プライシング （英文）

Fashion Industry Price Point Classifications

Budget or mass market - The low end of the apparel spectrum with clothes, footwear, and accessories that retail at relatively low price points.   Garments are typically at fair quality and at fair value.  Often casual sportswear such as jeans and T-shirts falls into this category.   However, the clothing category is not the primary issue at hand.  For example, not all jeans or tees would qualify.  Keep in mind that these silhouettes can be designed by high end designers and would too expensive to be for budget or mass market.  It is important to think of the brand in addition to the garment type.  Mass market apparel sometimes is a knockoff of higher priced designer items.   When we say “knockoffs”, we refer to clothing with similar appearance but are sold at popular prices to the masses.  It is important to note that “typically” the quality would be lower along with the price.  The “mass market” segment received its name because it serves the “masses” (has a large consumer base).  The mass market and budget driven stores typically buy in large quantities so they are able to keep retail prices low.  Many designers are starting to turn to mass market retailers such as Target to introduce lower-priced, but well-styled merchandise: Cynthia Rowley, Todd Oldham, Liz Lange, Isaac Mizrahi are a few.  Old Navy, Cherokee, and Mossimo are a few popular budget labels.   Product sold at mass market is intended for broad consumption.  Product is often derivations of popular styles and staples.  This is the lowest price classification in which one would find advertised brand names. Prices are below average. Promotion of this price range to consumers is often based on value.  Retailers in this space typically work on high volume and low profit margins.

Discount or Off-price – Low priced merchandise.  This price range may include samples, close-outs, discontinued, season items or irregulars.  The clothing could have been at any price originally, but is retailing for less now.  Outlet malls or stores like Ross are example of off-price retailers selling a mixture of discount labels.  This category contains two primary sources of merchandise.  The first kind are produced specifically for the discount market.  The second sort of discount goods is clothes that have been sold in the off price market because the items didn’t sell at the originally intended price point category.   Some designers move down to discount price points if their brand is becoming less sought after than it had been in the past.  There are a  broad range of discount stores.  Some sell goods that are very low priced such as dollar stores and other discounters such as TJ Maxx sell moderate.  Other discounters sell  bridge or contemporary.  Discount is difficult to categorize because a discounter can sell a wide variety of classifications.  They can sell moderate, better, bridge, designers, etc., as long as it is done at a reduced price.

Moderate - Dresses, sportswear, career wear and nationally advertised apparel brands fit into this price point category.  Companies such as Nine West, Levi’s, Gap, Van Heusen, and Land's End are all in the moderate range.  Medium priced merchandise which is a step above budget.  This is the price classification that majority of clothing and footwear fall into.   The majority of Children's wear labels also fall into this category.  Many fashion labels straddle this category.   Retailers such as Dillard’s and Macy’s maybe considered to be a moderate department store although their women’s wear and men’s wear can hit contemporary and better price points.  The bulk of sportswear falls into moderate category.