Products collected in a group that is formed in accordance with their similarity in one or more features are called "assortment".
Assortment types
The generally accepted division of assortments according to who they are formed includes commodity and industrial groups.
Industrial is the result of the activities of a manufacturing enterprise or several companies operating within the same industry. This type of assortment is implemented by the company itself, and on its basis, individual wholesale and retail trade organizations form their assortment.
The types of assortment are studied and used by marketers in their activities, as their tasks include the organization of procurement and product promotion.
The product range is usually called the one that is presented in wholesale and retail stores. That is, these are goods that are sold in one place, released by several manufacturers and have different purposes. There are situations when the product range is represented by products of one manufacturer, for example, in company stores.
The main types of assortment, their volume and structure are directly affected by such a factor as consumer demand, its dynamics and trends.
Products of different origin, offered on the market to meet the same needs, are called the consumer product line. These products may vary by individual parameters or by price.
What is the breadth of coverage of goods
This term characterizes how fully formed types of assortment of goods meet the expectations and needs of customers. Based on how you can characterize the breadth of coverage of goods, the assortments are distinguished:
- simple;
- complex
- group
- deployed;
- related;
- mixed.
All these types of assortment, their distinctive features and specifics are described in more detail below.
Description of subgroups of the assortment
If a product presented by a manufacturer or a retailer can be classified by the minimum number of characteristics (three), it is called simple. This definition is fixed in GOST. Many stores that prefer the sale of consumer goods rely on such an assortment. Assortment types also depend on the income level of customers.
Sellers who form this type of assortment rely on buyers with a small income and locate their enterprises in their places of residence. An example is a rural store selling bread.
In the case when the classification can be carried out by more signs, they speak of a complex assortment. Different types of large retail trade organizations (supermarkets, hypermarkets), as well as wholesale bases create an assortment of this type.
Variety of assortment
An enlarged assortment is a product, united by any common feature or set of characteristics. Often these are signs regarding functionality or social purpose. On the basis of the enlarged assortment they form the organizational structure of the enterprise.
When an assortment of products includes a large number of their varieties, it is called expanded. These types of product ranges are available in specialized stores. Here, the seller offers various brands, subgroups and types of goods, their varieties and names. A feature of the expanded assortment is a relatively small number of groups in which homogeneous goods are combined.
Features of the accompanying and mixed assortment
Accompanying assortment - these are goods whose functions are auxiliary, that is, their sale is not the main source of income for the organization. An example of this type of organization of trading activity is the availability of soap and other household goods in a grocery store.
The assortment of the mixed type is characterized by a very large variety of goods with various functional purposes. This approach is used by shops offering both food and non-food products.
Other types of assortment
A more detailed classification identifies several more categories into which the assortment is divided. Types of assortment, based on how fully they satisfy the needs, look like this:
- Rational - within its framework, goods are offered that are designed to adequately satisfy consumers, which contributes to the achievement of the company's goals.
- Optimal - for its formation, goods are needed that will not only meet consumer needs, but will also become useful to them. The specificity of this type of assortment is that the costs of designing, manufacturing and selling its products are reduced to a minimum. Products related to the optimal assortment are extremely competitive.
Depending on what needs the assortment is called to satisfy, it is called:
The first is characterized by the fact that the necessary goods are available from the manufacturer or trade organization.
The second is a list of products that can satisfy unmet (anticipated) needs.
Assortment and novelty of goods
The well-being of any enterprise depends on the extent to which its product meets the interests of the consumer. The demand is influenced by a number of factors, including socio-economic, demographic, trade and organizational, national, as well as random market impacts.
An ideal way to maintain the loyalty of regular customers and to win the attention of new ones is updating and expanding the range. So, based on how new the goods are, they are divided into the following groups:
- Brand new.
- Subject to improvements.
- Modified.
- Product of market novelty.
It should distinguish between the concepts of “modernized” and “modified” goods. Updating a product is considered a modernization, and changing its properties or replacing them is already a modification. In addition, the situation in which a new product comes out and the obsolete one continues to be produced is considered as a differentiation.