NORTH SHORE NEWS

March 31, 1982

page C-1

AT CAP COLLEGE

MERCHANDISING
HAS HAD A FACELIR
THEY'VE TAKEN the fluff out of the retail
merchandising program at Capilano College,
and co-ordinator Marilyn Taylor couldn't be
happier about it.
Taylor, an attractive
dynamo who radiates enthusiasm, is proud of the
dramatic change the former
retail fashion program has
taken -- and to show the
community the results, the
department is having an
open house today and a
fashion show next week.
The most obvious change
is the name, but the new
merchandising label is only
part of it. Instead of focussing on fashion, appearance
and
presentation,
the
courses now concentrate on
marketing and merchandising.
"People think buying is
going into the Vancouver
Show Mart, but while this is
a part of it, it is by no means
all of it," Taylor says.
"In order to make those
buying decisions, you require an awful lot of
knowledge of consumer
behavior and knowledge of
your market."
"With the program's name
change, the students have
changed too. Of the 60
students now enrolled in the
two-year program, three are
men -- an unheard of situation less than two years ago.
''The name change takes
the fluff out of the program,"
Taylor says. "We're now trying to get even more men
in . "
What is merchandising?
Taylor says it is essentially
marketing in a retail store.

By NANCY CAMPBELL

The functions include buying and selling merchandise,
with a necessary background
in math, accounting,
budgeting,
economics,
business knowledge and
forecasting, and charting
and understanding consumer
trends.
That's not all. Selling requires skills in training staff,
salesmanship, advertising
and promotion, and visual
merchandising.
Because of the small
number of students allowed
into the first year of the program, Taylor says ithe
department now has to interview prospective students
and select just 30 -of the 100
applicants.
"We're looking for highly
motivated, enthusiastic personalities,
who
enjoy
meeting the public and have
some selling skills," she said.

"We're certainly keen on

talking to people who are interested in redirecting their
careers."
Taylor herself is the best
advertisement her program
could have, even if North
Shore students are not
already aware of the course.
Organized and calm despite
the maelstrom an infant son
and four year old daughter
can create, her knowledge of
her department and students
is obviously paying off in the
high percentage of jobs held
by recent graduates.
One is now a sales
manager for Batons, several
are sales reps for clothing
lines. Another is a promotions manager for a shopping
centre, and some are assistant managers and management trainees for chain
stores.
"Our reputation is getting
better all the time," Taylor
says. "We've put a lot of
hard work into developing a
program to fit the industry's
needs.
"We keep in constant contact with industry advisors,
discussing how to update the
CONTINUED ON PAGE C2

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grads··
- - - - - - - - - - - - - .· graduates ··and helping to , ~ • • change and devclop- 'I apcctive students can decide uasts and -brass players. The
· place them." .
mcnt. Students will be · · if merchandising, Capilano . annual event ·will -be at the
,
'l'hc ~
' house today, displaying many. , of their College style; is for them. · Centennial Theatre, and
program, uid IDQr'C im)>QI"" _ from 3 . to 8 · p.m.- .is just skills, the public can learn . There will be acvr;ra,J ~dco tickets arc available at the
tantly, ad,uiing them of another,. part ' of the pro- !lbout the program, and pro- 1 programs ,- , ·a tc,xtile college's information centre
·
~
•
·
· . · demonstration, a mtnt- prbycalling986-1911.
fashion show, display win- . Mcrchandiling is a major
dow eumplcs and a prcsen- c~gc for the 9-year pro- ,
tation of creative ad produc- gram, but one which Taylor
tions ill the A tower building is confident about. Now that
at the Lynnpiour campus.
they've taken the fluff out; it
·
looks like the students are
. Next Wednesday, April 7, getting the lead out in a
the stooents will be ~osting • dynamic and interesting pr~
gala fashion show, complete gram, rivalled by none in the,,
with ci.oreograpby, gym- Lower Mainland.

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