Quantitative Strategic Plan

I: How do we find the momentum? We will collect data on all aspects affecting consumers and their spending habits, so that we can understand what consumers need and want.

II: The competitors:
- Who are Butler Bags Competitors?
o What are their price points?
 How does this compare to Butler Bag?
o What types of fabrics are they using?
o Do they produce their bags nationally or internationally?
 Does this affect their price point?
o Do they have a marketing strategy i.e. Going green
o Past and Current Sales
o Past color lines

III: Butler bag:
- How are they alike/unalike their competitors?
o Price points?
o Fabric?
o Quality?
o Production?
- How does the company’s mission statement affect decisions made in design and production of Butler bags?
- From our research what elements did we identify as hidden currents?
o How can they be related to Butler bag?
- Past and Current sales
- Past color lines
IV: Color:
- Panton color forecasts?
- Past color forecasts
- Is there a “staple” color that says “Butler bag”
- What season will the bag be released?

V: The Context:
- Social (Alisyn Guest):
o Social movements within the US or Globally. How it effects consumer needs/wants and spending?
o Lifestyle trends, styles adopted, what is considered appropriate
o Global warming, lack of natural resources, growing concern for the environment.
o Issues important to the people.

- Cultural (Alisyn Guest):
o Traditions family or cultural, keeping in mind the US is a “Melting Pot”
o Media trends, how the media influences consumers
o Underground fashions, what influenced people, music, art, war, ect
o Architecture- houses, buildings

- Political (Megan Berry):
o Current political environment and the upcoming changes, how it will affect the consumer and the retail market.
o Current political leaders
o The UN- Global communication, relationships between other countries and the US
o Election year or not
o War effects the process of textile production and research

- Economics (Stacie DuBois):
o Strength of the stock market
o Current state of the overall economy, which direction is it going?
o How is the Economy going to affect our consumer? Our sales?
o Consumer confidence Interval, is it high or low
o Exchange rate of the dollar
o Trade restrictions
o Cost to make, transport, and ultimately sell a product

- Forecasted growth (Lizzie Dobrowski)
o How fast is this target market expected to grow

VI: The product:
- Color (Alisyn Guest):
o Pantone color forecast
o Color Association
o Popular color pallets for interior designs and architecture
o Availability of dyes, how the dyes are set, what chemicals have to be available?
o Popular car colors
o Color trendsblack, bright color, earth tones?

- Fabric/Fiber/Finish (Mallory Black):
o What’s available? Is it accessible because of trade restrictions? Cost? Ect
o Which fabrics and fibers are most popular?
o Researching Green fabrics, and recycled fabrics
o How a fabric performs? Durability? Color? Texture? Stiffness? Ect
o Advances in textile production due to technology: space travel, war, safer cars, more durable fibers, weather resistant, ect

- Design/Styles (Megan Berry):
o Cars: shape, color, overall feel, small or large
o Popular artists
o Architecture and interior design- color, shape, line movement, rhythm, shape repetition, ect.
o What social movements are popular, how do they affect design?
o What style of bag is popular? Large bags, structured, loose, clutches?

- Major designers/Competition (Lizzie Dobrowski):
o Which designer’s bags are popular? Why?
o How do they reach their target market? Who is their target market?
o What textiles and colors are they sourcing?
o Price points? Markdowns?
o How long have they been in business? Do they have an established customer base?

- Price Points (Alisyn Guest):
o How much discretionary income do consumers have? How does this affect sales of bags?
o Price points of similar items
o Which price points have the most sales?

- Related Accessories (Stacie DuBois):
o New technology- cell phones, computers, mp3 players
o Travel bags, carry-on size, and suitcases

VII: The End User: Relating to Bags
- Psychographics (Stacie DuBois):
o Values and beliefs
o Personality traits that affect buying
o How consumer’s lifestyles affect s the need/want for a product?
o Consumers feelings on : the environment, politics, war, world issues, ect

- Behavioral (Mallory Black):
o Hobbies: what they do in their time off: sports? Family? Vacation? ect
o What the consumer is passionate about: Sports, dance, fine foods, ect
o How much time do they spend working vs time off
o Religion

- Demographics (Megan Berry):
o How does the consumer’s education level or occupation affect their spending?
o What age group is spending the most money? On what?
o How does gender affect interest in bags?
o How much discretionary income do people have? What are they spending it on?

- Cultural profile (Alisyn Guest)
o Traditional family or cultural, keeping in mind the US is a “Melting Pot”.
o Media trends, how the media influences consumers.
o Underground fashions, what influenced people, music, art, war, ect.
o Architecture- houses, buildings.


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