Taking Control at Retail Over the Holiday Season

It is that time of year again. Time to get ready for the holiday season and all that it entails. When your brand is located at retail, this can mean many different things - most of which also mean more stress. 

That is why taking control at retail, especially over the busy holiday season, is so crucial. So, to help out, here are some tips to help you regain control and ensure sales are as high as possible!

One of the best ways to ensure your product will perform is to ensure that it is always on the shelf. You simply cannot rely on retailers to consistently ensure that your brand is getting out of the backroom and to the right location on the shelf. At the end of the day, if the customer has a bad customer experience it will directly impact your bottom line. Since you can’t be there to check yourself, the best way to guarantee your products will be on the shelf is by taking back control. This is particularly important for those products that enjoy larger sale numbers during the holidays.

Promotions are a great way to help boost sales - and to ensure customers are more aware of what you have to offer. Displays are a perfect way to highlight sales, as well as promote your product in store. Additionally, having a company set up/build that in-store display means you can worry about everything else on your plate.

Want to make sure those sales are being ticketed properly, that shelves are stocked, or that displays match your price points (after all, this is a major part of staying competitive)? A retail audit is a great way to do it. This is also a good way to ensure that a retailer’s employees are knowledgeable and able to provide the information your customers want.

Want to highlight certain products during the busy season? An experiential marketing campaign may just be the way to do it. Setting up in-store, having customers try your product, and then directing them to the shelf and providing a promo or coupon, can really help to boost sales. This is especially important when it comes to new offerings - and is a smart way to encourage loyalty right from the beginning.

With Black Friday and the holidays right around the corner, you need to start planning soon - and all of these are excellent ways to help ensure sales are as high as possible over the next few months.

Want to get a merchandising plan started to take advantage? Call Storesupport today at 905.847.6513.

Big Retail Changes Blog Series: P&G Simplification

Last week marked the beginning of the 4^th quarter of 2015, and to celebrate we talked about one of the changes that helped mark the first 3 quarters of the year - the Kraft Heinz merger and some of the impacts. This week we are following up with a discussion on another of 2015’s big retail changes - this time, the company in the spotlight is Proctor and Gamble.

Always strongly focused in the beauty sector, Proctor and Gamble made some big changes in 2015. One of the bigger ones was a beauty brand merger with Coty. This came after the company recognized that they had over-extended themselves. As a recent Cosmetics Design Europe article, “P&G to become a ‘simpler’ business with beauty refocus ‘essentially done’”, noted, the company has decided to get back to basics in a way, becoming much simpler, and thus letting go of some of the projects that were taking away from sales.

Check out the full article here: http://www.cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/Brand-Innovation/P-G-to-become-a-simpler-business-with-beauty-refocus-essentially-done.

Like Kraft Heinz, for Proctor and Gamble, 2015 was a big year, and the company is hopeful that their simplification plans will prove successful.

Are you like these companies, planning to make a change in the coming months? Maybe in the New Year? There are several things to consider before doing so, one of the most important is how to keep operations running smoothly in store. Here are a few tips:

-       Ensure staffing is sufficient to handle whatever is thrown at them. Downsizing can be a major task, but keeping customers happy by ensuring enough staff members are on hand to keep shelves stocked and assisting customers is a perfect way to accomplish this.

-       Don’t want to hire new employees just to handle the transition? Consider working with a company for 3^rd party people support - trained employees that you don’t have to hire, train or let go.

-       Retail merchandising and planogram resets are a great way to ensure set-up is done properly and to the benefit of both yourself as the retailer and your brand partners.

-       Brands - if your product is involved in a retailer’s changes, make sure that you are always aware of what is taking place on the ground with a retail audit.

Retail changes can be hectic, but let Storesupport take away some of the stress. We have an entire suite of services to handle your retail needs, efficiently and cost-effectively. Contact us today by calling 905.847.6513.

Taking on the Customer Service Challenge - and Winning!

In the CPG industry, one of the most important factors when it comes to influencing sales is your customer service - this is a no-brainer. Usually the two go hand-in-hand. So, knowing this, how can you up your customer service game?

Check out this great article from Canadian Grocer, filled with some interesting insight about customer service in the CPG industry and how to take on the customer service challenge and win!

Some food for thought: according to the article, the annual American Express Canadian Retail Insights Report revealed that 82% of retailers in the restaurant, fast food, grocery, gas and general retail sectors cited better customer service experiences as the reason for a jump in sales. In the grocery sector specifically, 87% of businesses surveyed are investing in improving customer service in 2015, a 21% increase from 2014!

You can check out the full article here: http://www.canadiangrocer.com/blog/three-ways-to-up-your-customer-service-game-57547.

Some highlights and tips from the article:

-      Great customer service can help differentiate you from your competitors, but since most retailers are aware of this fact, almost all are working to differentiate themselves. Therefore, you need to be prepared for more competition. Your team members need to be well versed and aware of their role in the customer service game.

-       Loyalty is important - so be creative when trying to obtain it. According to the article, 82% of grocers are working to improve loyalty by leveraging sales, promotions and discounts and 74% plan to develop more product offerings or services to bring in consumers - up 15% from 2014.

-       Don’t drop everything for online. Although e-commerce has taken over several industries, it doesn’t seem to have permeated the grocery industry yet, so make sure to balance out your strategy when choosing channels. Using technology to improve your business is a great idea, whereas relying on it may not be as beneficial.

We are heading into the last quarter of 2015, and that usually means a significant push to get things ironed out for the year and ready for what lies ahead. Upping your customer service game is never a bad idea and now is the time to do it!

Need some ideas or help getting those levels of satisfaction up? Storesupport can help. Call us today at 905.847.6513.

The Online vs. Bricks and Mortar Debate: Where do Smaller Stores Stand?

In the retail world, online shopping and bricks and mortar shopping are usually viewed as diametrically opposed - an either/or proposition. And with this perception comes the often accepted myth that online is slowly but surely taking over. However, it is far more complicated than that, the myth largely based on assumption rather than fact.

A recent survey for UPS on how large a role mobile plays followed that same assumption - that shoppers preferred online shopping. The survey did find that that role is significant - and consumers want more advanced features, flexible shipping options, and hassle-free returns.

That being said, the survey findings said far more than that. Although mobile is growing, bricks and mortar stores have not lost their importance.

It seems as though the relationship is far more intertwined. Both online and bricks and mortar benefit from one another: “When purchasing online from a retailer that also has a physical store, 39% of consumers who make returns prefer to ship the product back while the overwhelming majority – 61% – prefer to return the item to the store. When they go to the store to make that return, 70% said they purchase an additional item.”

You can read more about the report here: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/online-shoppers-not-even-close-to-abandoning-brick-and-mortar-060415.html.

Add to this fact that some previously online-only stores are opening up physical locations and the complexities are even more visible.

Great, so major retailers are still holding their own against the online onslaught - evidently online shopping isn’t taking over as some believe. But where do smaller stores stand? Are mom and pop shops getting wiped out?

Again, the same seems to be true for mom and pop shops - they have not lost their relevance. Although facing more competition thanks to the growth of online shopping, consumers loyal to these stores remain so. It does mean that your strategy needs to meet this competition head-on, with marketing and merchandising methods that can help beat it.

For brands specifically there are other implications. If located in a mom and pop shop, or really any bricks and mortar location, you need to be sure that you are meeting the needs of your customers on a consistent basis, and retail audits can help you better determine what is working, what is not, and how to implement a plan to fix any issues.

Whether you are a smaller retailer dealing with online competition or a brand located at retail, Storesupport has the tools to help you succeed. Call us today at 1-877-421-5081.

The Retail Landscape: Are Traditional Merchandising Methods Still Effective?

With the many changes facing the CPG industry, it can be difficult to determine which merchandising methods are still viable options for garnering sales. Many retailers and brands alike are constantly asking themselves “Are traditional merchandising methods still effective?”

Here is our take on some of the top traditional merchandising methods that are still being used on a regular basis by most retailers: flyers, experiential marketing, and the checkout line.

Flyers - getting them into the store. While many stores feel as though flyers are a big cost that hopefully can be replaced by digital, many consumers, especially in the CPG sector, are still using them. According to the Globe and Mail, many consumers “like paper flyers because they can carry them around, circle deals and easily access them for price-matching at competing retailers.” That being said, flyers are not as effective for all retailers. The same Globe and Mail article noted that a test done by Sport Chek, meant to determine if a digital focus was more effective, determined that for them flyers were not where the money was. You can check out the full article here: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/marketing/digital-ads-may-be-the-future-but-consumers-remain-loyal-to-paper-flyers/article18924774/.

Experiential merchandising - try before they buy. These campaigns have been sprouting up with extreme frequency across North America, and for good reason. But do they work? Well, let’s look at Red Bull as a perfect example. Their 2012 Stratos Jump campaign racked up 52 million view worldwide, and in the 6 months following the campaign, U.S. sales increased 7% to $1.6 billion, and the company sold 5.3 billion cans worldwide in 2013 - up from 5.2 billion in 2012. Other campaigns have also benefited from the impacts - but it needs to be done right. Pulling on consumer emotions, catering to the right target market, etc., all require work - so to get the best results, make sure you devote the time and resources.

The checkout line - your last chance for a sale. This is usually the point when you often have the attention of the shopper, more than at any point in the store, because they are standing and waiting. 

Traditional marketing with displays used to get people thinking about that last-minute spontaneous purchase, but do they still have the same effect? According to a recent study done by Time Warner Retail Sales & Marketing, the checkout line is often an afterthought for consumers, but shouldn’t be for grocers. Why? Because checkout line sales represent 1% of total grocery sales - and up to 10% of consumers will make a purchase in the checkout line. That is pretty impressive for a relatively small category.

When it comes to CPG sales, many traditional merchandising methods still hold value - and making the switch and phasing them out may not actually work in your best interest.

Want to know more about these traditional merchandising methods and how to implement them to create a campaign that yields real results? Storesupport has you covered. Call us today at 1-877-421-5081.

The New Shopping Journey: How Consumer Behaviour is Changing

In the retail industry, no matter the sector, understanding customer behaviour is a constant challenge that both retailers and brands struggle with on a regular basis. Knowing how to target, when to target, catering to the right person at the right time - these are all points of differential that can make or break a sale.

Over the last few years, consumer spending and consumer behaviour have changed dramatically.

Check out this great infographic from Chicago based firm IRI, The New Shopping Journey.

Here are some highlights on how and where money is spent:

-       75% of shoppers rely heavily on their mobile devices when shopping, both beforehand and during the shopping journey.

-       60% of shoppers are looking for private label brands.

-       Shoppers are visiting fewer stores, choosing to shop at the ones they believe offer the most value.

At Storesupport, we can help you best determine the course of action that means maximum efficiency, cashing in on consumer behaviour trends. Call us today at 1-877-421-5081.

How Are You Earning Customer Loyalty?

Earning customer loyalty, for retailers, is a constant struggle. Knowing who to target, and when, is a challenge - one that can make or break your bottom line. This is why it always helps to have someone in your corner offering timeless and trending advice.

Today we are taking on that roll and sharing this great article we found regarding earning customer loyalty, “25 Tips for Earning Customer Loyalty” from Entrepreneur. Check it out here: 

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/245365.

Key takeaways:

-          Share your core values

-          Provide excellent service and exceed customer expectations

-          Always be transparent and admit when a mistake has been made

-          Create a sense of community with your customers

-          Don’t neglect existing customers

-          Offer incentives

-          Ask for feedback and act on that feedback

-          Always be reliable

-          Anticipate problems before they become problems

-          When problems are identified, fix them

-          Be flexible

-          Communicate

Customer loyalty has to be earned - we all know that - but there are some tried and true methods to do so. These tips draw on traditional methods and incorporate the latest trends, achieving maximum effect.

If you want more tips on earning customer loyalty, Storesupport has the toolset to help. Call us today at 1-877-421-5081.