Strategies for managing the assortment of women's shoes in online markets in highly competitive conditions

the article examines the strategic aspects of managing the assortment of women's shoes in online markets against the background of high competition. The relevance of the topic is predetermined by rapid digitalization, the need to develop effective management mechanisms. The significant growth of e-commerce requires a rethinking of traditional approaches to the formation of a product portfolio, the introduction of new methods of working with consumer demand. The purpose is a comprehensive analysis of strategic directions, identification of key factors of competitiveness, formulation of recommendations (the author's vision of the stages of strategy development with a consistent description of each of them is proposed: studying the market and target audience; setting goals, determining key performance indicators; forming the assortment structure; forecasting demand, trends; elaboration of automation tools; testing on pilot segments; implementation, team training; monitoring, analysis of results, correction). The scientific novelty of the work lies in the systematization of approaches to assortment management, taking into account technological market transformations. The basic contradictions are revealed: between the growing consumer expectations and the existing methods of assortment formation, between the need for rapid response to changes and the inertia of traditional strategies in relation to product portfolios. The author's recommendations on monitoring the assortment management strategy are formulated (with justification of the novelty of the proposed approaches). The article will be useful for managers of online stores, marketers, specialists in the development of e-commerce, researchers in the field of assortment management, as well as students of economic specialties.

women's shoes, competitiveness, online store, online trade, assortment optimization, consumer behavior, management strategy, e-commerce