Merchandising
Retail Merchandising refers to the various activities which contribute to the sale of products to the consumers for their end use. Every retail store has its own line of merchandise to offer to the customers. The display of the merchandise plays an important role in attracting the customers into the store and prompting them to purchase as well.
Merchandising helps in the attractive display of the products at the store in order to increase their sale and generate revenues for the retail store.
Merchandising helps in the sensible presentation of the products available for sale to entice the customers and make them a brand loyalist.
Promotional Merchandising
The ways the products are displayed and stocked on the shelves play an important role in influencing the buying behavior of the individuals.
A merchandiser maximizes the sale of the products by:
Attractive packaging
The packaging of the merchandise goes a long way in improving the brand value of the product. A product kept in a nice box would definitely catch the attention of the customers.
Impressive presentation of the Product
The display of the products at the retail store must entice the customers. The merchandiser in coordination with the store manager must ensure that the products are according to the season as well as latest trends.
The merchandiser must:
Source something which is unique and not available at any other retail store.
Never compromise on quality of the merchandise. Compromising on quality costs later.
Source merchandise as per the season and climate.
By mid of August and early September, the summer merchandise is generally on a close out and stores begin stocking merchandise for the winter season. Warm clothing, full sleeves apparels, jackets, pullovers start replacing cut sleeves, capris, ankle length dresses, shorts and so on. Colourful clothes dominate the shelves as compared to the subtle colours in summers.
The type of product sourced also depends on the climatic conditions of the place.
A Reebok store in Central India or Southern India would stock summer merchandise between April to September whereas a retail store under the same brand somewhere in a cold area would source woollen merchandise along with summer clothing as per the demand of the season.
Unique Pricing (Discounts)
Attractive prices, discounts, rebates also bring customers to the store.
Promotional schemes, gifts
Coupons and attractive gifts make shopping a pleasurable experience for the customers.
Merchandising Tips
The merchandiser must source products according to the latest trends and season.
The merchandise should be as per the age, sex and taste of the target market.
Merchandise for children should be in line with cartoon characters (like Barbie, Pokemon etc) to excite them.
Creative Portico Pvt Ltd sources bed sheets, curtains specially inspired from characters (Disney, Harry Porter, Hannah Montana) - a hit amongst kids.
Youngsters prefer funky clothes (colourful T Shirts, faded denims) as compared to professionals who would go for subtle colours.
The target market of Zodiac Clothing Company Limited mainly comprises of office goers and professionals. The merchandise (shirts, trousers, neck ties, belts) is as per the taste of the professionals. Beach house shirts would have no takers in such a store.
The merchandiser ideally works on the “invariant right†principle.
Since most of us are right handed, it is a common tendency that customers entering into retail store would first go towards the right side of the store. The merchandiser should display the unique and expensive collections on the right side of the store to entice the customers.
The set up of the store should be such that once a customer enters into a store, he has to walk through each and every department.
The shelves should be stocked with the latest trends. The merchandise should be well organized on the racks according to their size and pattern.
It is the key responsibility of the merchandiser to create an attractive display to pull the customers into the store. Once the customer steps into the store, he would definitely buy something or the other.
