Buying for your store

I was looking through some "Business Tip" articles that I've run in the past.

The message below was run in 2008 and I think it is essential for anyone buying for a retail store to understand how important this message is.

My first Buying assignment was for a Major Department store in Ohio.

As a new young buyer, I was summoned to the Presidents office for a conversation on buying..

The President later went on to become President of a Major Department Store chain, so there is no question that he knew what he was talking about.

Among other things, he told me this... Remember that even if it’s 5:00 in the afternoon and you’re wrapping up the day and getting ready to go home . And a Sales Rep calls you and asks if he can show you a new product . You wait and let him come in and show you. You never know before seeing the product if it’s going to be the hottest item in the market that year or not. Your job, as a Buyer, is to look at merchandise, not to avoid looking at merchandise.

I’ve always remembered that ,and more than once I took that advice. Sometimes what I saw was a winner, sometimes not. But I never missed a hot item because I refused to see a Sales Rep.

Well a writer in a magazine geared to Scrapbook Retailers disagrees with that principle.

In an article in the magazine in 2008, the writer says “Don’t open any email from Companies you’re not interested in doing business with” The President of the store in Ohio would say,  How do you know if you do or don’t want to do business with a Company without at least looking at their product? 

The writer says about phone calls  “ If  it’s not a call directly related to building your business don’t take it “

Bad advice. Again ,how do you know if it will help build your business before you talk to the person on the other end. If it’s not for you you’ll know soon enough and  you can end the call politely, but first at least find out what the calls about.

The writer says about sales Reps.. Don’t waste your  time looking at lines you won’t want to carry.

How do you know if you want to carry the line before looking at it.?

You are the Buyer for your store. There’s nothing you do that’s more important than looking at merchandise.

This is more important than ever since many stores are not attending the Trade Shows and depend on the Sales Reps to show them the new lines and merchandise. 

I welcome your comments on this or any other business subject.

Sandy