Chapter 7 Fashion Promotion and Retailing
135
Specialty Retailers
Specialty retailers handle a specifi c kind of
merchandise or one category of goods. They
might carry only golf equipment or women’s
apparel, or they might specialize even further
into a specifi c type of apparel. Examples are
maternity catalog companies, bridal boutiques,
children’s apparel websites, and shoe stores, as
in 7-14.
Some small specialty stores have lower
volumes of sales and need to charge higher
prices than larger stores to make a profi t. Small
quantities of goods are stocked. The employees
must perform all of the stock control, promotion,
and direct selling functions that big stores split
among their specialized personnel.
Upscale specialty stores provide many
personal services that appeal to some shoppers.
They stress customer service and personal contact.
They give advice about the selection of goods
within their specialties. The personal preferences
of regular clients are known. Returns are usually
accepted, but customers may be given credit
toward other purchases rather than cash.
Boutiques are a type of specialty store. They
are small shops that sell few-of-a-kind apparel
and accessories. Their merchandise is often
fashion-forward, pricey, and presented in a cre-
ative way. They have a distinct image and give
individualized attention to their clients.
Many specialty shops are located in malls
and shopping centers. Some are chains and some
are independently (privately) owned. Sometimes
they are quite small, with only one or a few
employees.
Small specialty stores that are not well estab-
lished sometimes go out of business. Others
are starting all the time. Successful specialty
stores become loyal customers of particular
manufacturers. The buyer for the store is the
same year after year, quite different from large
fi rms in which employee turnover is common.
Franchises
Franchise stores are individually-owned busi-
nesses that use the name and merchandise of an
established fi rm. The franchisor (parent company)
provides a franchisee (owner-operator) with
exclusive use of the name and goods in a specifi ed
city or area. Sometimes the parent company
offers assistance in organizing, training, and
management. After meeting the fi nancial obli-
gations to the parent fi rm, the franchisee keeps
the remaining profi ts.
The franchisee can expect quick acceptance
because of the well-known name attached
to the merchandise. The parent company, on
the other hand, can spread the locations of
its goods without large capital expenditures.
Designers and manufacturers have franchise
shops all over the world, owned and run by
independent business people in each location.
Telecommunication Retailing
Telecommunication retailing offers shop-
ping via electronic communication devices. This
includes computer and mobile device retailing
and television shopping. Telecommunication
retailing gives instant computer calculation of
ongoing sales to fashion companies as the sales
occur—in units and dollars—about style, size,
and color preferences of the market.
Web-based retailing on the Internet can be
referred to as e-tailing (for e-mail) and m-commerce
(for mobile apps). Buying through websites has
gained rapid acceptance. Online retailing allows
consumers to view merchandise on their elec-
tronic screens. Consumers research and then
click on websites of specifi c retailers or general
marketplace portals that include many retailers.
They can view three-dimensional digitized images
of apparel and other items, with detailed written
descriptions. Users are able to comparison shop
for features and prices.
7-14
This specialty store concentrates on selling all kinds
of shoes.