You were recently promoted to the position of buyer for the Accessory Department in a prominent women's specialty store$-$ Planet Blue. Your market week is about to open, and in anticipation of this, you must be prepared with certain dollar goals for the coming season.

The policy of your store is that the buyer is responsible for formulating the departmental dollar six$-$month plan. You know that if this plan is to be of value, the established figures must be ones you can achieve. You also know that despite your inexperience, you will have to be prepared to explain and justify the plans and strategies you will use as guidelines when merchandising for the period under consideration.

Where shall you begin?

You know a sound basis for future planning is to analyze the past results of your "new" department. So before you develop your plan for Fall, review the figures from last year Fall achieved by the Accessory Department.