Flourish Retail

Buying everything upfront feels safe. Until it isn’t. One of the biggest mistakes I see with stock commitment is locking it all in too early. Not because the plan is wrong, but because the world doesn’t stand still once you’ve placed the order. Right commitment timing is about protecting flexibility. When you commit too much, too soon: → You can’t react when demand shifts → You can’t chase what’s working → You’re stuck managing excess instead of trading opportunity This is why understanding your critical path and lead times matters. It tells you: → What genuinely needs committing now → What can wait → And where you’ve got room to react later And this is where reality kicks in. Supplier timelines move. Shipping windows change. Calendar quirks happen every year. Lunar New Year is a perfect example. If it’s not factored in early, suddenly: → stock arrives later than planned → gaps appear where you didn’t expect them → and flexibility disappears overnight Not because anything went wrong, but because timing wasn’t mapped clearly enough. The goal isn’t to delay everything. It’s to commit just enough, at the right moments, so you keep control. 💬 Where do you feel over-committed right now — and what flexibility would you want back?

One of the biggest myths in retail is that growth comes from buying more. More options. More depth. More “just in case”. But most of the time, buying more just creates more pressure later. Pressure to discount. Pressure on cash. Pressure on space. Pressure on you. Buying less doesn’t mean playing it safe. It means buying with intent. It means knowing: → what you’re actually trying to sell → what you already have committed → and where extra volume will help… or hurt The goal isn’t minimal stock. It’s the right stock. 💬 Where do you think buying a little less would actually improve your results?

You don’t clean your data to become more “data-led”. You clean it so you can stop thinking about it. When the basics are solid, something interesting happens: - you stop double-checking everything - you stop reopening the same questions - and decisions start taking minutes, not days Not because the answers are easy. But because you’re no longer fighting the inputs. This is the bit people underestimate. Good data doesn’t make decisions for you. It just removes the noise so you can actually use your judgement. And that frees up space for the things that matter more: → spotting patterns → responding faster → thinking a step ahead instead of firefighting That’s the real payoff. Not prettier spreadsheets (although I do love those). Lighter decisions. 💬 Where do you feel like you’re overthinking something that should be straightforward?

You don’t need perfect data. You need useful data. This is where people get stuck. They think data cleaning means: → fixing everything → rebuilding reports → getting lost in spreadsheets for days It doesn’t. Good merchandising data only needs to answer a few core questions well. So today, focus on what’s actually worth cleaning. Start with the decisions you make most often: → What’s selling? → What isn’t? → What do I need to buy or stop buying? → Where is cash getting stuck? If your data can answer those clearly, you’re in a good place. You can safely ignore (for now): → Nice-to-have fields you never use → Historic quirks that don’t affect current decisions → Edge cases that come up once a year Clean the data that feeds decisions. Leave the rest alone. Because clarity isn’t about having more information. It’s about having the right information, ready when you need it. 💬 Which decision in your business would feel easier if the data behind it was cleaner?

Messy data is like a kitchen where everything lives in a different cupboard. You can cook in it. You just spend half your time opening drawers. You’re constantly asking: → “Where did I put that?” → “Do we have this already?” → “Is this the same thing as that other one?” That’s what happens when: → Products are named slightly differently → Colours exist in six versions of “blue” → Reports pull from different sources → Numbers are almost, but not quite, the same Nothing is technically broken. It’s just… inefficient. Clean data is when everything has one place. One name. One version of the truth. So when you need to answer a question, you don’t hunt. You act. That’s why data cleaning isn’t about perfection. It’s about reducing friction. Less mental load. Fewer pauses. Faster, calmer decisions. And when you’re making decisions every single day, that matters more than you think. 💬 What’s the thing you’re always “looking for” in your data that should really be obvious by now?

It’s about removing friction. Most people think data cleaning means: “Make it neat.” “Make it pretty.” “Make it perfect.” It doesn’t. It means asking one simple question: 👉 Does this help me make a decision? Because friction shows up when: → You’re reconciling reports instead of acting → You’re exporting things “just to sense-check” → You’re second-guessing before every decision And a huge part of that friction comes from product data. If you’re reporting or planning by product attributes like colour, size or style, consistency matters. Because: → Six different versions of “blue” aren’t insight → “Navy”, “ink”, “midnight” and “dark blue” split your data → And suddenly your reports don’t tell a clear story That’s not a system problem. It’s a structure problem. Good data should: → Group cleanly → Roll up sensibly → Let you spot patterns without decoding them first You don’t need to clean everything. You need one version of the truth for the things you actually use: sales, stock, margin, commitments and the product details that sit underneath them. Once that’s solid, decisions get faster. And doubt stops stealing your time. 💬 Where does messy product info slow you down right now?

Sh*t in, sh*t out. It’s blunt, but it’s true. Most product businesses don’t struggle because they don’t have data. They struggle because they have too many versions of it. Different numbers in different places. Slight mismatches that “aren’t a big deal”. Figures that are nearly right. So every decision comes with a pause: → “Is this number right?” → “Which version should I trust?” → “Am I missing something?” That constant questioning makes you wary of the answers. And when you don’t trust the numbers, you delay decisions, second-guess yourself, or avoid them altogether. That’s why this needs fixing properly, not temporarily. And it’s why this is always where we start with our clients. 💬 Where in your business are you still working with numbers you don’t fully trust?

OTB isn’t a tool you “use”. It’s an output. It’s what drops out when your merchandising is clear. When you understand: → what you’re trying to sell → how your range is performing → where demand is building or slowing → and how much stock each product genuinely deserves The buying number becomes obvious. And when that happens, everything else feels calmer. You’re not: → chasing every spike → second-guessing every order → or using discounting to fix earlier decisions Because your stock position makes sense. That’s what good merchandising does. It gives you confidence in the decisions you don’t make as much as the ones you do. OTB is simply the reflection of that clarity. 💬 Where has clearer merchandising helped you avoid a reactive decision this season?

The biggest cost in buying decisions isn’t always the stock itself. It’s the knock-on effects. Without a clear Open to Buy, businesses often: → overbuy early “just in case” → tie up cash too soon → miss better opportunities later → discount harder than planned to fix it OTB helps you avoid that. Because when you know: → how much stock you should buy across a period → and when you actually need it you don’t have to commit everything upfront. You can phase decisions. Hold back spend. Respond to what’s actually working. That’s how OTB protects margin, not just cash. It gives you room to manoeuvre instead of forcing you into early, irreversible choices. 💬 Where have you felt pressured to commit earlier than you wanted to?

One of the biggest misconceptions about Open to Buy is that it’s rigid. That once it’s set, you’re locked in. In reality, OTB only works because it moves. It doesn’t tell you what’s happening. Your trading does that. If something is selling better than expected, you adjust the plan to allow more spend. If something isn’t landing, you pull back and redirect. OTB is a response tool. Think of it like a sat nav. You set the destination. It gives you a sensible route. But when traffic hits or a quicker option appears, it recalculates. You don’t turn it off. You let it update the route. OTB works the same way. It gives you clarity first, so you can react calmly instead of scrambling later. 💬 When sales surprise you, do you have a plan you can adjust — or are you forced into last-minute decisions?