Retail Buyers' Saleability Judgments: A Comparison of Merchandise Categories

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare the product, vendor, and information source saleability judgments of retail store buyers. The sample chosen for the study was retail buyers of women's wear and men's wear from three retailers in the southwestern United States. A mailed questionnaire consisting of saleability judgments was sent to 81 retail buyers resulting in a 77% (n = 63) return rate. Three Principal Component Factor Analyses with Varimax Rotation were used to reduce the number of product, vendor, and information source items to eight factors. Analysis of Variance was used to determine if women's wear buyers and men's wear buyers differed significantly on the eight product, vendor, and information source factors. Women's wear buyers rated reputation, price/promotion, and competition significantly higher than did men's wear buyers, indicating that women's wear and men's wear buyers emphasize different saleability judgments in making purchase decisions. Results will benefit retail management in developing buyer training programs, apparel manufacturers in designing and promoting apparel lines, and educators in designing retail curricula.

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