customer in terms of styling,
fabric, design, suppliers and prices.
Pre-selection of garment samples
: It is done after the range planning stage where buyers
present garment samples for the range to their buying,
merchandising and QC teams.

Final range selection

: It is done immediately after pre-selection and
buyers usually have about two weeks for this. It is the busiest
time of the year. Most of the work involves contacting
suppliers to explain changes in the range.
Price negotiation with suppliers
: After the final range is selected, buyers contact the
suppliers and tell them that some garments have been
removed from the range, others added, and existing styles
amended so the prices may need to be re- negotiated if
garments have been shortened, fabric changed or trims
removed.
Confirmation of order to suppliers
: After the price negotiation is done, the supplier is selected
and the buyer issues the master L/C to the concerned supplier
as confirmation of order.
Proto-sample approval:

These samples are to be made after getting the order sheets.

These samples are needed to check the measurements, style
and fit. So they can be made in available similar
fabrics/substitute fabric in same count and construction but
in the actual measurements and specifications.
Fit Sample Approval
: Buyers will ask us to make the fit samples according to the
given measurements. So it is important to strictly adhere to
these measurements. It can be made in any colour but the
fabric should be same/ substitute fabric in same count and
construction. It is send to the buyer to approve the fit and
fall of the garment.
Size-set Sample Approval
: These samples are to be made in actual fabrics with actual
trims if available. If the order is for 3 colours and the sizes
are S, M, L then the buyer can ask for each size in one colour
i.e. one size-one colour or samples in any one colour and
swatches (fabric bits) in other colours.
Pre-Production Sample Approval
: They have to be made in actual production fabric with actual
bulk trims. They will represent that the production will be like
these samples. Vendor needs to get the approval of these
samples from the buyer before

starting the bulk production.

Bulk Garment Manufacturing
: After the approval of pre-production samples bulk
manufacturing starts.

Production Sample:
These samples are to be sent before shipment to get the
buyers
confirmation for shipment. Hence these samples are needed
to be perfect in all manners. Buyer may check these samples
for everything or anything.
Shipment of order
: Vendor prepares the shipping documents and gives booking to
the freight forwarder for the shipment of garments.
Receiving of product in warehouse
: After the garments are ex-factory from vendor they are:
Delivery of product to retailer
: After the garments reach buyers
warehouse, then from there garments are sent to respective
distribution centres of the buyer in every region then from
there to t
he retailers warehouse.
Final Product in Store
: From retailers warehouse the garments
are then sent to the respective stores for sale to the
customers.

Buying cycle at sears

Export Order Information

Buyer Sears Style

Full sleeve Mens Shirt
Order quantity
1,20,000
Lead Time
3 Months
Master L/C receiving date
5
May
t

Ship Date
5
August
t

Fabric Production details Fabric sourcing

China
Production capacity
10,000 meters /day
Consumption of fabric
1.25 meter/garment
Fabric needed
120000 * 1.25 = 150000 meters
Time needed for fabric production
150000/10000 = 15 days
Company Production details Total sewing machines
200
Clock time
8 hours
Total number of machine per line
40
Production in each line
80 pieces/hours
Number of lines
200/40 = 5
Production per line each day
80 * 8 = 640
Total production each day
640*5 = 3200
Time needed for production
120000/3200= 37.5
Export Order Information
Buyer Sears Style
Full sleeve Mens Shirt

Order quantity
1,20,000
Lead Time
3 Months
Master L/C receiving date
5th may
Ship Date
5th August

SL. No. Time period Action Related Dept. 1

July

August (2013) Colour Forecasting Forecasting Team

2
Dulux colour trends (Australia) Trend Forecasting Team at
PROMOSTYL and Designers
3
Pantone Fashion Colour report, Summer-2013
4
International Colour authority (ICA), London
5
August- September Yarn Forecasting Forecasting Team
6
Yarn Expo- 2013, Beijing, China Textile Designers and Textile
Engineers
7
IFAI Canada Expo
8
Craft Yarn Council of America
9
International Istanbul Yarn Fair
10
Till August End Fabric Forecasting Forecasting Team
11
China Clothing and Textile Expo Textile Designers and Textile
Engineers
12
The Knitting and Stitching Show - Harrogate
13
Bursa Textile fair, Turkey
14
ITMA ShowTime, USA

15
Till September End Design Forecasting Forecasting Team
16
Inters toff Asia, Summer 2013, Hong Kong Fashion Designing Team
17
CBI fashion Forecast
18
Print Source, Summer 2013, New York
19
October End Review of current season sale Commercial Dept.
20
Review of Season sale for the month of February Accounts Dept. and team
of Chartered Accountants
21
Review of Season sale for the month of March
22
Review of Season sale for the month of

April
23
Review of Season sale for the month of May
25
November/December Budget planning Commercial Dept.
24
November to December Competitive/ Comparative shopping Buying
Team And Designers
26
Comparative shopping Report Of Flagship store of Polo Ralph Lauren,
San Diego Garment Design Analysts
27
Trend Variation Analysis PROMOSTYL
28
Comparative Shopping Report Of Flagship store of Levi's Strauss, San
Francisco Garment Design Analysts
29
Trend Variation Analysis PROMOSTYL
30
Comparative Shopping Report Of Flagship store of Calvin Klein, NY
Garment Design Analysts
31
Trend Variation Analysis PROMOSTYL
32
November to January(2014) Directional shopping Buying Team and
Merchandisers
33
Sales Review of 1st week of Feb. Sales Dept. and Trend Variation By
Trend Analysing agencies
34
Trend Variation Analysis
35
Sales Review of 2nd week of March
36
Trend Variation Analysis

37
Sales Review of 3rd week of April
38
Trend Variation Analysis
39
Sales Review of 4th week of May
40
Trend Variation Analysis
41
Mid-January Garment sample sourcing for range Buyers
42
January

February Range planning Buyers And Designers

43
Final Decision of the Merchandise to be Prepared - T-shirt With Hood
and Embroidery
44
Till January end Pre selection of garment samples Buyers
45
February Final range selection Buyers And

Merchandisers
46
Full Sleeve T-shirt With hood in Sizes- (S,M,L,XL,XXL) In 3 Different
Colours, Brown, Beige And Green Merchandising Dept. ( Buyer)
47
Full Sleeve T-shirt With hood and An Embroidery in Sizes From
(S,M,L,XL,XXL) In 3 Different Colours, Brown, Beige And Green
Merchandising Dept. ( Buyer)
48
February End Price negotiation with suppliers Merchandising Dept.
( Buyer)
49
March and End April Received Export order BID from Buyer.
Merchandising Dept. (Manufacturer)
50
Fixed Price Contract (FPC) Merchandising Dept.
consisting of a group of merchants including Senior merchandisers and
his assistants at export House Carry these activities
51
Review of styles, files, B.O.M
52
Graded Marker for average
53
System entries
54
Fabric booking
55
Fabric for sampling
56
Thread Lab dip
57
Closures on styles; design., trims
58
Received fabric sampling yardage from supplier

59
Received few trim samples for sampling program Of Garments
60
Submission of proto sample to buyer
61
Will get sample of fabric from fabric supplier for the approval
63
Will receive. comments from buyer on proto samples
64
Testing approval of fabric & trims on their quality

Time and action calendar for production

Sl. No. Date Day Action Related Dept. 65
02 May 2014 Thursday Order Confirmation From Buyer Commercial
Dept.
66
06 May 2014 Monday Received master L/C Commercial Dept.
67
07 May 2014 Tuesday Received P/I from the Fabric & Trim supplier
Commercial Dept.
68
09 May 2014 Thursday Will issue B/B L/C to suppliers
69
09 May 2014 Thursday Send proto sample for approval Sampling Dept.
70
13 May 2014 Monday Fabric and Trim Supplier will send Swatch to
factory for approval Fabric dept.
71
13 May 2014 Monday Send to Testing Lab Testing Dept.
72
14 May 2014 Tuesday Approval for Proto-Sample Merchandising
73
14 May 2014 Tuesday Approval from Testing Lab on Fabric Testing
Dept.
74
14 May 2014 Tuesday Approval from Trims Department Trims dept.
75
15 May 2014 Wednesday Making and Submission of Fit Sample
Sampling Dept.
76
18 May 2014 Saturday Suppliers sends Fabric for Sampling Program
77
18 May 2014 Saturday Trims Supplier sends Trims for Sampling
Program

78
20 May 2014 Monday Approval on Fit Sample from Buyer
Merchandising
79
21 May 2014 Tuesday Making of Size-Set sample Sampling Dept.
80
22 May 2014 Wednesday Submission of Size-Set sample Merchandising
81
27 May 2014 Monday Bulk fabric Ex- Mill from China Fabric Dept.
82
29 May 2014 Wednesday Shipment of Fabric from China Commercial
Dept. & Fabric Dept.
83
27 May 2014 Monday Approval of Size-Set Sample Merchandising

84
28 May 2014 Tuesday Making of Pre-Production Sample Sampling Dept.
85
28 May 2014 Tuesday Submission of Pre-Production Sample
Merchandising
86
5 June 2014 Wednesday In-house of Bulk Trims in the factory Trim
Store Dept.
87
5 June 2014 Wednesday Approval on Pre-Production Sample
Merchandising
88
13 June 2014 Thursday In-house of Bulk Fabric in the factory
89
14 June 2014 Friday Inspection of the Fabric Fabric store dept.
90
15 June 2014 Saturday Cut order planning for production Cutting Dept.
91
17 June 2014 Monday Pilot production will start (100 -150 pieces)
Production Dept.
92
18 June 2014 Tuesday Comments on Pilot production by factory Q/C &
buying house Q/C Q/C Dept.
93
18 June 2014 Wednesday Start Bulk production Production Dept.
94
5 July 2014 Friday Send Production Sample to Buyer Production Dept.
95
12 July 2014 Friday Received production samples comments from buyer
Merchandising
96
15 July 2014 Monday Will contact shipping line & book vessels for the
shipment Commercial dept.
97
23 July 2014 Tuesday Start making Shipping Documents Commercial Dept.

98
31 July 2014 Wednesday Stitching complete Production Dept.
99
2 August 2014 Friday Finishing & Packing complete Production Dept.
100
2 August 2014 Friday Final inspection by buyer Buying house
101
3 August 2014 Saturday Will be Ex-factory Logistics Dept.
102
4 August 2014 Monday Will Hand over the Goods to the freight
forwarder Forwarding Dept.
103
5 August 2014 Tuesday Feeder Vessel Leaves Port Shipping Company
104
10 August 2014 Saturday Feeder Vessel Reaches Mother Vessel (Singapore)
105
12 August 2014 Monday Mother Vessel Leaves Port

106
27 August 2014 Tuesday Mother vessel Reaches at Buyer's Port (FAS New
Yorkand)
107
28 August 2014 Friday Receiving of product in warehouse (San Diego)
Distribution Network
108
30 August 2014 Sunday Delivery to regional distribution Centres
(Chicago, New Jersey, Washington, NY, San Francisco)
109
31 August 2014 Tuesday Delivery of product to retailers
110
1 September 2014