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1. DOING BUSINESS
When businessmen and firms want to sell or buy a product, they can obtain information
of possible business partners from different sources: newspapers, catalogues, market
reports, exhibitions or other business partners.
Both the seller and the buyer can start a business contact. It usually happens through
business letters. The manufacturer can send sales letters or unsolicited (kretlen) offers
to the prospective-leend buyers or the buyer can send an inquiry-krdseket tesz fel to
the producer.
If the seller and the buyer want to meet, they can fix an appointment in a letter or on the
phone. When they meet, after a short small talk they start negotiating. They presenting
their positions but usually they are different, since they have different business interests.
The seller wants to sell at a high price, while the buyer wants to pay the least possible
price. The next step is to make positions get closer through mutual concessions. This
called bargaining. At the end, if the negotiations have been successful, the two parties
reach an agreement. Finally, they prepare the contract and sign it.
FAIRS AND EXHIBITIONS
An exhibition or fair is a display of manufactured goods and is held for business
purposes in great commercial centers. Some are general, others serve only one industry.
A face-to-face meeting with a prospective business partner can be more effective than a
business letter. The chance for visitors to see, touch, hear or try out a product is a great
advantage of exhibitions.
Trade fairs deal with one or more industries product and may be visited only business
people. No goods are directly sold at stands; sales are made on the basis of samples.
Exhibitions are also for the general public. They provide opportunities to test
consumers reactions.

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When a firm wants to take part in a fair or exhibition, it has to obtain the application
form and conditions of participation from the fair management. Applicants are listed in
the Exhibitors Catalogue. The cost of participation includes not only the stand rental,
but the cost of delivery and the customs duty if the exhibition is held abroad. It is
advisable to concentrate on a limited number of goods, because too many articles on
one stand may have a tiring and confusing effect on visitors. All goods must be shipped
in good time before the opening of the fair.

2. ADVERTISING
Advertising is non-personal communication directed at target audiences through various
media. Most people would never hear about goods and services offered without
advertising, so advertising plays an important role in informing people about the
advantages of a product.
There are various steps that must be followed in an advertising campaign. The first step
is to set the objectives of the campaign, which can be classified as follows:
1. to create awareness of the product;
2. to provide information;
3. to persuade;
4. to remind;
5. to reinforce purchase decision.
The next stage is to identify target customers. (age, social class, income)
The third stage is to specify the unique features of a product which will be
communicate, called USP Unique Selling Points. The copywriter bases his work on
USP.
The next step is called media planning. It means selecting the media most suitable for
achieving the given objectives. Media types are : press, radio, television, cinema,
outdoor display, personal sales people etc.
When choosing the medium for the advertisement, the following things must be
considered:

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o geographical coverage;
o size of the audience or circulation;
o power to reach the target group;
o ability to demonstrate;
o repetition;
o timing.

An advertisement in the press must have a good layout, look clean and be easy to
understand. A special target group can be easily reached through specialist magazines.
But there is a disadvantage of often being overlooked.
Radio advertising means wider audience. But probably the most persuasive medium of
all is television since it transmits sound, music, slogans as well as visual images, colour,
shape and motion. The cost of a TV commercial depends on the time and popularity of
the programme, therefore, they can only be cost effective for big companies. However,
the main disadvantage is that there are certain restrictions on ads on TV.
Posters alone are not very effective, so they are usually combined with other media in a
campaign.
The next stage is to write the text of the ad and the slogans. After that, designers make
illustrations or design a record for TV. Big companies usually have their own
advertising departments but smaller companies hire an advertising agency to do the
creative work.
Advertising is a part of promotion. Promotion involves everything that can help the
sales: media advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, merchandising, branding,
sponsorship, public relations.
Sales promotion aims to persuade people to buy the product with awake the
interests. It may be a free gift, a free sample

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Merchandising means the manner the product is presented for sale. It includes
packaging, display stands etc.
Branding means to crate an image of a brand, to create brand loyalty.
Sponsorship means that a company contributes to the cost of public
entertainment such as a concert or a sporting event.
Personal selling is done by personal salesmen who find and contact new
potential customers. The problem is with this promotional tool is that many people
refuse to listen to them.
Public relations is the relation between a company and the general public.

3. COMPLAINTS
Unfortunately, errors may occur in any business transaction. They may be caused either
by the seller or by the buyer, but sometimes unforeseeable circumstances (wars,
strikes) can also happen. It is important for the buyer to write a letter of complaint as
soon as the error becomes apparent.
The most frequent reasons for complaints are the following:
1. The wrong goods have been delivered.
2. The quality of the products isnt good.
3. The goods have been sent in not enough quantity.
4. The packaging is damaged.
5. There is a delay in delivery.
6. There is an error in the invoice.
If one of these errors happens, the buyer should immediately send a letter of complaint
to the seller. After the seller gets the letter, he has to find out what actually happened,
and then, adjust the problem. If the complaint is justified the seller must put the matter
right. If the complaint is unjustified, the seller should always be very tactful and polite
when refusing complaints. It can also happen that the defect of a product only becomes
apparent after buying and taking it home. In this case the consumer can return the faulty
product to the shop and the receipt is the evidence of the purchase.
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The most frequent reasons can be:
o The product is broken , does not work or damaged;
o A product is not as described;
o A product is not fit for its purpose;
o A product goes bad before the expiry date indicated;
o A product is not durable enough.
The main principle of treating a customer is the consumer is always right. It is important
to the manufacturer to set up an after-sales service in order to settle matters of
complaints as quickly as possible.

4. DOCUMENTS USED IN FOREIGN TRADE

There are several documents which accompany the goods during delivery for example:
shipping documents, insurances, invoices and various certificates should be mentioned.
1. Shipping documents: the holder of this document is entitled to take possession of the
goods.
There are several types of shipping documents:
a) Bills of Lading (B/L) are the most important documents in sea transport. It is
o A receipt for the goods
o A contract of carriage
o A document of title to the goods.
The Bill of Lading is made out by the ship owner in three originals with two copies. The
original are sent to the buyer, one copy remains with the seller and one is given to the
master of the ship.
b) Rail Consignment Notes used in international railway transport. They are made
out by the sender and handed to the carrier.
c) Road Consignment Notes accompany the goods when they are carried by road.
d) Air Consignment Notes are used when goods are transported by air. It is made
out by an air transport company and it is not a document of title.

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2. Insurance documents: are usually certificates of insurance. The owner pays a certain
amount to the insurer to cover against risks of loss or damage.
3. Invoices: give the full description of goods.
There are 3 types of invoices:
a) Commercial invoices are printed notes sent to the buyer in at least two copies.
b) Consular invoices are made out to correctly charge the import duties.
c) Customs invoice.
4. Customs Declaration Forms are to be presented to customs authorities in order to
clear the goods that pass the border of the country.

5. Certificates may also be needed.

a)

Certificates of Origin certify what country made the product. They are
issued by the Chamber of Commerce of the country of origin.

b)

Certificates of Quality

c)

Veterinary Certificates are necessary to certify the good health if living

animal is shipped.

THE CONTRACT
The contract is a legally binding agreement between two or more parties. It must be
written clearly and precisely.
It must contain the following points:
1. The detailed description of the goods.
2. The quantity of the goods.
3. Time of delivery.
4. Terms of delivery
5. Price and payment.
6. The packing of the goods.

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Market research
Before making goods for a new market it is necessary to discover first of all if the goods
can be sold profitably in the market. The answer to this question is given by market
research. Market research can be carried out to find out
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if a new product is likely to find a market

whether an established product is likely to find brisk demand in a new market

why the sales of a product have declined either generally or in a certain area

A market research campaign does not guarantee that a product will be successful.
The steps of market research are the following. First, the aim should be set or a problem
should be determined. Next, information must be gathered from the public.
Data for research purposes can be classified into primary and secondary data.
Secondary data is data already compiled and published. It is cheaper and sometimes
information can be obtained entirely from it. Primary data is data not yet published but
obtained by the researcher. There are basically three forms of obtaining primary data: by
observation, experiment and interview.
When using the method of observation, a sample of the target market is chosen. The
shopping behaviour of these people is observed.
Experiments are designed to find out what would happen if a change were introduced
into the marketing situation.
There are three types of interviews. To make a personal interview. The main
disadvantages of personal interviews are that they are time-absorbing and expensive.
Telephone interviews are time-sparing and quite cheap.
Mail interviews, questionnaires are prepared and mailed out to select respondents who
are asked to complete and return them.

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The final stage of market research is the analysis of the data. Analysis is concerned with
editing, coding, tabulating and presenting collected raw material into a form suitable for
problem solving and decision-making.

10. TELECOMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT

The office where the administrative work is performed is an essential part of a business.
The most important functions of an office are to provide the necessary communication
with customers, banks, government departments and other organizations. Most of the
paperwork, preparing, checking, sorting, copying and filing documents, invoices and
correspondence used to be the responsibility of the clerical staff. The growing range of
office machines and the development of information technology has changed office
work dramatically.
Computer technology has facilitated handling a mass of data rapidly. Nowadays no
office can operate efficiently without the use of computer. Computers are used for word
processing as well. You can easily write letters, invoices, memos, reports and other
documents. Mistakes can easily be corrected, and it is also possible to give a nicer
format to the text. Other important software applications are desktop publishing, which
facilitates the edition of brochures.
The internet has brought the world into the office, you can download any information
necessary for your business. You can write e-mail letters and exchange information. In
summary, nobody in an office can work without a computer. Very often documents,
letters and invoices are needed in several copies, so you can use the copy machine.
The telecommunications equipment in an office also includes a telephone. An answering
machine connected to the phone is not inevitable, but it may be well worth having one,
so that clients can leave a message after business hours. A fax machine, also using a
telephone line, facilitates quick written communication.

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A desk calculator is also necessary to do smaller and less complicated calculations.
The office should create a good atmosphere for working. When furnishing a new office,
it is important to make sure there will be enough room and light. You will need a desk
for work and some cupboards and shelves for storing files and documents. The furniture
should be very practical. A separate part of the office should be the room for
negotiations, furnished with a big table and comfortable chairs.
It is important to create a good image for the company. It is a good idea to design a logo
and choose a colour or a combination of colours as identification to your business and
use them everywhere: on letters, on business cards, on company cars, on furniture etc.

11. FOOD STORE

If you want to shop for food, you can go to the closest grocers or to a supermarket.
Some housewives still prefer the personal service of a grocer, but most people like
supermarkets and hypermarkets better, because they offer a large selection of goods at
competitive prices.
Food stores now operate in the self-service system. There are shelves and refrigerators
where goods are displayed attractively packed. This system is advantageous for the shop
because it cuts down the expenses, since fewer assistants are required. Supermarkets
have longer opening hours, so you can go there at any time of the day.
Bigger foodstores and other retail outlets have an Electronic Point of Sale System.
Products are identified and sold with the help of bar codes indicated in the packaging. A
bar code consists of black and white vertical lines. The cashier only has to use a scanner,
and a computer attached to it identifies the product, indicates the price, makes the
receipt of purchase, and reduce the stock wit the quantity and value sold of the product.
FOODSTUFFS
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Foodstuffs are either of vegetable or animal origin and can be consumed directly or after
food-processing. Fruits and some vegetables are suitable for direct consumption.
Milling industry products are foodstuffs made from cereals by grinding husking or
flaking. They include flour, semolina and cornflakes, muesli.
Bakery produce, bread and cakes are usually made from wheat flour, water or milk,
salt, yeast, and some of them also contain sugar or honey. The choice of breads
available in shops is becoming wider and wider. Bakery products are delivered to shops
every day because they must be sold and eaten fresh. Customers always have to check
the expiry date.
Meat and cold cuts are available in supermarkets and the butchers. Pork, beef, veal,
mutton and lamb as well as poultry and fish are sold there. Cold cuts are easily
perishable, so these products are subject to very strict storage rules and must be kept
refrigerated or deep-frozen.
Dairy produce includes milk, cream, sour cream, yoghurt, cheese, cottage cheese and
butter. They must be stored in a refrigerator to keep them fresh and must be sold and
eaten before the short expiry date.
Beverages can be divided into two groups: alcoholic drinks and soft drinks. Among
alcoholic drinks the most popular ones are wine and beer. Hard drinks contain more
alcohol. Soft drinks are very popular among people who do not drink spirits.
Deep-frozen products must be stored in a freezer. Fruits and vegetables, meat, fish and
poultry are available in this form. Deep-frozen is a kind of conservation process.

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Spices and seasonings
The most important ones are salt, sugar, oil, vinegar, black pepper, red pepper, mustard,
parsley, bay leaf.
Sweets include milk chocolate and dark chocolate, white chocolate, drops, fudge etc.
Chewing gum and bubble gum are special kinds of sweets.

12. AT THE GREENGROCERS

Fruits and vegetables make an essential part of our diet since they are the main sources
of vitamins. They are sold at greengrocers, in marketplaces and supermarkets. Some
people are satisfied with the poor assortment that supermarkets offer of fruits and vegs.
Other people buy them at the greengrocers.
At the greengrocers products are displayed in crates and arranged in a nice way. The
customer is usually allowed to choose among them and pick them out. Then the
greengrocer weighs the products. Most fruits and vegs are sold by the kilo, but some are
sold by the piece or bunch.
The most common vegs that cannot be missing from a Hungarian kitchen are potatoes,
tomatoes, paprika, cabbage, carrots, onion. There are other vegs which are also in
demand. These include broccoli, zucchini, aubergine, mushrooms etc. These vegs stored
for a long time in a cool, dry place.
Fruits grown in Hungary include apples, pears, cherries, sour cherries, strawberries,
raspberries, peaches. Most fruits have a very high water content, so they cannot be
stored for a long time. Of course the choice is the biggest in summer, and there is a
different choice in autumn.

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Some fruits are not grown in Hungary but are imported from other countries. Most of
these are tropical fruits, which are grown in tropical or subtropical climates.
According to their lasting we differentiate between:
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fresh tropical fruits e.g. lemons, oranges, bananas, pineapples

dried tropical fruits e.g. figs, dates, raisins

Some greengrocers also sell special, rare fruits.

Vegetables and fruits must be packed, delivered and stored carefully in order to preserve
their quality, to prevent them from contusion and deterioration. Owing to their high
water content, the quality of fruits can deteriorate very easily: they can rot, perish,
wither or mould.
A greengrocers is a risky business, because he cannot get ride of the rotten products if
he has stocked too much. He can sell in a few days and get a fresh supply often.
Fruits and vegetables can also be conserved by:
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sterilization

quick freezing

extraction of water/ drying

pickling/ bottling

Most greengrocers only sell fresh fruits and vegs.

13. PERFUMERY
Perfumeries sell cosmetic articles for personal hygiene and household goods. Shops
usually operate in the self- services system, where products are displayed on shelves
according to type for customers to make their selection. Nevertheless, shop assistants
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are needed to inform customers. Some customers insist on the brand they are
accustomed to. However, most brands offer approximately the same quality.
Household goods help with doing the housework, therefore they are mainly bought by
housewives. These include washing powders, softeners, stain removers, washing-up
liquids.
Relying on human vanity, shops offer a huge assortment of cosmetic articles, products
for skin care and personal hygiene at various prices. Manufacturers, many of which are
multinational, try to support their lines by world-wide advertising campaigns to be able
to withstand the big competition.
Customers whose attention is captured by an advertisement can well be manipulated,
but at the same time, as a result of the ads, customers are becoming more and more
conscious about their choice, and demanding about the ingredients and effects of the
cosmetic articles.
Other products used for facial care include cleaners and toners for removing make-up
and cleaning the face, facial scrubs and peel-off masks for purifying the skin. For a
better result, it is important to known what skin type you have: dry, normal, oily or
sensitive. Shop assistants have to be ready to advise on these products.
As for personal hygiene and the treatment of the body, soaps, liquid soaps, shower gels,
foam baths, body lotions and hand creams are available in various scents and with

nourishing ingredients. Products for hair treatment: shampoos, conditioners, styling

mousses, hair sprays and hair dyes.
There is also a wide range of tooth pastes, mouthwashes, toothbrushes and dental
flosses.

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Special product lines are designed for men: razors and razor blades, shaving foams,
after-shaves and deodorants. Deodorants, a less expensive alternative to perfumes, are
usually displayed on self-service shelves.
Yet another section in a drug store, frequented by young women, is the separate stands
where different brands of make-up are displayed. For example: blushers, loose, eyeshadows, eye liners, mascara, lipsticks etc.

14. SOUVENIR SHOP

People usually buy gifts and souvenirs when they visit a place as tourists or when they
want to give a present to somebody on a certain occasion. When people go abroad, they
usually want to take a souvenir back home, something characteristic of the place or
country they visit. Tourists often buy folk art ornaments in Hungary: embroidered table
cloth or blouse for example from Kalocsa, Srkz and the Maty region; and also
famous is pottery, especially from Srospatak, Karcag. A shop stores various kinds of
glazed or unglazed hand-painted pottery: bowls, plates, vases, jugs Other pieces of
folk art are wood carvings, folkweave and crochetwork from Halas. Hungarian handpainted porcelain made in Herend and Hollhza is world-famous. Probably the bestselling goods in a gift shop are Hungarian wines and other beverages. The wine of
Tokay is very famous and the red wine of Eger is well-known too.
Postcards, tourist maps, road maps and guidebooks must be available for tourists. They
are usually displayed on revolving stands. Other souvenirs are plush animals, cuddly
toys, mugs, T-shirts with a drawing or inscription. People who want to buy a present for
their friends or a family member on a certain occasion such as Christmas, weddings,
birthdays etc., can also find nice gifts in a shop.

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In a gift shop, more than in any other shop, the assistant will be frequently asked to
made a gift-wrapping. A beautiful gift-wrapping consists of good quality wrapping
paper decorated with a coloured band.
SWEET SHOPS
Very often, when we visit a foreign country, we want to taste the chocolate and other
confectionery made in that country. We might also want to buy a box of assorted
sweeties, bonbons, bars of chocolate, etc. as a present. These are available in sweets
shops and in some souvenir shops.

15. BOOKSTORE
If you want to buy a book you can go to a bookstore or a second-hand book shop. You
may need a book for various reasons such as reading for fun, learning or giving a
present to somebody.
In a bookstore books are usually displayed on shelves and are grouped according to type
and topic. One such larger group of books is literature, including poetry, fiction and
drama.
Bookstores keep quite a large stock of childrens books, story-books and juvenile novels
as well as folding tale-books for the youngest.
Yet another group of books is technical or specialist books. Some of these show a high
scientific or scholarly standard, others are popular scientific works written for
educational purposes.
Language course books, textbooks facilitating language learning and a successful
preparation for language exams. Dictionaries account for a significant part of the stock
of a bookstore.
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Maps of countries, guidebooks in Hungarian and foreign languages are offered for
tourists and holiday-markers.
Probably the most beautiful and perhaps the most expensive books are fine art albums
and other albums alongside encyclopaedias.
MUSIC STORE
In music stores you can also choose among a wide range of cassettes and CDs, which
are displayed in alphabetical order and recordings are arranged according to music style.
Pop music, rock music or classical music.
Music stores offer a service of listening-in to the recordings. Some music houses also
store video cassettes.
STATIONERY
In a stationery you can buy everything you can write on or with. Paper of all kinds and
quality is available for printing, copying, letter-writting, etc. You can buy writing pads,
notebooks, and drawing paper. Fountain pens and ball-pint pens are also sold.
If you need something to collect and store your notes and documents in, you can buy
files, folders and portfolios. Fancy postcards, photo albums, calendars and different
kinds of wrapping paper are also in stock.
Office tools like liners, glue, cellotape, drawing pins, clippers, punches and paper clips
can be obtained in a stationery.

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16. ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES

The modern household cannot exist without electrical appliances. If you want to buy a
gadget, it is best to go to the electrical appliances department of a department store.
Some people are loyal to one particular brand that they like.
Electrical appliances can be grouped in the following way. One group of machines is
used for replacing hand work. They are called labour-saving devices, among which the
most significant ones are washing machines, tumble driers, vacuum cleaners,
dishwashers and irons. Other household gadgets are used in the kitchen for storing or
processing food: refrigerators, freezers, electric and gas cookers, ovens, microwave
ovens etc. Another group of appliances is used for personal hygiene: razors, ladyshaves,
hair driers, electrical tooth brushes, etc. The climate of the flat can be maintained with
air conditioners, electric fans, heaters and extractors. A separate group of gadgets is
aimed at home entertainment: TV sets, radios, video recorders, CD players, hi-fi
systems, etc.
As these appliances are quite expensive, shops offer credit facilities to customers who
cannot afford to pay the whole price at once. You can buy these products on hire
purchase, which means that you pay a certain amount of deposit and you pay the rest in
monthly instalments.
Shops provide one year guarantee on the gadgets, which means if it goes wrong during
the guarantee period, it will be repaired or replaced without having to pay for it.
Manufacturers always enclose operating instructions to machines, which give
information about how to use, handle, operate, maintain and clean them. Electrical
appliances can be operated from the mains or some of them with batteries.
Example: How to use a cassette recorder?
A cassette recorder is operated by the play, the sop/eject, the pause, the fast forward, the
rewind and the record button. It can be listened to through the four-track two speaker
system or via stereo head-phones. You can make recordings from the radio or your own
voice with the use of a built-in microphone or a microphone connected to the mic-jack.

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17. BANKS
Commercial banks are financial institutions which offer a wide range of financial
services for private individuals and corporate clients.
One of the basic services of a bank is managing accounts. Business as well as private
individuals can deposit money with the bank and open a bank account. There are three
types of bank account: current, deposit and savings account.
Current account is opened when a customer deposits money with the bank and asks
the bank to make payments from it and to accept payments into it. The bank can issue a
chequebook. Another possibility is to give a plastic card to the customer with which he
can pay in shops, restaurants and hotels or withdraw money from the account. If you
have cash dispenser card, you need not go to the bank, just find a cash dispenser
machine in the street. With a current account you can pay in or draw out money
whenever you want. If you have exceeded the amount deposited in your account, you
are in the red, but most bank offer overdraft facilities, and you do not need to be
worried about your having spent more than paid in, since the bank grants you a credit
automatically what will be settled from the next payment.
A deposit account is an account into which money is deposited to earn interest. If you
want to withdraw money from a deposit account, you have to give some days notice.
The consumer can get his money back only at the end of an agreed term.
A savings account is a bank account into which small, regular payments are made in
order to accumulate savings.

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Another important service of a bank is lending money to customers for various purposes
such a buying house, car, starting a business. The price of making a loan is the interest,
which must be paid together with the monthly instalments over a fixed period of time.
There are short, medium, long-term loans.
Commercial banks also deal in foreign currencies. When you want to travel abroad you
need some money in foreign currency. You can exchange your Hungarian forints into
dollars, euro, etc. When you change your money into a foreign currency, sometimes you
have to pay a commission for the transaction. Nowadays Hungary, like many other
countries, employs a floating exchange rate, which means that rates are determined by
the market. Earlier, Hungary had a fixed exchange rate, i.e. the government kept the
price fixed.

18. THE ROLE OF BANKS

Central banks play a very important role in both national and international finance.
The functions of a central bank of a country are the following:
-

It acts as the central national bank of the country, it is responsible for the
monetary policy of the country.

It controls commercial banks and other financial institutions.

It does business with international institutions such as the World Bank the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) the European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (EBRD) etc.

It manages the countrys exchange rate.

It controls the monetary system by:

- accepting deposits from and
- making loans to commercial banks and the monetary

market,

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- controlling money market interest rates by setting the
rates at which loans of last resort will be made.
- It carries out open market operations
Commercial banks collect funds from the public, use these funds to make loans and
investments. Their aim is to earn money for the savers and the owners of the bank. They
also manage their clients accounts.
Loans made for businessman include business start-up loans. Cash loans for private
individuals can be made for different purposes. Mortgages are usually given for buying
a house. Loans are made for fixed periods. There are three loan-maturity periods:
-

short-term: up to 1 year

medium-term: 1 to 5 years

long-term: more than 5 years

When a bank makes a loan, it makes sure that the client is able and willing to repay. It
may also check your assets and monthly income, and may inquire about your financial
obligations. Loans must be repaid in monthly instalments, stated by the bank.
Method of payment
There are several possibilities for the buyer to pay the seller:
Cash is often used in consumer transactions, but rarely used in international trade.
Postal orders or money orders are used when goods are delivered by the post.
Credit cards and bankcards are becoming more and more popular as a means of
payment in consumer transactions.

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A cheque is a written order by a person (drawer) to a bank (drawee) to pay a certain
amount of money from the drawers bank account to another person (payee).
A bill of exchange is an unconditional order in writing.
Electronic Fund Transfer makes payments easier through banks.

19. CLOTHES SHOP

Clothes shops and department stores offer a wide range of overclothes and underwear
for men, women and children. There are separate mens, ladies, childrens wear and
underwear.
When people buy clothes, they consider their financial ability, their age, size, taste, style
and the occasion. The stock of a shop must be built according to the customers demand.
It must contain fashionable clothes and evergreens. Fashion is a decisive factor in
clothing. The shopkeeper must be aware of these trends, but at the same time he should
not forget that a lot of people are not fanatical about fashion.
The assortment of clothes changes according to season. At the end of winter and
summer there are sales in shops to clear old stock by offering price reductions of 20-30,
some time he sometimes 50 or 70%. It is advantageous for customers.
In most clothes shops people can browse among clothes that are displayed on rails or
shelves according to size. You can also ask an assistant for help. You can try clothes on
in the fitting room.
CLOTHES

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Ladies wear includes skirts, blouses, suits, trousers, dresses. Women like traditional
two-piece suits made up of a coat and skirt or a pair of trousers. They are quite
expensive but look elegant. Skirts are available in various styles and lengths: mini and
long, full or tight. Dresses make an essential part of a womans wardrobe.
Mens wear includes suits, trousers, shirts and ties.
Knitted pullovers, jumpers and cardigans belong to casual wear for both women and
men. They keep the body warm in cold weather and are very comfortable to wear. There
are winter, suede, between-season and fur coats. There is a big choice in style and cut.
Some clothes can be worn by women and men. These include jeans, T-shirts and
sweatshirts.
Underwear for women is available in many different colours. It includes knickers, bras,
slips, dressing gowns, tights and socks. Mens underwear include underpants,
undershirts and socks.
SHOE SHOP
Footwear includes sandals, shoes, slippers, sports shoes or trainers, laced shoes, top
boots, high-ankle boots, Wellingtons, etc.
The most important function of footwear is that it has to protect feet against external
effects, while the heels have to support feet properly. Shoes are mad of leather, suede
leather, fake leather or canvas, while the sole is made of rubber, leather or plastic.
Womens shoes can vary in the height of heels. Some women prefer low-heeled shoes,
but high-heeled shoes are very fashionable and elegant. Shoes are available in different
colours and sizes.
TEXTILES

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Textiles are sold by the metre and are stored in rolls.
According to the production technology there are basically two types of textiles: woven
fabric and knitted material. As raw materials for textiles cotton, wool, silk, and synthetic
fibre is used. The most important types of textiles are: silk, nylon, velvet, canvas, rayon,
and fabric. Materials can be plain, checked, striped, dotted or patterned.

20. SPORTS SHOP

Sports shops deal in sportswear, sports shoes and sports equipment as well as holiday
and camping equipment. There are special brand-name shops which sell trainers,
swimsuits, T-shirts, sweatshirts and other sportswear of just one brand. A general sports
shop offers a wide variety of well-known brands or no-name products. Sportswear must
meet some basic requirements, which are the following:
o comfortable to wear
o facilitate movements
o suitable for the specific sport
o support feet firmly
o fashionable
Sporting goods manufacturers, especially manufacturers of top brands have built a
reputation. They want to appeal to sportsmen by manufacturing for specific sports like
basketball, tennis and running. Brand logos are usually displayed on sportswear. The
best-known brands are Nike, Adidas, Budmil, Puma, etc.
Each sports needs special clothes and footwear. Sports equipments is on sale in sports
shops as well as: balls, tennis and badminton rackets, skis, skates, snowboards, etc.
TOY SHOP

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It is most important for shop assistants in a toy shop to be able to advise customers on
what toy to purchase for their children. When a customer asks for help, the assistant
must inquire how old the child is, because toys must be bought according to their childs
age. The most important requirements is that they must be safe and must not be
dangerous. Certain kinds of plastic or paint can be poisonous. Toys containing small
parts are not suitable for children under 3 because the child may swallow them. Most
toys are labeled with the recommendation for age. More expensive toys are electronic
toys.

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