Tag: Retail Merchandising

Just like technology, the Retail Merchandising industry is constantly changing. With new products being developed every day, there is always a need for new marketing techniques to attract new customers. And with stores constantly competing with other forms of advertising, it’s never been more important to capture a customer’s attention. Here are a few tips and tricks that can help you in this competitive career field:

* Remember the budget-conscious shoppers. In today’s economy, many shoppers are on tight budgets. These same shoppers are trading in the more expensive brands for brands with lower costs. This is good to keep in mind when you are choosing spotlight products.

* Don’t forget about Baby Boomers. Baby Boomers – those who were born between 1946 and 1964 – make up the largest consumer spending group, so make sure you include them in your target market.

* Develop visual merchandising concepts. When creating your plan, include visuals for the storefront, the layout of the entire store and promotional materials.

* Accessorize your end caps. End caps are commonly stocked with seasonal merchandise. In the off-season, use one product on the end caps and include accessories that match that product. If your featured product is a digital camera, add a photo printer, photo paper and memory cards.

* Light it up. Everything from store windows to the fitting rooms should be well lit. Use spotlights to draw attention to key products or to set the mood of the store. Just make sure they are installed properly.

This article is presented by the Academy Schaumburg. Contact us today if youre interested in developing marketable knowledge and career-relevant skills with an industry-current degree program from the Academy Schaumburg.

The Academy – Schaumburg does not guarantee employment or salary.

Retail is big business. Even during the recent recession you could go down to your local shopping center and find it packed with people carrying bags from the large high street retailers. The question is how do retailers convince shoppers that they need to buy from them?

In its simplest form you could say that if someone knows they want to buy a product they will just buy it they dont need any convincing. What what about the potential for upselling accessories for that product, or planting a seed in a customers mind to buy something else?

That is where Retail Merchandising can help.

In the past many retailers have seen merchandising as nothing more than an expense, where as now it can be seen as a profitable investment. The science of merchandising is based around a solid marketing plan and no matter how big or small your operation you should allocate a sensible budget for your merchandising.

So how can it make you more profit?

Retail Merchandising isnt just about putting products onto a shelf. Its about planning, product mix, customer experience and execution. A good merchandiser will look at your store in the eyes of your customers right from the moment they enter the store to the moment they leave. Questions that you should ask yourself, from a customers perspective are things like:

-Is my shop front inviting enough to want to make people come in and browse? -Is product presentation clear and appealing? -Are prices marked in a clear fashion? -Are products placed strategically around the store?

These are just a few simple questions that should be asked when it comes to merchandising your store.

One of the important things to remember about merchandising is that retail trends change, so merchandising isnt a one off exercise. Its about moving with the times and creating a continuous appeal to your customers and audience. This might mean bringing in new product ranges, re-arranging your store, sending out seasonal messages in your shop windows. Its about staying on the pulse and ensuring that shoppers are made to want to visit your store and part with their hard earned money.

Merchandisers are the unsung heroes of the retail industry. Whilst plenty of businesses employ their own staff to carry out merchandising work, plenty of others dont, because these businesses recognise that Retail Merchandisers can offer a lot more efficiency in store. Jobs in retail merchandising offer lots of variety, socialising and travel options.

Retail Merchandisers dont just work on the shop floor. Merchandisers who are permanently based at one company will be expected to plan trading strategies and sales forecasts, possessing good number skills to work with buyers and finance departments. Analysing the popularity of certain lines and being one step ahead of upcoming trends also means a good business head is essential.

Retail Merchandisers can also be employed by an external agency, working on contract in teams up and down the country. These Retail Merchandisers will visit stores for a short period of time when the company is implementing a new store format or undergoing a seasonal changeover. To work as a temporary or contract Retail Merchandiser, you must have excellent team working skills to bond with your colleagues and merge seamlessly with the stores existing staff, as well being sociable, approachable and professional at all times.

Jobs in Retail Merchandising are very flexible, and due to the scale of some store format and changeover plans, evenings, nights and weekend work is nearly always compulsory. If you are working on contract for a retail merchandising agency, you will be expected to travel the country and stay in temporary accommodation. Employment in a retail environment is normally essential for a job in retail merchandising, but it is desirable to have at least some experience of a customer facing role. The job is also physically demanding, so some familiarity with roles that involve lifting, moving, pushing and pulling is ideal.

Fancy joining something special? We are one of the leading agencies supplying Retail Merchandisers to major retailers up and down the country. Take a look at what Retail Merchandising jobs we have to offer.

Brands spend a considerable amount of effort to get their products to retailers and to achieve competitive placement. Once the combination of financial investment and time spent pitching the brand results in a retailer listing the brand in-store, the next step is to keep the product in the right spot. This can be particularly challenging for smaller brands as products sales are just one of the deciding factors as to whether or not a retailer continues to list their product.

Many brands assume that once a retailer agrees to sell their product the job is done and that the employees of the retailer will ensure that their product is stocked and on the shelf for people to buy. Unfortunately, this is often not the case. Obviously, the cost to a brand when its product is not on the shelf is substantial.

Whether you are a small brand or larger more established brand, it makes absolute sense to continue investing in the success of your brand once in-store. Undertrained merchandising personnel costs brands big where retail merchandising is concerned. These personnel are often the reason that products are delayed in making it onto the shelf and they are often responsible for numerous instances of products going out of stock. Faulty retail merchandising is something that can be avoided and is worthy of a brand’s consideration.

Compliant retail merchandising begins with competent merchandisers and customized solutions. In Toronto, merchandising companies have been saving brands a lot of money in this regard. Because merchandising companies specialize in retail merchandising, they are able to offer skilled resources that many retailers simply do not have. Their involvement reduces the retailer’s impact regarding the success or failure of a product at retail.

Compliance can begin before the product hits the shelf. Merchandising companies offer staff that are skilled and have received retail merchandising training to ensure they understand the impact to your brand if your product goes out of stock or is not on the shelf. The in-store representatives of merchandising companies act as your ambassador and their presence ensures that your inventory is full and current.

The experience of working with a merchandising company is invaluable to a brand. Merchandising companies are able to work with brands to plan for situations that often happen at retail and that retail staff may not have considered. The exercise of working with professional merchandising companies allows brands to learn about challenges they may face while avoiding the impact of the potential issues because they have professional guidance available to them as well as the resources to ensure that their products are always on the shelf.

It is ideal to research merchandising companies and hire one before your brand is in-store. This will help avoid loss of revenue. If your brand is already in-store, you can have a merchandising company perform an audit, which will let you know what needs to be done to better maintain your distribution and ensure that your product is there for purchasers to see and buy. This will not only boost sales but also improve your end customer’s perception of the accessibility of your brand.