Fashion Buying and Merchandising: The Fashion Buyer in a Digital Society

Fashion buying and merchandising has changed dramatically over the last 20 years. Aspects such as the advent of new technologies and the changing nature of the industry into one that is faster paced than ever before, as well as the shift towards more ethical and sustainable practices have resulted in a dramatic change of the roles. As a result, contemporary fast fashion retailers do not follow the traditional buying cycle processes step by step, critical paths are wildly different, and there has been a huge increase in 'in-season buying' as a response to heightened consumer demand.

This textbook is a comprehensive guide to 21st-century fashion buying and merchandising, considering fast fashion, sustainability, ethical issues, omnichannel retailing, and computer-aided design. It presents an up-to-date buying cycle that reflects key aspects of fashion buying and merchandising, as well as in-depth explanations of fashion product development, trend translation, and sourcing. It applies theoretical and strategic business models to buying and merchandising that have traditionally been used in marketing and management.

This book is ideal for all fashion buying and merchandising students, specifically second- and final-year undergraduate as well as MA/MSc fashion students. It will also be useful to academics and practitioners who wish to gain a greater understanding of the industry today.

Rosy Boardman is a Lecturer in Fashion Business at the University of Manchester, teaching on both the Fashion Buying & Merchandising and Fashion Marketing programmes. Her research focuses on digital strategy and innovation in the retail industry. Rosy worked as both a fashion buyer and marketing assistant prior to her career as a lecturer.　

Rachel Parker-Strak is Academic Lead and a Lecturer in Fashion Buying & Merchandising at the University of Manchester. Her teaching and research focus on fashion product development and buying and merchandising. Prior to joining academia, Rachel's industry career was in product development positions for a UK-based womenswear brand.

Claudia E. Henninger is a Lecturer in Fashion Marketing & Management at the University of Manchester with a research interest in sustainable fashion and the circular economy. Her research is published in internationally renowned journals.