...to wish retailers would just look out the fecking window?

[somewherewest]

...inspired by our local branch of Jojo Maman Tres Expensif*, which is chocca with sunhats and swimwear despite the fact its fecking -5 outside. Seriously? There were icicles overhanging their beachwear window display last week.

*I realise this immediately discloses the fact that we're not in Toxteth or Brixton

Flowery you simply don't have the space or capacity to hold it until there is a chance that it might sell 12 weeks later. You can carryover a few safe items but you really have to clear your previous seasons stock under pressure from the business.

If you are bringing in stock from the Far East you have to pull in huge initial quantities in full sizes to "launch" a collection for a season and fill a store. As you have invested in that stock you need to see some return on it and have to send it out regardless of what the weather is doing when it should be spring.

Most retailers have a transition range of 3/4 sleeves, macs, and basics in the Feb/September periods. I've yet to see a wholly successful transition range with any decent sell through ever in retail, and I've done this for nearly 20 years! it is the riskiest time of the season.

You can't fill a store completely with "safe" items in basic colours, it just doesn't draw in customers. You have to have a balance and you have a limit on what you are allowed to spend called open to buy.

Incidentally I have had to sign off SS14 this week, due to the order windows we've been given from the Far East and surprisingly from Turkey who we used to use "in season" to react to trends. So I have had my team plan a range for next year, before we've even started SS13 and had time to analyse any results.

Huge huge risk.

Fab posts, Wally.

Fab name Doctrine

And I spend a bit of time every day looking out of the window, willing the snow to stop!

I have 5000 units of Winter accessories in my outlet stores and sold 40 pieces last week! Where are you ladies!?

Could you not knit something nice, OP?

I'm after size 12 grey school shorts. Can't get them for love nor money...

They may be fab posts in terms of explaining why the current ridiculous situation exists.

But it doesn't get away from the fact that it is hugely annoying to not be able to buy clothing that you can wear immediately for roughly 50% of the year.

Wally - at home not spending anything because all the stock is flip flops, shorts and maxis!

I normally average about £250 a month on clothes, just for myself. Since the beginning of December I have spent £90 on bras, that is all.
The clothes are crap and all polyester, everything is for the wrong season. It utterly sucks. I know I am not the only person not spending.

Oh gosh ali, I am very jealous of your clothes budget!

Primark were selling off 2-packs of mittens 2 weeks ago. Think I paid £1, worth a look?

We used to sell clothes in our small shop, it just didn't work, because of the patterns and pressures of working to the timetables dictated by the big retailers and manufacturers.

I can totally understand that if a multiple has got sales statistics showing what sells when, they will go for that solution. But many multiples are going to the wall because of their lack of flexibility and inability to source what they need when they need it.

If they haven't got it in stock, they can't sell it.

So might it be that their sales statistics are a little skewed? (and not in favour of the customer)

Surely the answer is that the Far East factories are dictating when and what is being made rather than tge customer. the tail is wagging the dog. There is space in the market for more factories who are nearer and therefore more responsive and have greater capacity. So source nearer home something up in uk Bradford the must have capacity. Invest in new technology.

Also clothes buyers English summer are shit cardigans and light jumpers are still needed for children to put over the spaghetti strapped thin material dresses that would be ok for Spain etc but in England are totally inappropriate

Thank god for decathlon you can by thick warm jackets and coats all year long. It's my secret weapon for when I buy school coats in September when everything has been swept of the shelves elsewhere.

I always thought the buyers all had some form of OCD that caused them to think everyone bought clothes 2 months ahead. It's just the factories dictating when we can buy clothes.

Oh and whilst we have their ears

Sleeves put a fucking sleeve on summer dresses. Bingo wings don't look good in summer

Locked out, if the factories were in the UK, the clothes would cost a heck of a lot more.

I'm happy to join your sleeves campaign though.

And the inability to meet the actual needs of consumers is what is going to kill all brick and mortar stores smaller than a Super ASDA or Tesco.

And it's why so many are in administration, not just the economy.

The 'net is easier, faster, more flexible and, usually, cheaper.

So, buyers on this thread, find a solution...or a new job.

but stock is ordered a year or so in advance to arrive in time for Spring ! It would have been on the ships by Christmas.

People still need these things if they're going on holiday.. It's not like sun hats etc get much use in the UK most years anyway.

It's interesting to see that 'what the customer wants' comes below 'this is how we do it'.

It's a pity there can be no sales figures comparing buying habits now, on rigid customer-unfriendly system to those on a system which was more closely attuned to actual demand (not manipulated demand - for who buys Tshirts now unless they fear there'll be none left when it's warm?) and had core items available year round.

Exactly, AuntieStella. So much for customer service.

And people will continue to vote with their feet and shop online where you can get what you want when you want it.

When are retailers going to wake up? I guess once their companies are out of business.

Really, we don't need many summer clothes at all in the UK. We need winter coats and hats and lots of "middling" clothes. You know, t shirts, but with long sleeves, mid weight dresses woth sleeves, thin knits. That would work for most of our changeable weather.

WallyBanter "Our outlets still have winter down jackets and gloves and sales have actually dropped off a cliff, regardless of the cold snap. I can't afford to have 48 items of clothing on a fixture when I am selling less than one a week! My tee shirt sales have risen by 165% on last week, they need the space."

Completely this ^^

Incidentally, to everyone who is saying we are not listening to customers, we (and pretty much every other retailer I reckon) get a list through every week of sales, every subfamily we sell, how much of a % of the sales it''s taken in money and in units, compared to last week and last year. I can tell you now it's not the warm stuff on there at the minute! Long sleeve tshirts are massively down, coats are same as average- so the same as they were selling this week last year, in the heatwave- while our kids is up on short sleeve tshirts and dresses. Girls shorts, both denim and dressy are selling brilliantly. The jeans and trousers, which we have displayed prominently, the first thing you see as you walk on because of the weather, are not doing as well as the shorts. Not through lack of choice, either- there are jeans in a variety of fits, coloured jeans, smart trousers, jersey trousers, we have it all. But people are buying shorts.

As for who do I know who buys coats seasonally- I've worked on kids departments in two major retailers for around 9 years. I can pretty much predict to the week when we need to stuff the shopfloor to the gills with coats! Probably varies slightly throughout the UK, but customers have the same shopping ideas at the same time generally. I guess it may be slightly different for preschoolers- these tend to have a few more coats in, as customers don't work to school terms, but in the school ages we would be holding stock that simply wouldn't sell.