Guides
Working methods for people who decide what to design, buy and stock. Each guide is one idea or one procedure, with an example and a way to check yourself. They are the open part of Horizon Education.
Trend research
- Signal vs. Taste"I like it" is taste; "it is appearing here, since when, at this pace" is a signal. How to separate the two in trend research and on a moodboard.
- Provenance: Where a Signal Comes FromProvenance is the passport of a trend signal: source, date and place. Why an undocumented image cannot count as evidence, and how to check yours.
- How to Fill a Source CardA six-step method that turns an image or observation into a checkable record: source, date, place, repetition, and why it matters to a buyer.
- Signal StrengthHow far can a trend signal be trusted? Three dials — independence, repetition, spread — and the action each level calls for: watch, test or act.
- Trend, Fad, ClassicA fad is carried by an event, a trend by a shift, a classic by habit. How to classify a fashion phenomenon, and why each needs a different buy.
- From Moodboard to Evidence BoardA moodboard shows what you feel; an evidence board proves what is happening. Four upgrades that turn images into a claim a buyer can act on.
- Scoring Signal StrengthA step-by-step scoring method for trend signals: count origins, score independence, repetition and spread, then reach a watch, test or act verdict.
- Reading Google Trends Without Fooling YourselfFour traps in Google Trends — relative scale, seasonality, interest vs. sales, geography — and the steps that turn a search curve into an honest signal.
- Auditing a Bureau ForecastFive questions to ask of any trend bureau forecast — basis, horizon, falsifiability, track record, interest — before you use it as evidence.
Merchandising
- Assortment as a SystemAn assortment is a system of roles, widths and depths. Core, fashion and image products, typical ratios, and how trend work turns into units.
- Sell-Through & Weeks of CoverSell-through shows whether the buy was right; weeks of cover shows how long you can wait. Definitions, formulas and how to read them by week of life.
- Price ArchitectureA price list is a ladder: entry, core and hero. How the three rungs shape perception and margin, and how sell-through tests your pricing.
- Space Is MoneyEvery metre of a shop floor must pay its rent in sales. Sales density, linear productivity, hot and cold zones, and what deserves prime space.
- Markdown Is the Cost of Being WrongA markdown is the price of a wrong buy — in depth, timing or price. Planned vs. reactive markdowns, the arithmetic, and why early is cheaper.
- Reading a Sell-Through ReportA method for turning a weekly sell-through report into three decisions per style — reorder, hold or mark down — with the number behind each.
- Store Walk AuditA nine-step store walk that turns a shop visit into evidence about space, range and pricing — and one recommendation with a number attached.
- Building a Range PlanTurn a sales target into a range: units to buy, roles, price rungs, width versus depth, phasing and risk — and the errors that sink a buy.
- Markdown Decision RuleA written rule for the first markdown: the trigger, the depth ladder, the calendar and the log — so "one more week" stops costing margin.