Optimal Policies for the Pricing and Replenishment of Fashion Apparel considering the Effect of Fashion Level

Fashion apparel, with short product lifecycles and highly volatile demand, requires careful attention during both the initial ordering periods before the selling season and during the selling season, with its decisions regarding price and replenishment. Using Pontryagin’s maximum principle method, this study investigates the problem of the dynamic pricing strategy and replenishment cycle for fashion apparel by considering the effect of fashion level on demand. First, we provide a framework for fashion apparel by formulating a model that includes both price and demand at different fashion levels. We then provide an algorithm to derive the optimal dynamic pricing strategy and replenishment cycle. Numerical examples and sensitivity analyses of the main system parameters are provided to demonstrate the obtained results, which form the basis for managerial insights. It is shown that the apparel retailer has three types of optimal dynamic pricing strategies and that the optimal strategy is independent of the replenishment cycle. The apparel retailer is able to realize the profit advantage of a continuously variable price policy by adjusting the sales price periodically.