Going Digital…Are You Targeting Through Digital

Over the last few years, digital has become the trend in retail. Keeping in touch with consumers, engaging them and motivating them to purchase has become far easier when digital is embraced. So, have you gone digital? Are you targeting your customers through digital?

Here are the top 3 digital trends sweeping the retail industry in 2015:

Social media. Social media continues to be a major player in the retail game. Before social media, people used the internet primarily to research products and compare prices. However, although that remains an important part of digital, far more is now done online, specifically when it comes to social networks and reputation. 10 years ago, not having a website was common. 5 years ago, many companies still had not jumped on the social media bandwagon. In 2015, both of these are gone the way of the horse and carriage - a few hangers-on still try to stick with tradition but it is becoming harder and harder. Now, people head online not just to research price, but to read reviews, get recommendations, find out what others in their networks are saying about different companies. Ignoring this fact can be detrimental - social media definitely needs to be embraced.

Marketing through email. Being asked for your email address at the register has become commonplace, and for good reason. Marketers are celebrating the value of email marketing for retail in a big way. It is a great way to keep customers informed, and especially when they are provided with something of value, is a great way to get them into the store. Just make sure to balance out the promo and don’t be sending daily emails - too much and that unsubscribe button will be getting a work out. Keep emails short and sweet - weekly deals, promos, etc. are a great way to keep customers connected with your brand or retail location.

Digital signage and interactive retail displays. Customer engagement offline is becoming just as important as online, and it too has gone digital. Digital signage and interactive displays are a great way to grab attention and get customers talking. This is especially popular with newer products or brands. Create an emotional connection, draw on seasonal tradition, anything that will make a customer stop and think is a worthy addition on the retail floor.

No matter the industry, going digital is now a necessity, and with CPG it is no different. Are you taking advantage?

For more about going digital in the retail arena, please call Storesupport today at 1-877-421-5081.

The Young and The Restless? Generational Challenges in Retail

Baby Boomers, Generation X, Y, Z, Millennials - sometimes it becomes almost impossible to keep all of these groups straight - and keeping their wants and needs as both customers and employees is even harder. Generational challenges in retail seem to only be growing with the times and that means that it can be hard to keep up, and that makes keeping up even more essential!

Consumers:

Chances are, your pool of potential consumers is generationally diverse - this is especially true in the consumer packaged goods industry - and that presents its own challenges. One approach to deal with this is to choose one group and cater specifically to them, ignoring all others. Is this a good idea? Probably not, and we suggest taking a different route.

Instead, cater to every group simultaneously. Technology has made this task easier and harder all at once. For example, online shopping, although taken advantage of by all ages, is more common for younger generations. However, technology in store and mobile e-commerce continues to grow, and the older generations are adapting just as well. The best advice we can offer when it comes to dealing with this generational challenge in retail is to make sure that you are not putting off one group in exchange for another - be inclusive, not exclusive.

Want some more advice on how to overcome this challenge? Check out this great article from Instore Magazine:
http://www.bakemag.com/instore/Consumer/Demographics/2014/12/Generational%20differences.aspx?cck=1.

Employees:

The retail space is predominantly filled by millennial aged employees - this is a well-known fact. This alone creates problems. Hiring almost exclusively, whether by choice or necessity, from one group means that shoppers outside of this group can feel ostracized - never a good thing in retail. When you have a generationally diverse workforce, this strongly works in your favour. Each group has different needs - but as a whole they should be working together.

Dealing with clashes? Here is a great article from Vancouver Business. Although not specific to retail, it has some really excellent tips that do apply to the retail landscape: https://www.biv.com/article/2015/5/ask-experts-embracing-generational-differences-wor/.

There is no way around it - generational challenges in retail exist, both on the consumer side and within the workplace. This fact can’t be denied, and unless you embrace these difference, you may just find yourself at the back of the pack.

Call Storesupport today for people support and marketing tips to take advantage of these differences: 1-877-421-5081.

Challenges Facing the Retail Industry

The consumer packaged goods industry is an ever-moving, ever-changing mechanism. Adaptation is key, and with technological developments and rising consumer demands, it can be hard to keep up.

That being said, these changes are not the only challenges facing the retail industry in 2015. Here is a list of some of the others. And of course we are not just going to give you the issues - we also have a few solutions to help make these a little less difficult to face.

Problem: Employee turnover. This is a problem every retailer faces - it is a major problem in the retail industry - and often there is little that can be done to stop it. When an employee enters, then leaves your company, this can create problems for your human resource department, and means a loss of time and resources spent continually hiring and training new employees.

Solution: 3^rd party people support. A company that can provide short notice employees with training and experience can help you mitigate those costs and ensure excellent service and assistance.

Problem: Auditing. For brands located at retail, keeping on top of what is going on on the store floor can be challenging. This is why auditing is another challenge that faces the retail industry on a regular basis.

Solution: You can’t be everywhere at once, but a merchandising company that offers this service can. Not only will this provide you with up-to-date data about competitors’ price points, you can also ensure that customer satisfaction is high - and if not, amendments can be made to improve the situation.

Problem: Allery alert/product recalls. Improper labelling, errors with packaging, issues with ingredients; these are all accompanied by costs for remedy and time and resources spent. They can also mean time with empty space on the shelf, which is never a good thing in retail.

Solution: Emergency response services for retail. When you are made aware of a product recall, whatever the reason, manage the outcome to ensure a positive result. If possible, consider bringing in a team to fix the problem on the spot, rather than worrying about shipping product back to the warehouse. This saves money and time and also keeps the empty space to a minimum.

When issues arise, don’t stress. Let Storesupport Canada help you overcome these challenges facing the retail industry. We have the knowledge and experience to help you save money an increase efficiency. Call us today at 1-877-421-5081.

Retail Downsizing and Upsizing: Target Not the Only Store Making Changes in Canada

Earlier this year we spoke at length about Target Canada’s choice to pull the plug on its Canadian operations, and the many impacts this had for the brand. But Target isn’t the only company to be making changes within their organizational structure - a whole host of parent companies have made the decision to downsize in recent months. 

At the beginning of the year, several companies, including Sears, Mexx Canada, and Sony, announced plans to downsize. The latest in the long line of companies include the parent company for retailers Ricki’s, Bootlegger and Cleo. Back in March, Canadian Business had this to say: Ontario-based Comark Inc, “The company behind Ricki’s, Bootlegger and Cleo plans to close stores and cut jobs as part of a restructuring after obtaining court protection from creditors.”

You can check out the full article about this downsizing move here: 

http://www.canadianbusiness.com/business-news/rickis-bootlegger-cleo-fashion-stores-downsizing-under-court-protection/.

Does that mean the trend is just about downsizing? No. While some stores are making moves to decrease their footprint, others are increasing their square footage to meet rising demands. This includes those stores, such as Amazon, that are making the move to physical locations, having previously only sold online.

When it comes to rightsizing - whether you are downsizing or upsizing - there are few to things to keep in mind to mitigate any unforeseen consequences.  The right people support, a strategy for in-store set-up and planogram compliance can all make a big difference with regard to customer satisfaction and therefore brand loyalty and brand perspective.

Downsizing? Upsizing? When it comes to rightsizing, Storesupport can help. We can offer the tools that give you the ability to properly manage the process. Call us today at 1-877-421-5081.

Retail Review: Post-Holiday Stats – What to Take From These Numbers

The reports have only been out for a few weeks now, but it is clear that the end of the year was stellar as far as sales. The predictions for the holiday season were good, and clearly the outlook matched the output.

Check out this recent article from the Huffington Post, “Holiday Cross-Border Shopping Down, Canadian Sales Up, Retail Council Says”.  In it, numbers for the 2014 holiday season suggest a strong 2015 - which is never a bad thing for retailers.

Here are some post-holiday stats and a few other highlights from the article:

• According to Canada’s largest processor of debit and credit card payments, sales were up this year overall.
• Comparing the last Saturday before Christmas for both 2013 and 2014, this year’s numbers were far better: amount per transaction up 10% this year, and total dollars spent increased by approximately 4-5% for 2014.
• First two weeks of December 2014 saw an increase of 5.6% compared to 2013.

Thanks to a number of different factors, including the price of gas and the value of the Canadian dollar, Canadians also did far less shopping across the border compared to 2013 - which is great. Less competition from our southern neighbours means a greater chance of sales on home turf.

Less competition, coupled with the recent space being vacated by a big box giant, equals both pros and cons for all Canadian retailers - both big box and bricks and mortar mom and pop shops. The right marketing can both take advantage of the opportunity this represents and help deal with the competition.

For more post-holiday stats or to improve your merchandising strategy, please contact Storesupport today by calling 1-877-421-5081. 

Storesupport Holiday Greeting

Storesupport wishes you all the best this holiday season! You’ve made our smiles bright this year –we hope we’ve done the same for you! Happy Holidays!


 

Powerful In-Store Marketing Doesn’t Have to Be Difficult

One of the biggest hurdles for retailers is developing and maintaining a strong in-store marketing campaign. Taking the time to develop a smart in-store marketing strategy can be costly, especially if you have no prior experience. The time and resources needed to execute it can take away from other important aspects of your business (ex. staff). Instead of dealing with the worry of difficult in-store marketing, let a retail merchandising company help your harness its power easily and effectively.

How can a retail merchandising company help you overcome this challenge? In a number of ways. The role of a retail merchandising company is to help you get a plan in place, no matter what that is, and execute it.

Planogram set-up and signage: if planograms or signage is a part of your in-store marketing, a retail merchandising company can bring in the people to set it up, according to your exact specifications, ensuring that product is correctly labeled and displaced properly. Coupons are included here – in order for them to be profitable they need to be located in the correct space. Signage location should also be considered strategically, and making use of the experience of a retail merchandising company can help alleviate some of the pressure.

Experiential marketing and promotional events: although in-store signage and displays are a major part of any campaign, experiential marketing and promotional events should be as well. Whether you are highlighting a new product or promoting an old one, an experiential marketing campaign is an effective way to achieve this. But it can’t just be thrown together. A retail merchandising company that specializes in experiential marketing can work with you to develop a smart and engaging event that hits all of your targets, as well as provide you with the individuals with the skills and talents to make the event a success.

Remember that any successful in-store marketing campaign can’t remain static. Keeping things up-to-date is all part of the process, and if you fail to keep things current the plan will lose its luster. Make sure that you are constantly updating your strategy to make use of the power of in-store marketing. Again, rely on a retail merchandising company to accomplish this for you.

A professional retail merchandising company that can offer you a hands-free solution to your in-store merchandising woes is the best way to ensure a high level of engagement and customer experience. Don’t stress about it – let someone else take over and make sure that everything is done the way that it should be.

For more information about in-store marketing and the benefits of employing the services of a retail merchandising company, please contact Storesupport today by calling 1-877-421-5081. 

Sales Staggering? Might be Time to Consider Experiential Marketing

In the CPG industry, experiential marketing is not a foreign term. The concept of letting a customer try before they buy is not new, and brands across the country are taking advantage of the benefits that an experiential marketing campaign can bring to a merchandising plan. But why does experiential marketing work? How is it that giving your customers the chance to test a product in-store actually leads to profit and what impact do these campaigns have long term?

When a customer enters a store with a shopping list, chances are good that they will add additional items if prompted. This is one of the main reasons that experiential marketing works. This works especially well when products are featured together. For example, if you are promoting a new pasta sauce, make sure to serve it with another product offered by your brand (pasta, spices, etc.). 

Experiential marketing is great for brand and customer loyalty. The emotional relationship that is formed through a taste sampling works to keep customers coming back for the same product. There is a lot to be said for memory, and when a customer can link a positive experience (the experiential marketing event) with a product, they will continue to purchase that product.

When combined with a promotion (ie. a coupon or a sale), experiential marketing becomes even more effective. Everyone loves a sale, and so being able to try a product and then purchase it at a discount is incredibly appealing.

A good experiential marketing campaign gets people talking. A regular trip to the grocery store doesn’t often stir up much excitement. Instead, leveraging an event that catches peoples’ attention can lead to word-of-mouth advertising. And they are not just talking about the event – they are talking about the product.

Another key benefit of experiential marketing is the research potential it represents. With the right staff, you can easily identify your target market through a campaign. Asking customers what they think about a product after a demonstration or tasting can garner valuable feedback to be used in the future.

Experiential marketing doesn’t have to be difficult, but it does have to be right. Individuals staffing the event need to be knowledgeable about the product, as well as energetic and outgoing enough to get customers to stop. Location is important, as is timing. The right merchandising company, one that specializes in experiential marketing campaigns, is a smart place to start to get your campaign up and running. They can handle everything and you can be sure that the campaign is used to its greatest potential.

For more information about why experiential marketing works, or to get a campaign going, please contact Storesupport by calling 1-877-421-5081 or visit us online at www.storesupport.ca.

Retail Marketing Trends - Can You Keep Up?

The retail industry, especially the CPG industry, has never been a place where the phrase “set it and forget it” applies. Continuous change requires strategy in order to keep up. We are more than halfway through 2013 and in order to keep you up-to-date we thought it time to give you some advice on how to stay current.

Here is our list of the top retail marketing trends as we continue into the latter part of 2013.

Power of a physical presence – just as online shopping has had an impact on bricks and mortar locations, many online-only retailers are recognizing the power of a physical presence and setting up shop as a result. This necessitates the demand for retailers to maintain a high level of customer service in-store and well as the need for innovative customer attention-grabbing maneuvers.

Generational marketing – retailers need to be cognizant of the gaps that exist between generations. As baby boomers, society’s largest group, age, their needs change, and so too does the need to market to them specifically. Don’t rely solely on things like social media or mobile marketing – these tactics are often lost on this group. (But don’t ignore them either – they are critical!)

Cost-cutting measures – employee cutbacks are no longer the most intelligent business practice as far as cutting costs. Retailers looking to bring overhead down need to appreciate the impact that getting rid of employees can have on the bottom line. Too few employees in-store can mean shelves are not being stocked efficiently, line ups are far too long, and customers are not getting the assistance they need/want. Instead of hiring and firing as the market dictates, consider working with a merchandising company that can offer staffing support only when needed and avoid the additional costs that accompany this seasonal output.

Print is here to stay – printed advertisements and displays still remain a very powerful vehicle on the road to customer attraction. But remember, if a display is static, regulars will forget it, and it loses its power altogether.  Constant change with regard to displays and planograms is critical in order to stay in the game.

So how can you achieve your goals by employing these trends to your advantage without having to increase greatly the time spent on them? Find a merchandising company that offers a suite of services which includes the things outlined here. That way you can be sure that trends are being followed correctly.

For more information about retail marketing trends for 2013 or to find out how a merchandising company can help you harness their power please contact Storesupport by calling 1-877-421-5081.

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A FLEXIBLE PART TIME RETAIL JOB?

Storesupport canada is offering a fantastic opportunity to work inside some of Canada’s largest retailers.

Become a Storesupport General Retail Consultant!

There are limited positions that must be filled immediately.

If you are a self-motivated, highly efficient & independent person please apply for one of these positions that are located in Mississauga, Aurora, Oakville, Port Perry, Campbellford and Woodbridge.

Main Responsibilities include:

 

1. Retail Merchandising and shelf stock integrity

2. General work with a retail store environment

3. Maintaining a professional demeanor with the public and store personnel when performing your duties

Position Requirements include:
1.   High School Diploma/GED required
2.   WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Info System) – If you are not currently certified you will be required to obtain WHMIS certification through Storesupport Canada before you start.
3.   You may be required to lift 15lbs and occasionally up to 50lbs

Please email your resume to bonnie.yhip@storesupport.ca

Building Brand Loyalty – Are You Targeting the RIGHT Consumer?

One of the biggest issues that retailers face, especially in today’s mobilizing marketplace, it building brand loyalty and retaining loyal customers.  After all, if a customer can find a better deal, or doesn’t feel as though their needs are being met, they will quickly switch to one of your competitors. In this blog we offer our top 3 steps to building and ensuring brand loyalty. The market is changing constantly, so you need to be focussed on continually updating your strategies.

3 steps to building brand loyalty:

Step 1: Make sure that you are targeting the right consumers. A major hurdle in the Canadian CPG industry is dealing with the generational gap. All consumers are not the same – their wants and needs differ greatly – so if you treat them all the same none of them will be completely satisfied. Instead, you need to cater to the differences. Younger generations are often more receptive to experiential marketing or digital marketing, whereas older generations are often more responsive to coupons and promotions. Don’t ever discount one for the other.

Step 2: Make sure that these consumers are engaged. This can be accomplished a number of different ways (and can be used to market to ALL consumers). Firstly, make sure that customers are receiving the right support (re: finding items that are not on the shelf) and answers to their questions. Secondly, employ an experiential marketing campaign to attract attention, especially when promoting a new product. These things will help establish an emotional connection with your brand. These tactics will also help with brand recognition and boost sales.

Step 3: Make sure that these consumers are experiencing a high level of customer service. Brand loyalty is built upon a foundation of solid customer experience, so if your customers leave your store unsatisfied with the level of service they have received, chances are pretty good that they won’t be returning for seconds. Don’t let long line ups or idle employees cause a decrease in customer experience levels.

A great tactic to adopt when facing stagnant levels of brand loyalty is to leverage the services of a merchandising company to garner a boost. By employing their methods for success, an experienced merchandising company can examine problem areas, suggest changes that will have big impacts, and implement the adjustments smoothly.

For more information about building brand loyalty, please contact Storesupport today by calling 1-877-421-5081 or visit us online at www.storesupport.ca.

Online vs. Bricks and Mortar – Visual Merchandising Plan to Battle Competition

It is common knowledge in the retail industry that online shopping is a major competitor for bricks and mortar stores. The ability to price compare and buy online has steadily risen in popularity over the last few years, to the point that many retailers have felt the need to compete through the development and establishment of their own online stores. However, it seems as though the competition is not as stiff as originally predicted – and the expectation that online shopping would lead to the inevitable death of the retail location have not panned out. Canadian customers are still shopping at bricks and mortar locations.

According to research done by global information company The NPD Group, only 4% of all Canadian transactions were made online in 2012 – and this is an increase of 0.5% from 2011. Broken down, NPD reported that approximately 7 online purchases were made by the average Canadian household in 2012, compared to over 150 trips to traditional bricks and mortar stores (3-4 visits per week).

There are many reasons for this staunch refusal by consumers to let online shopping dictate the market – the most important reason being the experience that cannot be had by shopping online. Recognizing this, retailers have started to realize the importance that lies in visual merchandising and how it has to change in order to continue to compete.

As a bricks and mortar store, having a visual merchandising plan in place is crucial to maintain the leverage over online retailers. Consumers like to be able to enter a retail location and visually take in what they cannot over the internet. This includes things like planograms, signage and displays – all of which need to be executed properly (one of the main functions of a merchandising company) to attract customers.

Other factors contribute as well, including a high level of customer experience and interaction – so make sure that when customers leave your store they feel satisfied. This will help safeguard customer loyalty and retention.

Although online shopping has not killed the bricks and mortar store it has resulted in the need to evolve and adapt.  A strong visual merchandising plan is essential in this adaptation, and so make sure that you employ a merchandising company to help ensure that the online competition that does exist does not take over.

For more information about how to ramp up your visual merchandising plan to further battle the competition of online retailers, please contact Storesupport today by calling 1-877-421-5081.

How Canadian Merchandising Companies Can Solve Your Customer Experience Woes

Customer experience is a complex entity, summed up by the total interaction a client has with your brand. This can include any form of marketing (print/media advertising) and customer service in-store and online. A focus on customer experience needs to play a major role in any company’s (both retailers and brands) plan for success.

Don’t just take our word for it. A recent Business Insider article looked at one of the most profitable companies worldwide, examining why it continues to make a profit year in and year out. The conclusion: a long term focus on customer experience has led to a strong brand reputation and exceptional customer loyalty, and this has equaled major annual profits.

The articles states: “building the desired customer experience requires tools such as (but not limited to) research, operations, brand management, marketing and employee engagement.” You cannot exchange one for the other – you need to maintain a high level with each aspect of the equation.

How can merchandising companies help you raise the bar for customer experience? In various ways. 

Brands: Think about brand management. What approach do you take to ensuring your brand is perceived well? If you are too focused on short term, the long term will suffer. And how can you determine what this perception is? Merchandising companies can help you best understand the customer experience through tools such as mystery shopping (to better gauge the level of a retailer’s employee engagement and knowledge) or quality assurance audits.

Retailers: Employees play a big part in this production. When a customer enters your store, they should feel as though their business is appreciated. We are not suggesting you speak to each person individually, but if a customer has questions about a product or can’t find a product, your employees should be there to offer assistance. In peak seasons, the level of customer experience can be impacted negatively by this, and so merchandising companies can help you maintain high levels of customer satisfaction by providing highly-trained, experienced people support to fill in the gaps.

When you look towards the future of your company, it should be with a long term lens – and the best way to achieve the goals you establish in the process is with an ironclad customer experience policy and by taking advantage of the services of a well-reputed and experienced merchandising company.

For more information about how merchandising companies can assist you with a powerful, long term customer experience plan, please contact Storesupport today by calling 1-877-421-5081.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/why-amazon-is-one-of-the-most-successful-companies-in-the-world-2012-12

Bridging the Marketing Gap: Retail Merchandising in an Ever-Changing Marketplace

Last week we talked about how important it is with the rise of mobile e-commerce to ramp up your retail merchandising campaigns to deal with the competition this creates. The rise of mobile e-commerce is just one example of how vital it is to leverage different types of merchandising to attract different customers.  

Here are just a few examples of this cross-sectional marketing and how a retail merchandising company can help you maintain it.

How you merchandise:

Print: displays, planograms, etc. These are one of the most important parts of any merchandising plan. When a consumer enters a store, the displays and planograms often play the largest role in attracting their attention. Whether you rely on stand-up display shelves, floor decals or shelving signs as a segment of your retail merchandising plan, these need to be carried out and maintained appropriately. A retail merchandising company can not only set them up according to your designs, they will also return to make sure that they are being used properly.

Coupons and promotions: Many consumers are attracted to coupons and promotions – so making use of them is key. This is especially crucial when releasing a new product. You need to leverage this type of retail merchandising in order to attract this crowd. Again, a retail merchandising company can help by providing people support to distribute coupons or ensure that coupon dispensers are installed correctly.

Interactive: experiential marketing. Another effective retail marketing strategy is through taste tests or product trials. Research shows that those consumers who are given the chance to sample a product are more inclined to purchase. By leveraging and implementing an experiential marketing campaign you can harness the power inherent in this consumer group.

Who you merchandise to:

Generational gaps and catering too much to one generational group while largely ignoring the other can wreak havoc in the retail industry. For example, if you rely solely on mobile marketing you are ignoring the entire generation that this does not tailor to. Conversely, if you are just using print marketing, those consumers who see mobile or computerized displays as the way of the future may be lost.

When you set out to design your retail merchandising plan, make sure that all bases are covered. Don’t discount one group for another. Employ a retail merchandising company to guarantee that all targets are marketed to.

For more information about how to ensure that your retail merchandising strategy encompasses a variety of different marketing schemes please contact Storesupport by calling 1-877-421-5081.

Effects of Mobile E-Commerce on Retailers - E-Commerce Report from Canadian Government Sheds Light

In 2012, as a result of the dramatic changes that Canadian society has experienced as a result of technological changes over the past several years, the government conducted research on e-commerce as an industry. Called E-Commerce in Canada: Pursuing the Promise, Report of the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology, this report shed a great deal of light on the impacts of e-commerce and mobile e-commerce on retailers.  

According to the report, 79% of Canadian households have internet access, and of this 79%, 74% use the internet to browse or shop for goods or services online.  In 2010 alone, online purchases resulted in $15.8 billion in sales. The online market is booming – but how is it affecting your business?

Now, more than ever, Canadians are coming to rely on their smartphones for far more than just talking and texting – realistically most of what can be done from a laptop in the home office can be accomplished anywhere from a mobile device. This on-the-spot purchasing power that mobile e-commerce represents is great for consumers, but not so good for retailers trying to deal with the competition.

So how can you handle the impacts of mobile e-commerce? It is simple. Sure you may not be able to offer the same convenience that comes from the ability to give consumers what they want at the tap of a finger, but by working with a retail merchandising company you can keep those consumers in the store and maintain sales.

Where grocery stores are concerned – a great deal of shoppers do their shopping in store. If you offer CPG brands that are sold in a grocery store then your customer’s in-store experience is key, especially if you want to keep them coming back to buy more.

Think about it, when a consumer makes a purchase online, generally as far as they can see the product is available, clearly priced, they expedite payment and then their product is delivered. Customers must have the same experience when they visit a retailer to purchase your product. Product should be in stock, clearly priced and where it is supposed to be according to your planogram.  

Experiential marketing and promotional campaigns are also a great way to manage the mobile e-commerce rivalry. Once you get consumers through the door an intelligent way to influence their purchases is to make suggestions through campaigns that offer sales or give them a chance to try.

A great way to manage your retail merchandising and have boots on the ground, without the cost of a huge team, is to work with a retail merchandising company who has the coverage and expertise to support your needs at a fraction of the cost of having a front line workforce.

For many retailers, e-commerce represents a huge market for sales – as long as you are using it to sell. If you are not, you need to be looking at other methods to deal with this competition.

For more information about how to handle the competition created by mobile e-commerce, please contact Storesupport today by calling 1-877-421-5081 or visit us online at www.storesupport.ca.

People Support During Busy Back-to-School Season: Merchandising Companies Have You Covered

Retailers get ready! September is almost upon us and with it comes the back-to-school shopping blitz. Children heading back to the classroom all need the newest duds and gadgets – so make sure that they are coming to you for them – and leaving your store satisfied.

During the back-to-school craze, retail merchandising is crucial, and you need to be ready. Having sales clearly marked and shelves stocked is important – but these are not the only things that will make this shopping season profitable.

One of the hardest things for retailers with regard to back-to-school shopping is the crowds. As soon as the calendar hits August, most parents get their lists together and head out to prep for September. This requires a delicate balance for retailers. You need to make sure that you have enough people on the floor to cover this extra volume, both in departments to offer assistance, at the cash registers to prevent long line-ups, and in the stock room making sure that shelves and racks do not go empty, leading to lost sales. That being said, you don’t want to have to go through the process of hiring a new group of temporary employees just to cover this one month. And even though you may not be planning on retaining these employees after back-to-school shopping is over, they still need to be trained - and training costs time and money.

A retail merchandising company that offers people support is the best way to handle this demand. Instead of having to go through the entire hiring and training process, a merchandising company can provide you with experienced, professional, well-trained individuals to fill any positions necessary: cashiers, sales associates, floor staff, or employees to stock. This takes care of all of the hiring costs and training resources that you would need to spend to do it on your own. Additionally, since these employees are contracted on a temporary basis, once their assistance and support is no longer needed you don’t have to go through the messy and costly process of letting them go.

Don’t wait until the week before to devise a plan for back-to-school shopping – after all most stores have had ads promoting sales out for weeks already – and it is only July! Get going on your back-to-school shopping retail plan now to ensure that it is implemented correctly thus achieving the biggest returns. Don’t get lost in the shuffle; make sure that you have enough people – and the right people – there to support you.

For more information about a retail merchandising plan which includes people support for back-to-school shopping please contact Storesupport by calling 1-877-421-5081 or visit us online at www.storesupport.ca

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.

Merchandising Companies are the Resource for Staffing Up Over the Holidays

As a retailer, you are no doubt aware of the strains created by the holiday season. The surplus traffic that is inevitable can be daunting, and often the only solution is to increase your staff on a temporary basis to meet the needs of customers. But what impact does this have on your customer service standards, retail merchandising and your bottom line? Does hiring new staff for the holiday season actually create higher customer satisfaction, and does it mean a better productivity rate?

In order to keep customer satisfaction and customer loyalty up during the holidays, maintaining a sufficient staff is necessary – but there are 2 ways to go about doing this. Both need to be carefully considered in order to determine which option best meets your needs as far as customer service and retail merchandising are concerned.

The seemingly effective go-to option of hiring seasonal staff is one of your choices. But what are the actual costs and benefits of this? More than likely the negatives far outweigh the positives.

Recruitment costs – since the first step to hiring a seasonal employee is recruitment, make sure you factor in all of the costs for recruitment. How would you advertise the position? How many applicants will you interview, and who will do the interviewing? How much time will be spent on background and reference checks? These things all take time and money – things that could be spent more productively elsewhere.

Training – so every employee needs to be trained. How much time is spent – both by the new hire and the employee doing the training – doing this? And how long does it take. Furthermore, according to a study done by Investopedia, if you are hiring just for the holiday season, chances are that employee will only ever reach about 25% of their potential before the season is over. It isn’t until around the 5^th week that an employee reaches even 50%, and it takes on average 13 weeks to reach even a 75% productivity rate. Knowing this, it is undeniable that training often costs more than the benefits of having the employee there.

High turnover/reliability – how can you ensure that that employee you have hired to work for only a few weeks in interested in doing the best job for you? Often you cannot. More often than not, as a seasonal employee, your new staff member is more interested in quick cash than long-term career goals. Relying on this may leave you in a lurch or lead to decreased morale or a high turnover rate (which could then result in further recruitment and training costs…).

So what other options are there for staffing up over the holidays while still maintaining a high degree of customer service and retail merchandising standards during this busy time? Relying on a third party partner that specializes in retail and provides staffing resources to meet your needs is often a much better choice. The right partner will be able to provide highly trained, experienced retail staff even on short notice. Since these staff members are employees of the third party partner, they have already been checked, hired, and trained, which means you can avoid the hassle. Since they are permanently employed by the third party partner, you know that they are experienced at retail, reliable and will work with your existing staff.  Partnering with this type of organization will also remove the burden of training, turnover and scheduling so that you can focus on what’s most important, your customers.

Hiring staff for the holidays doesn’t have to be a headache – working with a third party retail partner that can provide you with the resources required will allow you to overcome the stress while maintaining a strong bottom line.

For more information about how to best staff up for the holiday season and how to keep customer service and retail merchandising in check, please contact Storesupport at 877-421-5081 or visit www.storesupport.ca. We are your third party retail resource for this holiday season. 

Getting Control of your Product Distribution and Retail Merchandising Over the Holiday Season

We all know how busy the holidays get at retail, and we all know how detrimental maintaining good customer service best practices are. For a brand at retail, keeping the customer happy is crucial, especially with regard to product distribution and retail merchandising. 

We have all heard those retail merchandising holiday horror stories that illustrate just how “fun” holiday shopping can be – but if you are a brand located in a retail environment, you know that keeping control of your product distribution and retail merchandising over the holiday season is critical for your bottom line. 

For example, it is undeniable that the holiday season often results in empty shelves or un-stocked product. So how can you combat this? Working with a merchandising company can help you deal with your holiday product distribution woes. By providing access to staff that can navigate the retail space and ensure your product is located on the shelf and accessible to clients helps to alleviate the stress of dealing with holiday hardships. Regular run-throughs ensure that retailers are not letting your product distribution fall to the wayside during the holiday rush, meaning your bottom line does not suffer from distribution issues.

Also important is making sure that there IS stock in the back. If a customer comes in during the holiday season looking for your brand only to find it out of stock, they often have no choice but to switch brands. Working with a merchandising company can help eliminate this by sending consultants to retail to ensure product distribution is up to date and that sufficient product exists in the storeroom.

Yet another important part of product distribution and retail merchandising during the holiday season – pricing. With so many sales taking place over the holidays, sometimes your brand pricing may be lost in the shuffle. If a customer comes in looking for the best deal and your product has not be marked down as you expected, this could result in lost sales or lost customer loyalty. Working with a merchandising company eliminates this by sending out consultants to check pricing and product placement. Ensuring that prices are marked down may not be a retailer’s top priority, but it is yours, and thus it becomes the top priority for your merchandising company.

Another issue that arises during the holidays to negatively impact product distribution and retail merchandising is having too few staff on hand to handle customers’ needs. We all know how difficult it can be to find help at retail during the busy holiday season, but think about the impact of this if you are a brand at retail. Enlisting the services of an experienced merchandising company that can provide the staffing necessary to keep up the customer experience will allow you to ensure that your brand is receiving the recognition it needs and that your loyal customers remain happy.

Even during the holidays – or especially during them – it is critical to keep customers happy to maintain customer loyalty and brand recognition. It does not take much for a customer to switch brands if they feel ‘wronged’ by a brand that they were previously loyal to.

For more information about product distribution and retail merchandising over the holiday season, or at any point during the year, please contact Storesupport at 1 (877) 421-5081 or visit www.storesupport.ca.

The Most Effective Retail Management Solutions Often Cannot Be Replaced With Technology

Effective retail management in today’s retail market is crucial to a brand’s success. Keeping pace with constantly evolving retail management strategies is so important when you are trying to remain ahead of the competition. One of the current retail management solutions being adopted by different companies is to replace people with technology – but is this effective?  

The limitations of technology - do people still have a role to play in retail management? The current reach of technology for ever expanding business is incredible. However, implementing technology to the point where it can take the place of people can be hazardous in a retail setting, especially in the retail food industry. In some industries, technology may seem like the most effective retail management solution, but in the retail food industry, employees still remain the most effective way to maintain a high level of customer service. 

Take this example as an illustration of the importance of effective retail management:

Karen goes the grocery store with the intention of buying laundry detergent, and enters the isle where it is usually located. Having just purchased a new high-efficiency washer, Karen wants to know if HE detergent is required, or if she is able to purchase her regular brand, which is cheaper. Unfortunately, the HE version of the detergent she normally purchases is on sale, and has been moved to an end-cap. She looks around for a sales associate, but is unable to locate one. All she can find is a digital display which outlines the benefits of a particular brand of HE detergent – but does not tell her whether or not HE detergent is necessary. As a result, Karen decides to buy the competitor’s product. A customer has been lost!

This is an all too common occurrence. Technology as a retail management solution often leaves the customer feeling unsatisfied and unappreciated. The ability to ask questions or to find products that have been moved is drastically reduced by replacing people with technology. When you are relying on retailers for the timely re-stocking of your product on the shelves or on their employees for the ability to provide the correct information about your product, an effective retail management solution is one that does not rely on technology in the place of an actual person.

Many companies have attempted to implement technology as an effective retail management solution, but have found it to be less than ideal. Esso, for example, tried to use digital screens at their gas pumps to market products in-store. However, after finding that it was not profitable or well received by their customers, the project was scrapped.

Maintaining customer loyalty and attracting new customers to your brand is the ultimate goal of effective retail management. However, implementing a technology based retail management solution, such as that of replacing people with digital displays, can have a devastating impact on your bottom line.

Not only does replacing people with technology as a retail management solution not meet the needs of your customers emotionally, it can also inhibit their ability to physically access your product. Building displays, product demonstrations or sampling, and product ‘quick-fixes’ are all unachievable with a retail management solution that puts technology in the place of employees.

Technology may be able to provide effective product information or teach customers about the benefits of a new product, but employees are the ones that ensure customers are getting the information that they want, that they can easily find the product on the shelves, and that they are able to get answers they are looking for.

For more information about effective retail management solutions and how replacing people with technology is not always the best retail management solution, or to learn about any of the services provided by Storesupport, please call 1 (877) 421-5081 or visit www.storesupport.ca.