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Merchandising Responsibilities

The Merchandising function drives strategic product planning through clear role assignments using the RABSIC framework. This page details who does what within our merchandising organization and how we coordinate with other departments to translate K-pop industry trends into profitable costume portfolios.

Merchandising Director​

RABSIC: A (Accountable)

The Merchandising Director owns the entire merchandising function's performance. This person makes final decisions on collection direction, pricing strategy, portfolio optimization, and market positioning. When collection plans need board approval, the Director presents the business case and defends the strategic rationale.

Accountability means owning outcomes. If our product mix underperforms, if we miss trend opportunities, if pricing strategy fails to meet margin targets—the Merchandising Director answers for these results. But accountability also means authority to make decisions that drive success.

The Director sets the strategic vision: Which costume categories should we emphasize this year? What client segments deserve investment? How should we position against competitors? These strategic choices cascade down to the team as execution priorities.

Budget responsibility sits here too. The Merchandising Director defends the department's headcount, tools budget, and travel expenses for trend research. They also own revenue targets—merchandising decisions directly impact which sales opportunities we pursue and win.

Cross-functional influence is crucial. The Director works with the Design Director to align creative vision with market demand. They partner with Finance on pricing models and profitability targets. They coordinate with Sales on client segmentation and win rate improvements. This role requires balancing multiple stakeholder interests while maintaining merchandising's strategic authority.

Product Planning Manager​

RABSIC: R (Responsible)

The Product Planning Manager executes collection planning and portfolio management. While the Director sets strategy, the Planning Manager translates it into concrete seasonal product lineups and development roadmaps.

This role builds the actual collection plans: which costume types in which quantities for which target clients. The Planning Manager coordinates with design to sequence concept development, ensuring designers focus on highest-priority categories. They maintain the product pipeline, tracking concepts from ideation through production launch.

Portfolio performance analysis falls to the Planning Manager. They monitor revenue by costume category, margin trends, and growth trajectories. Monthly reviews examine which products exceed targets and which underperform. This analysis feeds recommendations for portfolio adjustments—doubling down on successful categories or phasing out weak performers.

The Planning Manager participates in design reviews, providing commercial perspective on proposed concepts. Can we sell this design? What client segment would it appeal to? How does it fit our strategic priorities? This input helps design refine concepts to maximize market success.

Coordination with operations is constant. The Planning Manager communicates production priorities based on merchandising strategy. They provide demand forecasts that inform capacity planning. When production constraints limit product options, they help merchandising adapt plans to operational reality.

Trend Analyst​

RABSIC: R (Responsible)

The Trend Analyst researches K-pop industry developments and forecasts emerging directions. This person watches stage performances, music videos, fashion editorials, and social media to identify aesthetic shifts before they become mainstream.

Trend research means systematic monitoring across multiple sources. Entertainment news sites reveal upcoming comebacks and concept directions. Fashion publications show editorial styling influencing K-pop aesthetics. Social media tracking captures viral moments and fan reactions. The Analyst synthesizes these signals into coherent trend narratives.

Competitive intelligence gathering is a key responsibility. What are other costume providers showcasing? Which design directions are competitors emphasizing? Where do we have capability gaps relative to the market? This ongoing monitoring keeps us aware of our competitive position.

The Trend Analyst maintains our trend database, documenting patterns with supporting evidence. When presenting trend forecasts, they back recommendations with concrete examples—screenshots, performance clips, fashion week images. This evidence-based approach helps the team distinguish real trends from noise.

Regular trend reports go to the merchandising team, design leadership, and sales. These reports translate observations into actionable implications: "We're seeing increased demand for transparent fabrics" becomes "Design should explore organza and mesh applications for upcoming collections."

Client Intelligence Lead​

RABSIC: R (Responsible)

The Client Intelligence Lead manages our understanding of each client's preferences, constraints, and relationship dynamics. This role builds institutional knowledge about who our clients are and what they value.

Client preference tracking requires detailed documentation. Which styling approaches has each entertainment company embraced historically? What design elements have they consistently rejected? How have their preferences evolved? The Intelligence Lead maintains these profiles in our CRM.

Project retrospectives feed client intelligence. After major projects, the Intelligence Lead interviews our design and production teams to capture lessons learned. What made this client happy? Where did we struggle? These insights improve future proposals and client interactions.

Client segmentation strategy development happens here. The Intelligence Lead analyzes clients by budget level, order frequency, aesthetic preferences, and strategic value. These segments inform resource allocation—which relationships deserve proactive investment versus reactive service.

Account planning recommendations flow from deep client understanding. When should we present new concepts to strategic accounts? Which design directions align with each client's upcoming needs? The Intelligence Lead coordinates with sales to time outreach effectively.

Relationship risk monitoring is part of this role. Are any clients showing signs of satisfaction decline? Have we lost proposals we historically would have won? Early warning enables relationship recovery before clients defect.

Pricing Strategist​

RABSIC: R (Responsible)

The Pricing Strategist develops and maintains our pricing models across costume categories and client segments. This role ensures our pricing balances market competitiveness with profitability targets.

Pricing model development requires deep cost structure understanding. The Strategist works with finance to analyze material costs, labor expenses, and overhead allocations by product type. Margin analysis reveals which costume categories deliver healthy profits and which squeeze our margins.

Pricing tier creation balances market realities with business needs. Award show custom pieces justify premium pricing due to uniqueness and urgency. Tour costume bulk orders need volume discounts to remain competitive. Rush orders command expedite premiums. The Strategist formalizes these tiers into consistent pricing guidelines.

Competitive pricing analysis keeps us market-aware. The Strategist monitors competitor pricing signals from proposals, industry conversations, and market intelligence. This doesn't mean we match competitor prices—but we need to understand our pricing position and justify our premiums.

Project profitability evaluation happens before proposals go to clients. Sales consults the Pricing Strategist to validate that quoted prices will deliver target margins after accounting for specific project costs. This preventive approval avoids unprofitable projects.

Periodic pricing reviews trigger adjustments. Material cost inflation, labor expense changes, or competitive pressure shifts may require pricing updates. The Strategist recommends adjustments and builds business cases for significant changes.

Market Research Coordinator​

RABSIC: S (Support)

The Market Research Coordinator supports the Trend Analyst with data gathering and analysis. This role handles research tasks that enable trend identification but don't require senior analytical judgment.

Industry report compilation means tracking publications, research firms, and market data sources. When new K-pop industry reports release, the Coordinator summarizes key findings relevant to costume trends. This curated information saves the Trend Analyst time sifting through less relevant content.

Competitor monitoring includes systematic tracking of competitor social media, website updates, and public portfolio showcases. The Coordinator documents new competitor offerings and positioning changes, feeding this intelligence to the Trend Analyst for strategic interpretation.

Survey and interview data collection supports primary research. When we conduct client satisfaction surveys or industry expert interviews, the Coordinator manages logistics and documentation. They schedule calls, record notes, and organize findings for analysis.

Database maintenance keeps our trend and competitive intelligence systems current. The Coordinator ensures information is tagged, categorized, and searchable so the team can quickly find relevant historical patterns.

Product Analysts​

RABSIC: S (Support)

Product Analysts support the Product Planning Manager with data reporting and analysis. This team provides the metrics and dashboards that inform merchandising decisions.

Sales data reporting includes revenue by costume category, average order value by client segment, and growth trends over time. Analysts pull this data from our business systems and present it in formats that make patterns visible.

Profitability calculations require combining revenue data with cost information from finance. Analysts compute gross margins by product type and project, highlighting which areas of our portfolio deliver strong returns versus which create operational effort without proportional profit.

Merchandising presentation support involves creating slides and reports for strategic reviews. When the Merchandising Director presents to leadership, Analysts prepare the data visualizations and financial projections that support recommendations.

Ad hoc analysis requests come from across the merchandising team. "How many tour costume projects did we deliver last year?" "What's our win rate on proposals by client size?" Analysts respond to these questions with data-driven answers.

Cross-Functional RABSIC Relationships​

Design Team (Consulted)​

Design is consulted during collection planning to provide input on creative vision and design feasibility. Before merchandising finalizes seasonal priorities, we gather design perspectives on which directions inspire them and which they see as challenging.

Design is also consulted on trend interpretations. When merchandising identifies emerging aesthetic directions, design helps evaluate whether we have the technical capabilities to execute those trends or need to develop new skills.

Market viability feedback flows from merchandising to design. When design proposes concepts, we provide commercial perspective: market demand assessment, pricing implications, and client segment fit. This two-way consultation balances creative ambition with business reality.

Sales Team (Consulted)​

Sales provides frontline market intelligence that merchandising incorporates into strategy. What are clients requesting that we don't currently offer well? Which design directions are winning proposals versus losing? Sales insights ground merchandising decisions in real client interactions.

Competitive intelligence from sales reveals what competitors are offering and at what price points. Sales hears client comparisons during negotiations, giving merchandising visibility into our competitive position beyond what public research reveals.

Client segment feedback helps merchandising refine segmentation strategy. Sales can validate whether our client categorizations match actual relationship dynamics and buying behaviors.

Finance Team (Consulted)​

Finance is consulted on pricing strategy to ensure models align with cost structures and profitability targets. Merchandising proposes pricing approaches; finance provides cost data and margin analysis that validate or challenge those proposals.

Portfolio investment decisions require finance consultation. If merchandising wants to develop a new costume category requiring capital investment, finance evaluates the business case and return projections.

Budget planning involves merchandising proposing resource needs and finance providing constraints and trade-off guidance. This consultation ensures merchandising's plans are financially sustainable.

Operations Team (Informed)​

Operations receives information about collection plans and product priorities for production capacity planning. When merchandising emphasizes certain costume categories, operations needs to know so they can ensure adequate capability and staffing.

Strategic direction on process optimization flows from merchandising to operations. If merchandising identifies costume types we should optimize for efficiency due to volume potential, operations receives that guidance for process improvement focus.

Client Services (Informed)​

Client Services is informed of merchandising strategy and positioning to maintain consistent client communication. When merchandising decides on product emphasis or pricing approaches, client-facing teams need that context for conversations.

Product focus updates help Client Services guide client inquiries toward our strategic priorities. If we're emphasizing certain costume categories, Client Services can proactively suggest those options to appropriate clients.

Decision-Making Flows​

Strategic Decisions (Collection Planning, Pricing Strategy, Market Positioning)​

Accountable: Merchandising Director Responsible: Product Planning Manager, Pricing Strategist Consulted: Design Team, Sales Team, Finance Team Informed: Operations Team, Client Services

Major merchandising decisions start with analysis from Responsible parties. The Product Planning Manager assesses portfolio performance. The Pricing Strategist evaluates cost structures. Together they develop recommendations.

Consultation happens before decisions finalize. Design input shapes whether our collection plans are creatively feasible. Sales feedback grounds plans in client reality. Finance consultation ensures profitability targets are realistic.

The Merchandising Director makes the final call, weighing multiple inputs. Once decided, operations and client services are informed so they can align execution to the new direction.

Tactical Decisions (Project Pricing, Concept Evaluation, Client Segmentation)​

Responsible: Pricing Strategist (pricing), Product Planning Manager (concepts), Client Intelligence Lead (segmentation) Consulted: As needed based on decision context Accountable: Merchandising Director (escalations only)

Most tactical decisions are made by the Responsible party without Director involvement. The Pricing Strategist prices routine projects using established models. The Product Planning Manager evaluates design concepts against merchandising criteria. The Client Intelligence Lead refines client segments as patterns emerge.

Escalation to the Director happens for edge cases or high-stakes situations. Pricing for unusually large or strategic projects gets Director approval. Design concepts representing new category entry get strategic review. Major client segment redefinitions get Director validation.

This empowerment enables speed while maintaining strategic oversight where it matters most.

Metrics Ownership​

Each role owns specific metrics that track their area of responsibility:

Merchandising Director: Overall revenue targets, portfolio gross margin, client retention rate, strategic client acquisition targets

Product Planning Manager: Portfolio revenue by category, product development ROI, win rate on proposals

Trend Analyst: Trend prediction accuracy (forecasted trends that materialized), competitive intelligence coverage

Client Intelligence Lead: Client satisfaction by segment, relationship health scores, client segment profitability

Pricing Strategist: Pricing variance (actual vs. strategy targets), gross margin by product type, project profitability distribution

These metrics drive performance discussions and continuous improvement within the merchandising function.

Getting Started in Merchandising Roles​

New team members should understand RABSIC assignments don't limit you to narrow tasks. Responsible parties own execution but collaborate broadly. Support roles contribute significantly to team success through thorough analysis and research.

Ask your manager which decisions you're expected to own versus which you should escalate. Understanding your decision authority prevents bottlenecks and builds confidence.

Seek consultation proactively when decisions benefit from others' expertise. Being Responsible doesn't mean deciding alone—it means owning the process of gathering input and driving to resolution.

Learn who to inform about your work. Effective communication of decisions and insights multiplies your impact across the organization.