Application
This unit of competency covers the skills and knowledge required to develop merchandising plans for fashion products.
The unit of competency applies to merchandising activities involving the presentation, sale and promotion of fashion design products. It applies to merchandising of high-volume and low-volume fashion products and accessories to the appropriate market sectors.
Developing merchandising plans may be central to the work role or completed as part of the overall sale of design concepts to clients. Work may be conducted in small to large scale enterprises and may involve individual and team activities.
No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.
Elements and Performance Criteria
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. | ||
1 | Determine job requirements | 1.1 | Follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) |
1.2 | Comply with work health and safety (WHS) requirements at all times | ||
1.3 | Use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) in accordance with SOPs | ||
1.4 | Identify job requirements from specifications, drawings, job sheets or work instructions | ||
2 | Prepare to develop merchandising plans | 2.1 | Analyse merchandising opportunities |
2.2 | Establish merchandising objectives | ||
2.3 | Analyse current merchandising practices and trends for relevance to fashion product | ||
2.4 | Determine merchandising budget for fashion design product | ||
3 | Develop merchandising plan | 3.1 | Determine in-store presentation of fashion design |
3.2 | Determine advertising and promotion of fashion design | ||
3.3 | Develop a merchandising plan which details presentation, promotional and advertising activities | ||
4 | Assess, document and store merchandising plan | 4.1 | Assess how effective merchandising plan is in meeting marketing objectives, timing and budget requirements |
4.2 | Present merchandising plan to client and integrate client response into proposals | ||
4.3 | Document merchandising plan according to industry practices | ||
4.4 | Document reports on merchandising opportunities and strategies, and present to relevant persons in the workplace, as appropriate | ||
Evidence of Performance
Evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy the requirements of the elements and performance criteria, and include:
reading and following work instructions, standard operating procedures (SOPs) and safe work practices
complying with relevant standards
analysing current merchandising practices and trends and determining opportunities and relevant practices for identified fashion products
determining merchandising objectives for at least two (2) fashion products
developing a merchandising plan which details presentation, budget, and promotional and advertising activities
documenting merchandising plan according to industry practices
using effective communication and documenting reports on merchandising opportunities and strategies, and presenting to relevant persons in the workplace, as appropriate.
Evidence of Knowledge
Evidence must be provided that demonstrates knowledge of:
safe work practices and procedures and use of personal protective equipment (PPE)
relevant Australian Standards
merchandising practices in the fashion industry
characteristics and purpose of merchandising
the role of merchandising in the retail industry
concepts of product and pricing life cycle
characteristics and purchasing styles of target market
range and availability of merchandising products and services
promotional and advertising materials, such as:
brochures, fliers and posters
photos
labels, andtickets
print, audio visual or electronic advertisements
promotional activities, such as:
gimmicks
point of sale incentives
special offers
price reductions
advertising
product branding activities
packaging features such as labelling
demonstrations
fashion parades
international regulations, pricing structures, import/export factors, production times, quality assurance factors and production arrangements (where appropriate)
regulatory requirements and codes of practice
characteristics and purchasing styles of target market
goods and services tax (GST) requirements
quality practices
workplace practices
industry practices for documenting merchandising plan, such as:
formatting and structure
inclusion of pictures and presentation details
promotion of design features and benefits
reporting verbally or in writing
oral, written or visual communication
inclusion of merchandising objectives
inclusion of adequate detail.
Assessment Conditions
Assessors must:
satisfy the assessor competency requirements that are in place at the time of the assessment, as set by the VET regulator
have vocational competency in developing merchandising plans, at least to the level being assessed, with relevant industry knowledge and experience.
Assessment should occur in operational workplace situations. Where this is not possible, or where personal safety or environmental damage are limiting factors, assessment must occur in a sufficiently rigorous simulated environment reflecting realistic operational workplace conditions. This must cover all aspects of workplace performance, including environment, task skills, task management skills, contingency management skills and job role environment skills.
Assessment processes and techniques must be appropriate to the language, literacy and numeracy requirements of the work being performed and the needs of the candidate.
Conditions for assessment must include access to all tools, equipment, materials and documentation required, including relevant workplace procedures, product and manufacturing specifications associated with this unit.
Foundation Skills
This section describes those required skills (language, literacy and numeracy) that are essential to performance.
Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.
Range Statement
This field allows for different work environments and conditions that may affect performance. Essential operating conditions that may be present (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) are included. | |
Workplace procedures include one or more of the following: | requirements prescribed by legislation, awards, agreements and conditions of employment SOPs work instructions oral, written and visual communication quality practices, including responsibility for maintenance of own work quality and contribution to quality improvement of team or section output housekeeping tasks related to environmental protection, waste disposal, pollution control and recycling WHS practices |
Australian Standards include: | the relevant industry or Australian Standards that are current at the time this unit is being undertaken |
Merchandising opportunities include the following: | analysing features of fashion product to identify promotional strengths researching target market identifying buying patterns in relation to fashion product analysing distribution outlets for fashion product and their product range, location, target market and merchandising activities |
Merchandising objectives include the following: | determining client position and range of fashion products in marketplace establishing merchandising objectives and sales targets with client establishing product pricing strategy and position in market establishing distribution requirements of fashion design |
Current merchandising practices include one or more of the following: | point of sale tracking instant communication of sales back to manufacturers overnight replenishment just in-time (JIT) systems point of sale documentation and communication systems sale tracking systems practices of the workplace and merchandising outlet appropriate to the price point of the fashion design and the overall objectives of the client |
In-store presentations include one or more of the following: | store layout, display spaces and customer flow fixtures, fittings and mannequins for display of fashion designs, as appropriate to store and the design presentation visuals and arrangements for optimal display of fashion design products folding and packaging requirements information to assist sales staff in selling fashion designs timing of release to store and customers documentation of sales records to monitor effectiveness of merchandising activities pricing policies and procedures |
Advertising and promotion of fashion design include one or more of the following: | promotional activities to support sales of fashion design promotional and advertising materials appropriate to fashion design product and client marketing objectives photography and visual representations, as required assessing responses to promotional and advertising activities agreeing on a marketing plan with client |
Presentation visuals and arrangements include one or more of the following: | colour and theme arrangements pricing, sizing and styles arrangements total look or accessory arrangements placement of stock on fixtures, fittings and mannequins use of additional props location within the store signage |
Pricing policies and procedures include one or more of the following: | marking down of slow moving stock soiled or damaged goods goods close to use-by date end of season stock long term and short term internal and external considerations pricing policies goods and services tax (GST) requirements |
Sectors
Not applicable
Competency Field
Fashion design and technology