We’ve written articles on how to write a well-thought-out jewelry order. (HOT CAKES fall 2000 issue) Now we want to address a very important part of maximizing retail profits: buying and selling trend items...

what is trend item buying? It happens all the time. Some little hot item becomes all the rage - everyone must have it. It’s the fun little purchase of the summer season or the must-have accessory for holiday. Whatever it is, your customers want it and it is your job to sell it to them.

Many very successful retailers have built an empire starting their own trends or maximizing and taking full advantage of an existing trend. You can do it too with careful buying, merchandising and pricing.

how is buying trend items different?

When ordering a jewelry line, you put together a collection, choosing pieces that create a look and merchandise well together. When you are buying a single hot item, you are targeting just one particular item or look and running it deep. It is a single look, direct and to the point.

Occasionally a trend item will evolve into or invigorate sales of an entire category, as Y-necklaces and elastic bracelets did for necklaces and bracelets in general. And sometimes it is just a one season fling.

why should I sell these trend items?

Because if you don’t, you are giving your sales away. Your customers want these trend items and if you don’t sell it to them some one else will. Don’t let trends be missed opportunities.

Trend items will be what bring your customers continually coming back to check what’s new & hot. The Gap has been using this technique for years. The specific item will be different each time but it is the immediate desire of the object that defines it.

to know the trends, you must do your research

Keep up with the latest looks and trends. While you may not love the actual programming of prime-time network TV, these shows are setting the trends. Look through magazines like InStyle, Glamour and People - the more mainstream, the bette

Watch what celebrities are wearing during the morning news show interviews. Look to the young and trendy in your neighborhood - this is a direct indication of the next soon-to-hit wave.

know who your customer is and tailor the trend to them

Don’t make assumptions! Even if your customers are not young, hip trendsters, the theory still applies. The desire for the new fun little trend item is ingrained in the American psyche.

Modify the specific trend to fit your customers.

If fun crystal toe rings are hot for the twenty-somethings, try a more classic toe ring in silver for your over-forty crowd. Don’t assume your customers won’t buy a trend; if you tailor it to them, everybody wants to be a little bit hip...

create an item within a line you already carry

You can also take a particularly strong item within a line you already carry and bring it in as an item. Showcase the item and bring it in deep, then when inventory runs down, remerchandise with the rest of the line.

Think outside the box! Look at every line with a fresh eye. Is there something you can pull from the line to create an item? Trend items are not only new product. Remerch-andising an existing product and looking at it differently can create a whole new sensation.

..and the how-to of item buying... what you need to do

How do you optimize sales of these hot little items? Now that you’ve decided to sell the trends here are some key points to buying, displaying and merchandising these hot selling trend items...

timing is more than important, it is essential

Trends are all about timing; too early, and the customers don’t understand, too late and they don’t care. Timing will depend on your customers - do they tend to be at the head of the trend, or do they wait for it to become more mainstream?

Seasonal timing is also essential. Toe rings that are hot-hot-hot in August have little or no appeal in October. Christmas pins need to be in the store November 15 so those inclined can wear them the entire holiday season.

price items to move quickly, use one price if at all possible

Price trend items all one price. This makes the impulse purchase that much faster a decision. Choose a retail friendly price point and make the signage clear. Make the buying decision more immediate with less factors to take into account. Remember, these purchases need to be quick and easy.

If a trend is hot your neighbors are bound to have some of it for sale too. This makes pricing tricky. Know your customer; do they want the best bargain, or a better quality product. The difference is often only the price. Determine what your customers want and expect from your store, and fit the product and price accordingly.

merchandise for ease of access and quick buying

The merchandising must be immediate and available. These are impulse purchases and the faster they can access the product and make their buying decisions the better. Opt for clean and simple merchandising that maximizes the amount of product and still allows the customers to get to the product quickly.

have enough inventory - trend items are not a piece-y business

You must have enough of the item to show the customers that you believe in it and that it is a hot trend. Inventory management is essential. As the saying goes "make hay while the sun shines." (while I don’t know exactly what that means, it’s still a good saying...) Have quantities on hand to allow for maximum sales.

Know your suppliers’ lead time and have backup resources. Track your sales and make projections. Re-order quickly and often, but be sure to watch closely for the trend to end. More often than not retailers tend to bail before the customers. Order smaller quantities if you feel the trend is slowing down.

display and location tells the customer "this is important"

Clear signage will tell your customers that this is the newest and hottest trend. Spell it out for them - name the trend and make the price clearly available.

Signage is important throughout your store but crucial with trend items. The fewer words the better. Signage needs to be direct and convey to your customers that this is the latest and greatest and they need to have it.

Put these items front and center. Location will tell the customer that an item is important. A display in the back of your store does not tell the customer that this is a special hot item. Remember, these are trend items they will be looking for, and they are also impulse purchases. Next to the cash register is ideal.