Messenger - Vol. 3, No. 1, Page 12 Fall 1993 On Campus Arthur knows fashion sales With the arrival of ARTHUR, students in the Department of Textiles, Design and Consumer Economics can unravel the mystery of fashion merchandising. One of the most widely used merchandise planning systems in the world, the ARTHUR software program was donated to the University by Comshare Inc., through its retail division headquarters in Wilmington, Del. Faculty training was included with the gift, which is said to be the first placement of the system in a University setting. According to Rosetta LaFleur, associate professor, ARTHUR allows retailers with many stores and a central buying office to create an assortment plan unique to each store's location. The program is used by more than 350 North American retailers and manufacturers, including J. Crew, Linens and Things, Montgomery Ward, Kay-Bee Toys and Pier 1 Imports. LaFleur integrated ARTHUR into her Advanced Fashion Merchandising course this fall. Using personal computers, students are learning top down and bottom up planning, product planning (which includes beginning inventory, sales, units, markdowns and receipts) and location planning (which includes sales per department and per store). In addition, pre-season distribution and buying within store contraints will be studied using ARTHUR. The ARTHUR program puts the textiles, design and consumer economics department on the "cutting edge" of education in computer-aided merchandise planning (CAMP), LaFleur says. "The department can strategically use CAMP to attract students and provide employers with graduates who can confront the technological demands of their positions," she says.