A Lifestyle Approach to Assortment Planning
Retailers can improve customer loyalty by providing the right mix of products through innovative assortment planning, a fairly novel strategy in retail. Infosys’ expert proposes a framework for assortment planning which ensures that the merchandise is tailored to match customer preferences.
In an article in Chainstoreage.com, our expert suggests using analytics to unearth consumer insights and bridge high-level merchandise financial planning with detailed allocation and replenishment processes. The framework enables lifestyle-driven assortment planning through a better understanding of the forces that shape the retail business.
Customer lifestyles
Retailers can extract insights to determine shopping behavior by profiling customers 
based on their lifestyles, fashion consciousness and psychographics.
Trends in merchandising
Retailers need to undertake a qualitative analysis of merchandise focused on key trends, styles, colors and silhouettes that will be in vogue for the upcoming season.
Store micro-segmentation
Merchandise flows through the supply chain more effectively when retailers implement a strategy of micro segmenting stores that goes beyond store sales volume or format.
Our expert makes a business case for integrating these pillars of retail with demand-driven inventory management, to transform assortment planning. Retailers must shift from traditional channels and product-oriented processes to embrace assortment planning that reflects the lifestyles of customers.
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Reproduced with the permission of Chainstoreage.com
Sudhir Holla
Client partner, Retail and CPG solution consulting group, Infosys.
Sudhir has more than 15 years of retail experience. He has led relationships and engagements with several apparel, wholesale and retail companies. He provides business and technology solutions to address sourcing and supply chain-related issues.
If you have any question on Assortment Planning, or want any related information, please e-mail
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You may want to read the whitepaper, co-authored by him, on ‘Using acceleration to meet the challenges in Apparel and Footwear'
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