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Markdown early enough to matter.

Range and assortment planning, buying with landed cost, allocation by store grade and size curve, and markdown decisions taken while the season still has weeks to run.

The problem

Markdown is the largest controllable line in retail margin and is usually applied late, uniformly, and after the sell-through data would have supported a smaller, earlier cut.

Allocation compounds it: sending the same size curve to every store guarantees that some stores hold sizes they will never sell, which becomes markdown three months later.

Core workflow

Range plan to season close.

01
Range plan
Categories, options and depth by store grade.
02
Buying
Supplier terms, landed cost and initial margin.
03
Allocation
By store grade, size curve and capacity.
04
Monitor
Sell-through by option and store, weekly.
05
Act
Transfer, promote or mark down — early.
06
Season close
Terminal stock, achieved margin and learning.
What it covers

Planning

Category and range planOption and depth planningOpen to buyStore gradingSeasonal calendar

Buying

Supplier terms and agreementsLanded cost and initial marginPurchase order managementSupplier performanceImport and delivery schedule

In-season

Allocation and size curvesSell-through by optionInter-store rebalancingMarkdown planning and approvalTerminal stock management
Operational outcomes
−4.2 pts
Markdown as % of sales
+6 pts
Season sell-through
Weekly
Sell-through review, not monthly
−31%
Terminal stock at season close

Ranges observed on Al Jawad engagements. Targets agreed in assessment.

Review one season's markdown decisions.

We rebuild the sell-through curve and show where an earlier, smaller markdown would have protected margin.