Book reviews / Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services 10 (2003) 57–60
Retail product management: buying and merchandising
Rosemary Varley; Routledge, 2001
From the outset Varley makes clear her belief in the
centrality of the product to successful retail activity.
This she acknowledges, nowadays, is less to do with the
development of new products and more with the ability
of the retailer ‘‘to create the illusion of newness and
freshness in their product ranges by selecting and
developing innovative product variations’’ (p. 1). How-
ever, Varley is not so na.ıve as to propose that retailing is
simply about providing common loci for the redistribu-
tion of products in manageable quantities for the benefit
of the customer (although she highlights that particular
retailer function). Instead, she recognises the need to
manage products within the retail environment in order
to provide a satisfactory, stimulating and sometimes
entertaining experience for the customer in a manner
that separates it from its competitors.
Efficient and effective as the author is when discussing
the ‘‘big retailing picture’’ the principle attribute that
distinguishes this text from the majority of its con-
temporaries is what Varley terms its ‘‘operational focus’’
(p. 2). This attribute is significant for two reasons.
Firstly, it addresses a general deficit in the literature of
retailing, and does so from the perspective of one who
has experience and subsequently, insight. Secondly, and
importantly in relation to the positioning of this text in
the marketplace, this emphasis recognises that the
majority of pre-employment graduates will enter the
workplace at an operational level and as such, success-
fully satisfies the academic and practical needs of what
will most likely constitute a significant proportion of the
book’s readership.
That stated, the book should also have resonance for
much larger audience than academics and students of
retailing. This book would serve as a highly effective
manual for managers in the retailing arena, particularly
those with responsibilities for the sourcing, selecting,
scheduling or merchandising of products. Furthermore,
its contextual examination of product management
suggests that this is a book which would be a valuable
addition to the reading lists of general marketing and
business students, providing as it does a useful and
transferable consideration of one of the key components
of the marketing mix.
Varley logically commences the book with an
examination of the relationship between products,
product management and the retailer, exploring the
changing nature of retailing and retailers and how this is
manifest in the product selection and situation. Hence
she sets the scene for the subsequent detailed considera-
tion of the subject. The book thereafter proceeds to
provide a comprehensive summary of the personnel
involved in product management, their roles (and the
tasks involved in product category management) and
59
the organisational structures in which these personnel
operate.
Varley adds value to the text through her prolific
use of contemporary case studies, providing as they
do useful exemplars and adding credibility to the
text. Varley’s interpretation of these cases is enhanced
by her ability to fuse personal experience gained through
her employment in the retail sector with academic
application, thereby ensuring that the book manages
to satisfy a dual purpose. In addition, the inclusion of
case studies provides not only evidence and/or context
for the issues discussed in the text, but provides a
‘‘learning launch-pad’’ for the student, encouraging
further, independent study of the organisations and
issues specific to the cases, with such independent study
being further facilitated with the inclusion of key
references.
The book dedicates 3 Chapters to what Varley terms
the ‘‘traditional buying process’’ (p. 3), concerning
themselves, respectively, with product selection, suppli-
ers and quantity. Within these 3 Chapters, Varley
succinctly summarises issues at the centre of product
management, providing a balanced account of the
activities involved in identifying appropriate merchan-
dise ranges, in respect of the individual and collective
significance of the products; identifying appropriate
sources of those products and finally determining
appropriate quantities. However, she also stresses
the significance of these decisions with respect to the
perception and experience of the customer and the
impact of good or bad decision upon the performance of
the retailer with respect to profitability, supplier con-
tinuity, legal issues, retailer position etc.
Some of these issues are developed further in the
following chapters where consideration is given to range
management. Within this section of the book Varley
elaborates upon the topics of range assortment and the
implications of decisions relating to breadth versus
depth have upon the retailer, its merchandise strategy,
its comparative position in relation to its competitors
and upon customer perception.
Significant as these factors are, she also raises the
pragmatic issue of profitability and the time related
nature of profitability. In accord with the general retail
literature, it is acknowledged that products are the
means by which income is generated, and as such, are of
fundamental consequence to the profitability of the
retailer. Profitability, she argues, can be achieved visa vi
two approaches: increasing margins on products sold or
decreasing costs of selling products. Wisely the caveat is
added that the achievement of profit is not the sole
responsibility of those involved in product management,
nor indeed is it the sole result of effective product
management. However, there is merit in identifying and
clarifying the relationship between product and profit-
ability and the role therefore, that personnel engaged in
60 Book reviews / Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services 10 (2003) 57–60
product management may have upon the profitability of
the organisation.
It is inappropriate to consider profitability without
considering space allocation and this aspect of product
management is afforded thorough coverage within the
book. The author, once again, provides a succinct, but
effective account of the means by which space allocated
and evaluated, encompassing sales/profitability ratios,
customer flow and customer characteristics and beha-
viours. The book also recognises the increasingly
competitive nature of space, whereby planning restric-
tions prevent the creation of more space and the
solutions for such, particularly through logistics and
stock control systems. In so doing, the reader is
unavoidably aware of the context in which space is
managed and the conflicts and pressures that are
associated with its management.
Critically, the author recognises that the environ-
ment in which products are sold is a key issue for the
customer in influencing their shopping decisions,
not only with respect to where to shop, but also
what to purchase. It is therefore appropriate that
Varley dedicates 2 Chapters to what might be described
as design elements of retailing; those of store design
and visual merchandising. It could be argued that
these elements could be reviewed collectively under the
heading of store design, and indeed the author
recognises and acknowledges this. However, the
distinction between store design and visual merchandis-
ing, in the context of this book, emerges as a sensible
one. By isolating visual merchandising, the author is
able to establish that product management does not
stop at the point when the goods are selected, ordered
and delivered, but continues through to the point
when the product is presented in store and that this
must therefore, include the manner in which it is
presented. This latter aspect involves not only the
physical structures that are used to display the
products, but also the influence that the product
itself exerts upon the display. Furthermore, such
distinction between the elements of store design
encourages the reader to develop associations between
the chapter dedicated to visual merchandise and those
earlier chapters concerned with product selection and
space allocation.
PII: S 0 9 6 9 - 6 9 8 9 ( 0 2 ) 0 0 0 1 1 - 5
While much of the book’s content is relevant to all
forms of retailing, Varley identifies that there are some
key differences between store retailing and non-store
retailing with respect to product. Such differences
include the dependency upon product representation
by image rather than reality, the absence of the store
experience and the lack of immediate gratification.
However, underlying this identification of the differ-
ences is the suggestion that the varying approaches to
retailing (store, non-store or multi-channel) have more
in common with one another than they have differences,
particularly with respect to the early stages of product
management.
Finally, Varley gives due attention to the management
of products in the context of international markets,
arguing as she does that ‘‘very few large retailers can
ignore the opportunities afforded by an international
approach to their business’’ (p. 205). It is perhaps worth
noting that the internationalisation of retailers has
implications for small retailers as well, although these
may be manifest more in terms of threat than
opportunity. In her review of this aspect of product
management, Varley raises the question of standardisa-
tion versus adaptation, suggesting appositely that the
extent to which the retailer need modify the product
(range) is dependent partially upon the specific sector in
which it is competing and the expectations of the
customers therein.
However, while the decision to modify or not may be
a strategic one, she stresses that some modifications are
unavoidable and thus implies that an ignorance of such
is likely to result in failure, citing amongst others, the
example of the need for product information to be
provided in a appropriate languages. It is this consis-
tently practical approach to product management that
renders this book such a distinctive and valuable one. It
is the logic of its presentation that renders it such a
readable one.
Stephen A. Doyle
School of Marketing and Tourism,
Napier University, Room 701, New Craig,
Edinburgh Scotland EH105LG UK
E-mail address: s.doyle@napier.ac.uk