Career Diploma in
Fashion Retailing

A history of fashion retailing; types of retailers; direct marketing; trends in the retail industry; qualifying for employment; options for self-employment in fashion.

The fundamentals of fashion; fads and trends; how fashions develop and spread; the role of style and fashion in contemporary society.

The psychology of consumer behavior; the sociology of consumer buying patterns; how consumers make fashion purchasing decisions; spending characteristics at different stages of life.

Creating an organization chart; departmentalizing and decentralizing; recruiting, training, evaluating, and compensating employees.

The global marketplace; deciding what and when to buy; buyer and assistant buyer duties; negotiating purchases; fashion forecasting; using reporting services.

How to work more efficiently and productively.

Markup; factors affecting pricing: competition, quality, inventory turnover, promotional activities, store image, alterations, pilferage, and markdowns.

Sales promotion and advertising basics; promoting the small store; preparing advertising; selecting media; special events; fashion shows; publicity.

Selecting the right site; exterior and interior layout and design; changing window displays; interior graphics, signage, and display fixtures; using color; props; selecting a theme.

The responsibilities of fashion directors, coordinators, and stylists; fashion trend forecasting; sources of data.

The three types of fashion shows; working with the promotion calendar; how to develop a theme and budget; publicity; staging, lighting, and music.

Choosing clothes and accessories; selecting and notifying models; the fitting; packing and shipping merchandise; rehearsing; commentating; the closing; critiquing the show.

The market calendar; working with store buyers, designers, and wholesale reps; the fashion director's roles in a buying office, the textile industry, and manufacturing.

Why direct retailing is growing; from retailer to cataloger; competition; kiosks; direct mail; targeted mailing lists; opportunities in cable television.

Kinds of franchises and franchise arrangements; the mobile franchise; finding a franchiser; franchising costs; understanding the contract; franchise trends.

Essentials for the salesperson; keys to successful selling; suggesting additional merchandise; promoting future business; sources of product information.

Centralized receiving; branch and chain store receiving; inventory shortages; detecting and preventing shoplifting.

Accounting procedures; inventory, dollar, unit, and expense control; stock turnover; the expense budget; classifying the various expenses.

Why retailers give credit; kinds of retail credit; personal shopping; gift wrapping; the gift registry; alterations; approaches to improve customer service.

Finding career opportunities; your résumé; acing the interview; getting off to the right start.