1. Overview of International Retail Markets
BMG Presentation -
Overview of International Retail Markets
Tara Mulhare, Buyer Adviser Consultant

2. We will focus on the following today:
International Retail Market Overview
Determining which sales channel is best for your business
Buyer Requirements: Interview with Britta Duncan

3. International Retail Market Overview
List overview of market and changes in the market as well
International Retail Market Overview

4. Market Segments: Couture / Made-to-Measure (MTM)
Designer / Ready-to-Wear (RTW)
Contemporary (Bridge)
Moderate
Mass Market /Budget

5. Couture / MTM
Haute couture and Made–to-Measure (MTM) is high end fashion that is constructed by hand from start to finish, made from high quality, expensive, often unusual fabric.
Prices Range: $1,000 – 25,000 and up
Brands: Chanel, Christian Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, Valentino

6. Designer / RTW
Made for the general market and sold through stores rather than made to order for an individual customer; off the rack.
Price Range: $ ,000 and up
Brands: Prada, Gucci, Balmain, Lanvin, Jil Sander,The Row, and Michael Kors Collection, Oscar de la Renta.

7. Contemporary
Contemporary apparel is clothing that is accessible in price. The contemporary category often contains more modern-style / street wear clothes compared to the higher end luxury market.
Price Range: $150 - $1,000
Brands: Alice and Olivia, Diane von Furstenberg, Michael Michael Kors, Rag and Bone

8. Moderate
Medium priced merchandise which is a step above mass market.  This is the price classification that majority of clothing and footwear fall into.   
Price Range: $50 - $175
Brands: Nine West, Madewell, Oasis

9. Mass Market
Company that sells affordably priced products that appeal to a wide variety of consumers. Also referred to as budget.
Price Range $5 - $50
Brands: H&M, Forever 21, Misguided, and Primark

10. Types of Stores / E-commerce within these Segments
Once you

11. Department Stores Type: Multi-Segment
Assortment will range from apparel to housewares
Very strict guidelines for shipping, pricing, ticketing product
Buys: Test buys usually begin at $15k and up
Buyer type: Buyer is typically responsible for one area within the market segment i.e. Advance Designer Collections within RTW area
Fashion Office can be involved in purchasing decision

12. Specialty Stores Type: Multi-Segment
Edited Assortment will range from apparel to housewares. Typically more focus on apparel and accessories
Buys: Test Buys normally under $10,000 per door
Buyer type: Buyer is normally responsible for one area or market segment. Traditionally less segmented than Department Stores.

13. Boutiques Smaller store with focus on Apparel and Accessories
Edited assortment with usually less than 10 styles per designer
Test Buys are normally under $5,000
Buyer is traditionally the Boutique owner or manager

14. Direct to Consumer (DTC) vs. Business to Business (BTB)

15. Which market is right to reach your customer?

16. Who is your customer?
In order to properly design, price, promote, distribute your product, you need to understand everything about your customer and her life. You need to build a full customer profile so you make the right decisions.

17. A General Customer Profile

19. You need to know more about her:
Understand her life and needs:
Starting point: Walk through her day from the moment she wakes up
Does she look at her phone first thing in the morning?
What type of phone is it?
What does she look at first?
Does she check social media? Instagram or Facebook?
Who does she follow on instagram?
Health and Wellness: Is fitness important to her?
Does she workout, when does she before or after the office? What does she wear to and from the gym?
Lifestyle: What is her life like? Is she constantly on the go?
News: How does she get her news?
TV, Social Media, Online?
Personality Traits: Confident, Follows Others?
What her coffee choice says about her personality.

20. Who influences her personal style? Understand her buying decisions:
Style Direction:
Who influences her personal style?
Blogs, Magazines, Instagram, Snapchat
Does her significant other’s opinion matter?
Are clothes the most important of her appearance?
Does she like more basic items or more detailed?
Understand her buying decisions:
Is she an impulse buyer, investment buyer, mannequin dresser, trend follower?
Is she influenced by marketing, such as s, ecommerce editorials, social media posts?
Husband, boyfriend?
What are her spending habits? How much disposable income does she spend on dinners, food, taking care of herself etc.

21. What are her favorite brands?
How much does she like to spend on her everyday wardrobe versus an event or investment pieces?
What does she like to wear?
What are her favorite stores and ecommerce sites?
Does she only shop luxury? Or does she mix and match her wardrobe with high street and designer?

22. Introduction to designing and merchandising for your customer.

23. General Tips Do your research
Key thing to remember… just because it costs $1,000 to produce doesn’t mean your buyer / customer will pay this price

24. How to research your market:
Establish which market segment you want to sell to.
If you want to access the contemporary market, view the contemporary sections on e-commerce sites such as Net-a-Porter, Saks Fifth Avenue, other e-commerce like Yoox, and in the UK Selfridges.
View the product types and price range for all classifications within this sector. Ensure your product is on the same level with design, fabric and trims.

28. Understanding Buyer Requirements
Q&A with Britta Duncan:
Currently, consultant for brands who sell DTC and BTB stores like Liberty, Net-a-Porter, Browns, and Neiman Marcus. In addition, conducts buying services for international specialty stores.
Previous experience includes Buyer for Bergdorf Goodman and Barneys New York and Director of one of the top jewelry showrooms in the US.

29. Closing

30. Question and Answer
THANK YOU!