Merchandise Detective Worksheet
Fashion Merchandising Week 3 • Retail Audit
MERCHANDISE DETECTIVE
Investigation Worksheet • Work with your consulting team
Case File #03-MD
Names:
Class:
Date:
Assigned Case:
01 One-Product Wonder 02 Store with Everything 03 Trend Trap
A
Part A | Examine the Evidence
Diagnostic Phase
1. What is the store’s biggest merchandise problem? Support your answer with at least two numbers or details from the case card.
2. Check the issue(s) you found, then explain your choice:
Too little breadth
Too little depth
Too much depth in 1 area
Poor staple/trend balance
3. What might frustrate a customer? How could this affect sales?
B
Part B | Write Your Consultant Recommendations
Max 2 Focused Changes
Make only TWO focused changes. Describe the change and the problem it solves.
| Recommendation | What will change? | Why will this help? |
|---|
| 1. Assortment improvement (Breadth / depth adjustment) | | |
| 2. Balance improvement (Staple vs. trend adjustment) | | |
4. Which recommendation should the store make FIRST? Why?
FASHION MERCHANDISING • MERCHANDISE DETECTIVE PAGE 1 OF 2
Merchandise Detective • Client Presentation & Self-Audit
PAGE 2 OF 2
C
Part C | Consultant Report (60 seconds)
Group Pitch Prep
Use these prompts to prepare your group’s short presentation:
The strongest evidence of a problem is…
This store needs to improve its breadth, depth, or staple/trend balance because…
Our first recommendation is…
Our second recommendation is…
These changes would help customers and sales by…
D
Part D | My Own Business: Merchandise Health Check
Self-Audit
Return to your merchandise assortment from the previous lesson. Check one box per row.
| Checkpoint | Yes | Needs work |
|---|
| I carry several useful product categories. | | |
| My main categories offer enough choices. | | |
| I carry dependable staple products. | | |
| I include some trend merchandise. | | |
| I am not overly dependent on one product type. | | |
1. What is the strongest part of your current assortment?
2. What weakness did you notice?
3. Describe ONE specific adjustment you would make and why.
Exit Ticket
Check for Understanding
Which can be a bigger problem: too much breadth with too little depth, OR too much depth with too little breadth? Explain using a retail example.
