Time and frequency of retail store layout in merchandising

The thoughtful positioning of items in the sales outlet is a guarantee of higher sales and profits. However, not only is it necessary to develop a planogram with regard to pricing and product packaging, but also to ensure that the shelves are filled with products. If shelves remain empty for long periods of time, this can reduce customer turnover. Even loyal customers may refuse to visit the store if they are unable to buy the product they want. It is therefore important to work out how long to put products on the shelves and at what point in the day it is worth doing so.

Interesting fact: In many cases, the absence of goods on the shelves does not necessarily mean that they are sold out in full. Often, products are in stock but remain in the warehouse. Why don't the staff take them out? There may be various reasons for that - an insufficient number of shop assistants or their untrained staff, poor management control. Obviously, in each situation the responsibility falls on the management, which has to provide the store with "hands" and teach them how to do their job correctly, and then deal with timely performance checks.
During which periods of the working day does retail store layout happen?

Shelves are replenished on a regular basis. But that doesn't mean running between visitors every minute, putting out a pack or a can, preventing purchases from being made. If niches in the hall appear to be 100% full during the day or evening, customer might start to question it. The person who enters will think that the goods are of poor quality, overpriced, and expired products are present. It would seem that the quality work of the staff runs the risk of harm, so it is important to work out the concept of filling the shelves in advance, including its frequency.

There are some simple guidelines to follow:
  • 1
    Check availability daily and replenish it 2-3 times when there are few people in the outlet - in the afternoon, before the end of the standard working day. Many potential customers are at their workplaces at this time, so there will be little flow at the store.
  • 2
    Place a separate sales person in the high-demand categories. His or her task will be to keep track of stock and make unscheduled replenishments when necessary. In the summer, for example, this would be appropriate in the soda department.
  • 3
    If the product sells out too quickly, it is better to put it on a separate island - put it on a special pyramid, put it in a box. In this case, the quantity of products is much higher than on the shelves, which means that they have to be displayed less often.
  • 4
    It should noted, that shops often employ merchandisers to display their goods. They make the work of in-house staff much easier. But if these specialists are responsible for general merchandise, it is best to agree on when they should come into the store. A few hours before lunch, when the hall is less crowded, may be optimal. In this case, merchandisers can do their job quietly, do not interfere with salespeople and customers, and fill the shelves quickly. At this time, the sales staff will be able to pay more attention to the other racks.
The need for a good warehouse design

In order to ensure that displaying does not take too much time, especially in the middle of the day, it is important to get the stock arranged correctly in the warehouse. This means that salespeople will have to do less work when taking out products. The main principle in this situation is that the most popular products should be placed near the entrance to the storage room, and those products that are slower to be purchased can be moved further inland.

In addition, it is necessary to ensure that the personnel who take out the products can move around easily. The best solution is to have two exits from the warehouse. The first is used to remove bulky items that require special equipment for transporting them. The second exit will be used by vendors carrying goods in baskets or by hand. This way, they will not meet at the entrance and interfere with each other, which means less time is needed for display. However, keep in mind that this approach is only necessary for large retail outlets. Medium-sized and small shops can do without it, as special equipment is rarely used there.