Marketing Essentials

Chapter 23: Purchasing

Figures Online Action

Figure 23.1

A Failure to Plan
Researching and compiling a six-month merchandise plan can be time-consuming, and as a result, many smaller businesses do not bother with them. Should all companies that buy and sell products take the time to make a merchandise plan? Why, or why not?

Activity
Write a five-paragraph persuasive essay about the benefits of merchandise plans.

Figure 23.2

Types of Purchases
Consider the following situations:

• A restaurant manager calls his soft drink supplier, and places his standard order for 30 cases of soda and 20 cases of diet soda.
• The chef has added lamb to the menu, and places an order with one of the three meat providers he uses.
• The person in charge of the wine selection orders thirty more bottles from a winery they have used in the past, but changes the selection from pinot noir to pinot grigio.

Activity
For each of the following examples, identify which type of purchase they represent: