For David Jones, the world’s oldest department store, the road to success has long been paved with market trials and operational hurdles.
“We’re managing 40-50 doors in the portfolio, so, buying for many stores, multiple regions, and a diverse customer base has always been part of what we do,” said David Jones Buyer, Rachel White.
Now, the department store is on a data-led journey to support getting the right product to the right place, optimising purchase volumes, nailing size curves, and driving in-season trade to deliver growth.
From the Fashion Buying at Scale Webinar, we’ve rounded up the key strategies and critical insights from seasoned buying and planning experts, David Jones’ Rachel White and Style Arcade COO, Christine Reed. Here, you’ll learn how to respond to market shifts, how to remain competitive, and the three essential strategies to strengthen your assortment today.
Shifting consumer behaviours
More than ever, retailers are responsible for making informed and connected buying decisions, and this begins with understanding the market and the current consumer sentiments. Here are the biggest shifts David Jones has seen in planning and buying over the last 12 months.
Consumer spending shifts: Cost-of-living pressures, higher interest rates, and a generally more cautious mindset have made shoppers a lot more considered. They’re prioritising value, weighing up purchases carefully, and delaying investment in seasonal or “statement” pieces until they’re confident they’ll get good wear from them. As a result, customers are playing it safer, which means we need to be just as considerate in what we put into our ranges.
Assortment shifts: Core product has become even more important - it’s that reliable foundation customers keep coming back for, but newness is still critical. The difference is that the bar for newness is higher. It has to be genuinely compelling, with a clear reason to buy, whether that’s a trend with real longevity or versatility, or a product that solves a need.
Technology shifts: AI-driven platforms and advanced analytics with tools like Style Arcade are changing the way we forecast demand, track sell-through, and analyse size curves. We are accessing insights faster and making more informed decisions, meaning we can be more agile and precise. It’s still early days, but these tools are already influencing the pace and confidence of our decision-making.
“It can be tempting to over-index on core and be more cautious on newness when shifts are happening in the market, as this can be counterproductive and limit sales,” said Chris.
The challenge, and the opportunity, is finding that sweet spot between protecting the business with proven core products and creating high-impact newness moments that keep customers engaged and excited.
The thing buyers must get right to stay competitive
Buyers must deliver on the balance between commercial planning and buyer’s instinct. When it comes to sentiment, be reactive and remain confident; confidence comes from seeing your numbers, getting early wins, and the validation that you know your customer. From there, you can build up to the next level to execute a new strategy and see the outcomes.
How to respond when the market shifts
1. Assortment discipline
Go back to the basic principles of creating your ranging pyramid, where every item must justify its place in the assortment, to ensure you don’t have product crossover to the point of cannibalisation. This applies whether you’re a boutique or a large multibrand retailer:
- Build up your range based on the size of market appeal, newness, and price.
- Start by planning your options and depth accordingly - the base of your pyramid will be the options you put depth behind, so proven core or carryover product, and then,
- Moving up to the pinnacle of your range pyramid, where you’ll have thresholds for introducing newness.
2. Data-led decision making
Look into metrics like sell-through tracking and size analysis. However, before going down to the product level:
- Look at a rolled-up view (using Roll Ups if you have Style Arcade)
- Pull in the levels i.e., your category/brand/regions/colours
- Then pull in metrics, a good one to look at is your depth on options sold vs depth bought, which can really highlight how you need to adjust your assortment.
3. Agility in trading responses:
It’s important to act on in-season insights, and not wait for post-season reviews.
Tailored assortments at scale
“When we talk about buying at scale, what comes to mind is buying across huge product breadth or depth,” said Chris. “But approaching your buying practices with scalability is equally important if you want to manage your time efficiently, it’s also a key consideration when you’re buying across product categories, sales channels, or regions/countries.”
Building a strong assortment mix
- Looking at your volume drivers or core products - are we maintaining those or updating them? These categories often equate to 80% of the sales.
- Layering in trend and newness is crucial to providing interest and remaining relevant. This is what drives conversations; it’s often what’s marketed and what drives the customer into the store.
For David Jones, when it comes to buying at scale, "What Style Arcade has enabled us is a visual analysis of region performance and validating the anecdotes that we receive at store level.”
What to double down on, and where to pull back
Deciding what products or categories to double down on and where to pull back comes down to data, relevance, and timing. It’s about balancing customer demand and broader market shifts.
- Consider sell-through, margin, returns, velocity, and contribution to total business, and to see what’s gaining traction with the customer, even if it's early.
- Track category fatigue. Metrics like high markdowns, low conversion, and a drop in sell-through. It’s not just about sales being down, but also about whether the category still feels relevant, and has the customer moved on?
- Consider macro shifts. Are lifestyle changes affecting how they shop? Are external factors like seasonality, events, or economic pressures changing their priorities?
It’s never just about cutting or growing a category blindly; it can be about reshaping it. You would likely never exit a category completely; you make adjustments: editing the range, elevating the offer, or shifting the pricing architecture to better align with where the customer is now. Ultimately, it’s a mix of hard data and soft signals, with your customer at the forefront of your decision-making.
3 ways to strengthen your buying strategy now
1. Analyse data, customer signals, and timing to guide investments
This is where you bring science and intuition together:
- Look at your current & historical trade: Pull together your key metrics at a product and category level — sell-through, margin, returns, and contribution to the total business.
- Then look for patterns: e.g., early sell-out patterns could signal an opportunity to either buy more depth. High markdowns on a category could indicate there’s an opportunity to either reprice or rethink the depth or width of the assortment.
- Remember to take timing into account when looking at these patterns: An emerging trend can fall flat if you’re too late, but the same product can outperform if you land it at the right moment.
2. Invest in emerging categories and reframe or reduce fatigued ones
When you see consistent growth, even in smaller categories, back it early before competitors crowd the space. At the same time, keep an eye out for fatigue by looking for those indicators in your data.
3. Apply metrics and report frameworks to customise assortments at scale
Scaling your assortment doesn’t mean cloning the same range everywhere. Whilst your base may be similar, you can flex for region, store format, or channel. To do this well, you need to:
- Agree on the level of customisation or tailoring, and also which segments you’re tailoring for, is it States, Countries, or groupings like East and West Coast, or Northern and Southern Hemisphere. Or are you thinking about buyer personas? Look at the contribution across the different levels and understand where, visually, there are real variations to account for. This helps you invest your energy where it’s going to pay off.
- Once you’ve made your selections, look at your assortment as one complete ‘customer offer’. The goal is to have every piece in your range adding value, not competing for the same sale. We don’t want any cannibalisation.
- And finally, consistent report templates are important for every team to align on the plans and you get buy-in.
There are so many macro factors that impact the retail industry, as well as consumer behaviors and spending habits. It’s about having that internal locus of control, focusing on key metric indicators and a framework of reports to see those product patterns, and drawing on your corresponding methodology of trading and buying actions as a response.
Having all the metric thresholds set that trigger these responses at your fingertips is a great first step in scaling your buying practices.
For more strategies and in-depth discussion on buying and planning, watch the full Scaling Fashion Buying: How Leading Retailers are Rewriting the Playbook Webinar on demand.
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