Range Plan
September 14, 2025 - September 14, 2025
I have been in the buying offices of Littlewoods, M&S and the Arcadia Group. It didn’t matter which company I worked for we always used a pictorial Range Plan to review the balance of the range.
Sometimes I think range planning can correlate to a jigsaw puzzle. You have certain criteria you have to cater for e.g maybe a key silhouette, a flowline (i.e. a line that is your best seller form last year and its to be developed further into this seasons collection).
You may want to have multi buys and look at coordinated multi buys such as a print skirt being offered with a print top but also plain colours in a blouse to pick up the printed skirt so there is mix and match opportunities.
You may want to have multi buys and look at coordinated multi buys such as a print skirt being offered with a print top but also plain colours in a blouse to pick up the printed skirt so there is mix and match opportunities.
All of this has to be itemised and then developed into a Range Plan. This document helps you to do this.
There are various boxes at the top that have to have the image of the garments put in. Underneath the image you then have a box for colours and fabric swatches Sizes et al. Each box has to be filled in so you can evaluate if the range is balanced:
Is there enough long sleeve v short sleeve blouses?
Is there enough colour compared to print?
What % is going to be classic colours of red, black, ivory, cream, compared to fashion colours such as acid lime or tangerine for summer or perhaps dark cerise pink for autumn.
Again I was always taught that tops are the vehicle for colour and should be used to expand a range whereas a bottom (skirt/trouser) is an investment buy so therefor you buy less of the bottoms. The ratio I used to buy to was 2.5 tops to 1 bottom. Remember tops can also include t-shirts and knitwear as well as blouses.
Once the range plan boxes are all complete you then need to attach this to a wall and keep reviewing it. This is an enormous investment so don’t make snap decisions. Ask friends, family as well as your mentor to look at the range plan and keep reflecting on the balance of the range. I have often had excellent results working through range plans with our mentored designers and seeing the whole range in front of you before any cloth is purchased and committed is an excellent way of ensuring you have the right product mix and signature for your design.
Just one word of warning however do not over strategise. Its easy to keep reviewing this plan in isolation and keep changing your mind and moving the fabric swatches around. If you start doing this come in for a mentoring session! Having someone on your side completely is always a major advantage.
Click here to download and print a range plan sheet
