Sales & Marketing Management

7. Store Merchandising

Introduction

Store merchandising can be a complex subject and thick books have been
devoted to it. Simply put, the term merchandising in this context of Store
Merchandising means the way in which products (merchandise) are displayed
and presented to the customer. The purpose of merchandising is to promote
sales in general and promote sales of specific products or product groups.

There is much more to store merchandising than selling good products at a
competitive price and loading them onto the store shelves. Industries that sell
products consider effective merchandising a science. They know that the way
stores are merchandised can have a significant effect on sales and profits.

Store Merchandising is a survey of the topic—we will discuss many of the
key elements of it.

How to use this information

Consider this section as food for thought. The ideas presented here will with a
bit of luck cause you to take a hard look at how your store is presently
merchandised. These ideas are intended to raise your awareness of the
importance of store merchandising and how it can affect your sales and profits.

A lot of money can be spent on merchandising a store and you have to be
careful that what you do:

Û Conforms to the creative platform of the company

Û Is cost effective—it generates a return on the investment made

Û Will fit the budget considerations of the company

After you have read this section, you will appreciate how large the subject of
merchandising is. Depending on the nature and size of your business, you are
advised to seek professional assistance in implementing your ideas.