Karen M. Videtic is an associate professor and Chairperson of the Department of Fashion Design and Merchandising at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Cynthia W. Steele is Creative Manager for C & F Enterprises, Inc. and Gallerie II.

This classic text continues to use the fictitious Perry's Department Store to bridge the gap between the principles of retail buying and mathematical formulas and concepts. Drawing on their experience, Videtec and Pierce provide the tools for students to understand buyer's responsibilities by "walking" them through the various steps a new buyer would take to complete a six-month dollar plan and a merchandise assortment plan. The professional perspective is emphasized even more in the third edition with the inclusion of two new chapters on shopping critically, cultural constraints and ethical responsibilities of the buyer. The accompanying CD-ROM allows the student to follow the text's sequence to perform the corresponding steps and calculations more comfortably.

Features:

-- Simulation format walks students through the buying process

-- CD-ROM of market information and templates provide real industry perspective

-- Chapter objectives

-- Bolded vocabulary

-- Appendix includes website resources and retailing formulas

-- Instructor's Guide includes a syllabus for a fifteen-week course; chapter objectives, teaching tips, discussion questions, and completed worksheets for each chapter; and midterm and final exams

New to this Edition:

-- Chapter on shopping the market including methodology, planning ethics, and cultural perspectives

-- Chapter on negotiations including techniques, price, shipping, dating and gross margin and negotiating across cultures

-- Improved spreadsheets with embedded formulas, lined sheets, and explanations of how certain figures are transferred

-- Additional worksheet on purchases by major vendor