plan product ranges and prepare sales and stock plans in conjunction with buyersliaise with buyers, analysts, stores, suppliers and distributorsmaintain a comprehensive library of appropriate datawork closely with visual display staff and department heads to decide how goods should be displayed to maximise salesproduce layout plans for stores, sometimes called 'statements'forecast profits and sales, and optimise the sales volume and profitability of designated product areasplan budgets and present sales forecasts and figures for new rangescontrol stock levels based on forecasts for the seasonuse specialist computer software, for example to handle sales statistics, produce sales projections and present spreadsheets and graphsanalyse every aspect of bestsellers (for example, the bestselling price points, colours or styles), ensuring that they reach their full potentialmaintain awareness of competitors' performancemonitor slow sellers and take action to reduce prices or set promotions as necessarygather information on customers' reactions to productsanalyse the previous season's sales and report on the current season's linesmake financial presentations to senior managersaccompany buyers on visits to manufacturers to appreciate production processesmeet with suppliers and manage the distribution of stock, by negotiating cost prices, ordering stock, agreeing timescales and delivery dates and completing the necessary paperworkidentify production and supply difficulties and deal with any problems or delays as they arisemanage, train and supervise junior staff.