One of the most important stages in the sale of products to the final consumer is the preparation of goods for sale. Laid out and conveniently packaged goods significantly reduce customer service time , unload sellers and cashiers, and stimulate sales growth.
Types of operations for the preparation of goods
Presale preparation of the trading assortment can be general and special. General preparation includes unpacking, sorting, visual inspection of the integrity of the product packaging. This also includes the laying of goods at their intended places - in cells, on shelves, pallets, racks , etc. Special operations include the assembly of various products, the elimination of minor defects, the packaging of bulk products. In addition, careful preparation of the product items is necessary - clean shelves and racks will highlight the product line, and the competent filling of the refrigerators will help to properly decompose the frozen products and present them in the most attractive form.
Due to the huge range of incoming products, some stages of special training are shifted from sellers to representatives of trading depots or manufacturing companies. For example, representatives of suppliers control the display of products on commodity shelves and refrigerators, trading warehouses pack bulk goods and more.
How to reduce the number of pre-sale operations
Features of wholesale and small wholesale trade force retail chain managers to make the necessary stocks of products. Sometimes this is due to the upcoming holidays, sometimes to the end of a certain season, when official distributors vacate their warehouses in order to prepare a place for seasonal goods.
Often, wholesale companies provide goods in bulk packaging (cereals, sugar, pasta). For retail, such packaging is inappropriate, therefore, retail chain employees should deal with the packaging of products in a convenient container of acceptable weight. Best of all, when this is done not by sellers, but by special workers - the advantages of this approach are especially visible when there are several retail stores.
The location of the packing department is also important - it is desirable that it be located directly near the trading floor and have continuous communication with it. Studies have shown that securing the packing procedure for individual employees and in a strictly defined place can reduce the duration of the work cycle, reduce the input price of the goods and increase the turnover of the retail network, as sellers and consultants will directly serve customers, and not engage in pre-sale preparation of the product range.
Informative packaging
The presentation of the product directly depends on the thoroughness, information content and brightness of the packaging. In addition, the law regulates the list of necessary data that must be present on the packaging of any product. These include:
- Name of product;
- weight;
- price per unit of weight or volume (kilogram, liter);
- date of packing of goods;
- name of the outlet.
On the other hand, marketers recommend supplementing the necessary list of data on the packaging with parameters such as the store’s own brand, company colors of the outlet, a bright and simple slogan that should be associated with this particular retail network. Thus, it will be possible not only to draw additional attention to the product, but also to emphasize its uniqueness and tie the purchase to this particular outlet.
Rotation
It is wrong to think that preparing a product for sale may be limited to beautiful packaging. An important stage of pre-sale preparation is rotation. This term refers to a set of actions aimed at the optimal presentation of goods on a shelf or in the refrigerator. Merchants who monitor the display are required to review expiration dates and add up the product line taking into account these terms. Otherwise, a situation may arise when only recently delivered goods are sold, and the one that was accepted earlier gradually becomes unusable.
Neglecting the rules of rotation reduces sales efficiency and reduces the net profit of the store. Sorting of goods should be carried out regularly, with the rejection of expired, unusable items. Sellers must remove defective goods or open packaging from shelves. A thorough review of the entire product range is required for perishable products that need to be sold for a certain time. Rotation also helps to “wash” certain positions, for example, in connection with the termination of contractual relations with the supplier.
Product range placement
The trading floor has final parameters, therefore it is very important to place the goods in such a way that it is convenient for the buyer and beneficial for the store. The correct arrangement of trade shelves, racks, refrigerators will increase the store’s turnover, reduce the burden on sellers, save buyers time.
The distribution of goods may be based on industry or a comprehensive principle.
The commodity-industry principle involves placing an assortment of similar products in nearby trading places. For example, bread - baking, butter - margarine, sweets - cakes and more.
An integrated approach provides for the arrangement of goods according to the generality of demand or to categories satisfying certain social groups. For example, beer can coexist with nuts, crackers, snacks, dog food - with leashes and muzzles. Seasonal goods can also be located nearby thanks to an integrated approach. For example, picnic bedspreads will be adjacent to sunblocks, disposable tableware with beach towels and so on.
Top positions and gold shelves
The turnover of goods directly depends on their availability and attractiveness. The most comfortable area is shelves located at eye level. But if you spread the most popular products on the “golden” shelves, then the level of sales will not increase significantly. But products of impulse demand, which will be located in less attractive places, will remain unrealized. Therefore, goods of constant demand can be placed in less favorable places - the buyer who came for bread will buy it, regardless of which shelf it is on. But certain categories of goods - chewing gums, batteries, wet wipes, etc. - it is advisable to place in the most top places. Marketers of supermarkets and large shopping centers are well aware of this when they place similar products in the cash zone. This arrangement is also advisable from the point of view of safety: it is easiest to take out small goods from the store without paying for it.
Inventory
The time interval for which the preparation of goods for sale is carried out can be quite significant, especially if the store itself is engaged in packing or packaging products. Commodity experts must take into account the period of pre-sale preparation when placing orders, taking into account the turnover of this article and its minimum required quantity. Their responsibilities also include monitoring the minimum assortment of goods, resolving various disagreements arising between the outlet and the supplier, exchanging or returning products, and establishing specifications for new positions.
Pre-sale preparation as a condition of the contract with the supplier
Preparation of goods for sale can and should be carried out taking into account the proposals of the supplier. The right to sell certain categories of goods, such as cigarettes, freezing, water, some alcoholic beverages, can be obtained only by those outlets that comply with the rules of the calculation agreed with the supplier. For example, beer in refrigerators is set according to accepted standards. Moreover, each type of product should occupy a certain place.
During various campaigns, certain categories of goods are nominated for “golden” places. You can draw additional attention to the assortment participating in the action with the help of bright signs, flyers, beautiful scenery and other things. The appearance of the new product should be emphasized with special price tags.
Breach of Pre-Sales Contracts
For compliance with the rules of the calculation, the supplier can offer their own equipment: shelves, refrigerators, freezing chests - for a nominal fee. An additional condition may be the provision of bonus goods, payment of retro bonuses or other remuneration provided for in the contract.
Supplier compliance representatives - merchandisers and sales agents should monitor compliance with the calculation rules. In violation of the rules of the calculation and pre-sale preparation, serious disagreements may arise. In an extreme case, the supplier takes his goods and equipment and breaks the contract with unscrupulous traders.