Saturday, 21 July 2012

Using New Zealand Grocery Merchandising to Increase Sales

Merchandising is important to any retail business. However, merchandising strategy differs from industry to industry depending on the products being sold. One industry where merchandising is extremely important is infast moving consumer goods (fmcg). These products are sold quickly, and at a relatively low cost (hence the name fast moving consumer goods). They possess low decision involvement from the consumer and are generally bought as impulse purchases. These could be everyday items such as toothpaste, chips, chocolate, bags, pens, cleaning products and low cost household items. Fmcg merchandising is crucial to supermarket sales and sales of these products, especially in New Zealand grocery merchandising. Because they are sold frequently and have a relatively high turnover rate and high level of demand from consumers, the way fmcg products are marketed and displayed in retail outlets greatly influences sales. There is a direct correlation between supermarket sales and merchandising. Looking at New Zealand grocery merchandising, for example, if fmcg merchandising is done well, fmcg sales will increase as a result. The decision to purchase fast moving consumer goods among consumers is usually rapid, so the consumer will generally grab the first product he or she spots, or any product which is conveniently displayed and easily accessible. New Zealand grocery merchandising can use this knowledge as a benefit to their marketing efforts and strategically display products where consumers can easily find them. Furthermore, to increase supermarket sales and merchandising for a specific product, a merchandiser might create a special display at the entrance of the store, position items in the checkout lane, or place goods they are trying to increase sales of at eye level (this is proven to lead to more sales, because the specific product is generally the first on the consumer sees). The benefits of fmcg merchandising are numerous. Not only do products look more presentable and well displayed, but supermarket sales and merchandising increase, merchandising consultants can provide marketing tips and they are generally very knowledgeable about the current state of the market and can provide accurate market forecast reports. Fmcg merchandising consultants are experts in creating good looking displays, arranging products and making a retail store visually appealing and inviting to customers. Hiring a supermarket sales and merchandising consultant to do this work saves store managers time, while allowing other employees to focus on their jobs and expertise areas. A supermarket sales and merchandising expert has the potential to dramatically increase sales and raise revenue, but it is important to find a merchandiser who will be a good fit with the retail business. One of the most important qualities of a supermarket merchandiser is someone who is trustworthy. Other qualitiesto take into consideration include the merchandiser’s experience with fmcg merchandising, feedback from current New Zealand grocery merchandising clients, sales portfolio and current list of clients (in order to avoid working with competitors). Selecting the right New Zealand grocery merchandising consultant will lead to increased supermarket sales, happy employees and happy customers.

  Supermarket Sales and Merchandising | Foodstuffs NZ