Fashion Business
Deep Dive
Components of a Buy Plan
A comprehensive buy plan includes total budget allocation by category, brand, and delivery month; unit and dollar targets by classification; size curve ratios based on historical selling patterns; color/fabric mix aligned with trend direction; and carryover vs. new style ratios. The plan must balance financial discipline with creative merchandising to deliver both commercial results and a compelling customer experience.
Building the Buy Plan
Buy plans are built collaboratively between buyers, planners, and merchandisers. The process begins with top-down financial targets (sales plan, margin targets, OTB budget) and bottom-up assortment strategy (brand mix, style counts, pricing tiers). Reconciling these top-down and bottom-up approaches requires iterative refinement and often difficult trade-off decisions.
Execution and Adjustment
Buy plans are living documents that require continuous adjustment as actual sales data reveals customer preferences. In-season rebuys, cancellations, and reallocation decisions modify the original plan. The most effective buying organizations build flexibility into their plans — reserving 10-20% of OTB for in-season reaction to trends and bestseller chase.
OSF Perspective
OSF teaches that the buy plan is where fashion instinct meets financial discipline. The best buyers combine deep knowledge of their customer with rigorous analytical planning — creating assortments that are both commercially sound and creatively compelling.
Related Terms
Open-to-Buy | Assortment Planning | Line Sheet | Sell-Through Rate
Notable Brands
Nordstrom (legendary buying team), Selfridges, Ssense