How Canadian Retailers Can Leverage Retail Merchandising to Stay Competitive Against Target

The U.S. has always been a tempting alternative for Canadian shoppers willing to head over the border to find the best deals. Big box stores located south of us have lured Canadian consumers for years, but with one major American retailer moving north, the question remains: How will Canadian retailers compete? As Target prepares to open more stores across Canada in the coming months, retailers and brands will need to step up their game if they want to stay competitive. 

Target has said that it will open 24 new stores by the end of April, many of them being former Zellers locations which have been completely renovated. A significant number of additional locations will open throughout the rest of 2013. 

So how can Canadian retailers compete against the American powerhouse? Excellent retail merchandising is a start and that can be leveraged to provide an excellent customer experience leading to increased customer retention. 

Those brands that are not listed at Target are in a precarious position, but there are measures that can be taken to keep sales up in other stores where you do have retail coverage. A key factor in vying for customer loyalty remains firmly rooted in customer experience. Consumers want to have a good experience when shopping, and things like finding a product, in stock, without issue is important. If product is not shelved properly or out of stock, customer loyalty can quickly shift. This is why retail merchandising is crucial. 

Retailer brands are also going to have to ramp up their service levels in order to compete with Target. If a customer feels unsatisfied because of defunct retail merchandising or as a result of long line ups or not being able to find product or have their questions answered in a timely fashion, their choice of retailer may change.   

Retail merchandising offered by an experienced merchandising company can tackle all of these problems. On the brand side, a merchandising company can provide services which ensure that your brand is receiving the attention necessary. Planogram compliance and mystery shopping confirm that your products are located correctly and accurately priced, which works to ensure that the customer experience is a good one.

On the retail side, a merchandising company well versed in retail merchandising can ensure that when you need support it is there, even on short notice. By providing ‘people support’, a merchandising company can outfit a team to help you manage staffing issues at peak times, both for on floor or stock room support.

It is anticipated that Target will become a significant force and will create significant competition to both brands and retailers alike. Don’t leave anything to chance – make sure that you leverage retail merchandising to boost brand performance and ensure strong customer retention.

For more information about how to leverage retail merchandising, or to find out more about any of the services we offer, please contact Storesupport by calling 1-877-421-5081 or visit www.storesupport.ca.