Buyer Forecasting Processes Commonly Used

What is the consequence of long procurement lead times Note that the retailer has to place orders without access to data regarding sales of product in the adjacent season or even the same season of the previous year. 

This means that it is difficult to adjust to trends that may arise closer to the start of the season and that might cause significant demand shifts. How does a buyer in a fashion product environment make purchase decisions given the long lead times There are numerous descriptions of the process a typical one was described earlier in this chapter. Buyers are provided all historical background information regarding past products. Buyers then use the information to create a description of product demand if the product is a runner or a dog. 

Given the processes used by buyers in practice, improving the apparel supply chain requires a healthy combination of statistical processes and buyer judgment. The approaches outlined in this chapter provide such a scheme. 

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