At the start of this process, my partner and I took some time to establish clear communication expectations, and discussed our individual academic strengths to ensure a good baseline for the project. This allowed for ease when it came to dividing tasks, and successfully working through each step of the process.

We started by completing a competitive brand analysis comparing Abercrombie & Fitch and American Eagle to better understand their market positioning, target consumers, and strategic direction. This highlighted A&F’s transformation toward inclusivity, strengthened outreach, and public relations, contrasted with AE’s youth-driven branding through strategic marketing. These insights guided the start of our planning by revealing each brand’s current strengths, and weaknesses.

We approached the 6 month buy plan by reviewing prior Abercrombie & Fitch sales and inventory information. Using MS Excel, we calculated projected sales, purchases, margins, and turnover to build a realistic 6 month plan. Finally, we supported our numbers with justification rooted in market conditions, customer behavior, and seasonal retail drivers from previously completed research.

We began with our assortment plan by evaluating each classification and their planned sales contributions to make informed decisions regarding our product mix across tops, sweaters, bottoms, jackets, and dresses. From there, we were able to compile an assortment plan detailing price lines, and purchase volumes per category.