A.K. Nesterov Marketing of a commercial enterprise // Encyclopedia of the Nesterovs

Marketing in trade, when the seller enters into a direct relationship with buyers, needs especially carefully thought out solutions, the use of flexible technologies that can capture not only current consumer behavior, but more importantly, future expectations of buyers.

Retail Marketing

Retail trade (retail) is a set of types of business activities that increase the value of goods and services sold to consumers and intended for personal or family use. The trade sector today is one of the most dynamically developing sectors of the Russian economy.

Trade marketing includes the purchase of goods, the formation of an assortment in accordance with the demand of buyers, the organization of the trade process and service to the population, the provision of information to consumers and the provision of additional trade services.

The marketing activities of a retail trade enterprise are focused on meeting the needs of, first of all, its target segment. The marketing concept of a commercial enterprise orients its activities in accordance with the demand from consumers.

The activities of trade enterprises and organizations are based on knowledge of consumer demand and its changes in the future. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the ongoing marketing activities taking into account the changing economic conditions and, on the basis of this analysis, make decisions on improving the marketing complex or its individual elements.

Sales companies need to make an effort to identify targeted marketing activities in which resources should be invested in order to obtain the greatest return in the form of profits from increased sales.

Among the subjects of marketing, retail trade enterprises operating in the market occupy a special place. They are at the final stage of organizing the distribution of goods and it is on them that the success of the exchange of goods for the consumer's money depends.

The main task of marketing specialists at the enterprise is both to identify and develop recommendations for correcting existing shortcomings in the enterprise, and to improve marketing activities based on the existing capabilities of the company. Those. it is necessary to use internal resources, realistically assessing the impact of the external environment and cooperating with other market structures.

Consider the features of the elements of the retail marketing mix. The traditional marketing concept distinguishes four components of the complex - product, price, distribution channels and promotion. Using the specific application of this concept to the reseller market, it is necessary to consider the transformation of these elements of the marketing mix. In addition, in relation to the field of trade marketing, it is necessary to add three additional factors - location, staff and design - that influence the marketing activities of retailers.

The main task of trade enterprises is to ensure the possibility of purchasing any product with the appropriate quality of trade services. The set of services offered is one of the main means of making your store different from the rest. As a rule, with the help of a different set of services offered to the buyer by the outlet, the trade enterprise determines its position in relation to competitors. In trade marketing, there is a transformation going on and prices. The price of a trade service acts as a trade margin. Therefore, from an economic point of view, the main importance for trade is not the price of the sold goods, but the amount of the margin, which is determined by the costs of the trade enterprise in the process of creating and providing its services to the buyer, and profits. The reseller has a greater opportunity to participate in the formation of the price, since he acquires the goods in his ownership. Restrictions on price changes are associated, on the one hand, with the purchase price of a product, and on the other, with demand and competition. Accruals made by the merchant include own costs plus profits. Since trade enterprises are in direct contact with the end consumer (buyer), they can track his response to changes in pricing policy. Therefore, a trading company can use flexible pricing and take into account the psychological component as much as possible when setting a price (for example, not 20 rubles per item, but 19 rubles 90 kopecks).

As noted in the book "Marketing Management" by F. Kotler, price is a key factor in store positioning. The trade is more likely than the manufacturer to face the challenges of setting a price for a product based on rapidly changing market conditions. Trade enterprises can focus on different relationships between sales and the amount of charges. Almost any retail organization can be classified into one of the following groups: high markups and low sales (fine specialty stores) or low markups and high sales (high range stores and discount prices). At the same time, such approaches to pricing are constantly evolving and transforming. The first principle - "high and low prices" - characterizes the pricing strategy, when first goods are sold at a higher price, and then the trader conducts a sale. In modern conditions, more and more retailers are moving away from the practice of occasional sales in favor of the principle of “daily low prices”. According to this principle, retail prices are constantly somewhere between the normal price level and the level of sales.

The next element of the marketing mix is ​​distribution channels. Since the retailer itself acts as a distribution channel for the manufacturer of the goods, for the trader the traditional concept of the distribution channel is transformed into a new quality. Distribution channel in trade marketing refers to in-store logistics or physical distribution. Physical distribution, as a rule, refers to all operations related to the storage of goods, the formation of an assortment and its in-store movement.

Retailers use a variety of promotional tools to attract shoppers' attention and intensify purchases. The peculiarity of this element of the trade marketing complex is associated with the fact that it is used primarily in relation to a trade service, and not to any specific product. Methods of communication with customers are divided into paid (advertising, visual presentation of the proposed product, personal sales, sales promotion - special sales, presentations, bonuses, coupons, games, contests, lotteries) and free (public relations, word of mouth or word-of-mouth advertising mouth").

It is worth noting that free word of mouth advertising for a store is of particular importance. When it comes to public relations events, promotions such as “open doors” and seminars for clients occupy an important place here. As I mentioned earlier, in relation to the complex of trade marketing, it is advisable to additionally highlight three more important factors - location, staff and design. Therefore, the next factor is location. The favorable location of the trading enterprise provides a sustainable competitive advantage, since, for example, service, assortment - all this is unstable and can change. Location levels are subdivided according to the following directions: region (part of a country's territory or city), trade area (sector containing potential buyers, as well as part of a city or city as a whole, depending on the type of store) and a specific location. The main factors that determine the attractiveness of a chosen location include indicators of the total size of the target market, population growth rates, income distribution and stability, family size and composition, employment level and stability, level of competition and, in addition, the location of highways and busy streets, pedestrian density. and car traffic. Also, when choosing a location, the road map, visibility, location of nearby stores working for one target segment (for example, clothes and shoes) are investigated. Traffic and pedestrian traffic (an increase in the likelihood of someone entering a retail outlet) is usually established through marketing surveillance. In addition, the possibility of free access to the store (the absence of natural and artificial obstacles) and its visibility for pedestrians and motorists from afar are being studied.

The next factor influencing the trade marketing complex is the personnel, in other words, the employees of the trade enterprise serving customers. Competence and politeness of the sales staff are one of the main reasons why shoppers are more likely to choose one retailer over another.

The next factor influencing the trade marketing mix is ​​design. This factor includes the types of store layouts, the distribution of retail space between different departments, the direct placement and presentation of goods in the store, the provision of an appropriate store interior, facade design, shop windows, and the store atmosphere.

When creating the layout of a commercial enterprise, it is necessary to be guided by the following goals: the design of the store should correspond to its image and contribute to the decision to purchase. It is necessary to clearly imagine the portrait of the target customer and develop a store concept. Men, for example, are more passive in relation to purchases, so it is more expedient to place men's goods on the first floor of the store. Often, customers do not reach the central departments, so the layout of a large store can be carried out in the form of a loop. Impulse buying items (magazines, cosmetics) should be placed in front of the store to be visible. Departments of targeted demand (expensive goods) get the worst parts of the store, since people who decide to buy such a product will still reach this department, and no one needs the excitement around such a department, since the buyer must think carefully before buying. When placing departments, one should also take into account the proximity of departments with complementary goods, for example, a dress and accessories; seasonal needs (swimwear, winter jackets - depending on the season, there is a redistribution of retail space); physical characteristics of the product (bulky products, such as furniture, take up a lot of retail space, so they should be located in the worst place in the store).

The following factors influence the choice of the method of registration of goods within the retail enterprise:

• 1) store image - for example, all sizes of one product are presented at once - this creates a sense of order;
• 2) packaging - by the piece, by weight, etc .;
• 3) the nature of the product - bottles (on the shelf), cosmetics (samples)

Store atmosphere is understood as visual components - color, smell, lighting, music, which stimulate an emotional state (for example, a restaurant with a cozy atmosphere, dim lights). Lighting allows you to highlight the product (the direction of the light beams that emit the product should be 3 times brighter than the main lighting). Different shades of light can be used to create a certain mood. Different colors can also cause a certain reaction.

Analysis and evaluation of Western experience demonstrate that trading firms in their practical work are increasingly using marketing methods and techniques. The effective use of the marketing concept in trade is associated with an understanding of the transformation of the basic complex and the allocation of additional elements that will make it possible to function more productively in the market of trade services.

The main provisions of trade marketing are based on classical marketing theory.

Trade marketing can be considered, on the one hand, as a kind of marketing for commercial intermediation, and on the other, as an independent direction of marketing activity. Today, from a simple intermediary between producers and consumers, trade has turned into a significant market force due to the direct interest of producers in the sale of goods, the concentration of sales networks of consumer goods, the creation of powerful shopping centers, etc. The content of trade marketing is determined by the nature of the trade enterprise, the form of trade organization, sources of purchase of goods, the composition of buyers and many other factors. In the conditions of free trade, retailers operate in a market that is very close in structure to a market of perfect competition, while wholesalers most often form a market of oligopoly and sometimes monopoly competition.

In general, trade marketing within the framework of the general marketing theory has its own separate status and specificity.

Marketing decisions of a commercial enterprise to a significant extent depend on the place of the enterprise in the chain of promoting goods from manufacturer to consumer.

• - The manufacturer must take into account the requirements of end users, retailers and wholesalers.
• - The wholesaler must take into account the requirements of end users and retailers.
• - The retailer must take into account the requirements of the end consumers.

Marketing solutions can be divided into two groups - used by wholesale and retail trade. There are many similarities between these solutions, and they both offer their services for the provision of goods, and not a product in its pure form. The specifics of trade marketing are:

• - Buyers: end buyers and intermediate (wholesalers and retailers);
• - finished goods: trade enterprises deal with finished goods, with the main emphasis on offering and supporting services.

Retail is susceptible to changing consumer preferences. Buyers place more demands on the retailer than it does on the wholesale as a consumer.

For a manufacturer, the main thing is to produce such a product that will require minimal efforts to promote, for a retailer, it is the ability to offer a product (services for its presentation): the more profitable a merchant offers goods to consumers, the more will be his success.

The end consumer usually cannot buy goods directly from the manufacturer, for this there is a retail trade, which, in turn, cannot buy everything that is necessary from one manufacturer, for this there are intermediaries. Manufacturers offer goods, trade organizes their choice and offers services for their sale to the end consumer. For trade, the fundamental element of marketing is not the development of a product, as in the case of a manufacturer, but of a service (services).

If the product is a means of satisfying a need, then the service should make it as easy as possible. The buyer should enjoy solving his problem, and not just getting the product he needs. Do not offer the consumer things, do not offer him good clothes, offer something original in terms of his appearance. Don't offer him shoes, offer him comfort and pleasure in walking. Thus, retail trade organizations are marketing their services, which is a strategic direction of their activities.

Retail trade services are the result of direct interaction between the seller and the buyer, as well as the seller's own activities to meet the buyer's needs in purchasing goods for personal, family, home use, not related to entrepreneurial activity, under a sale and purchase agreement.

In accordance with OK 002-93 "All-Russian Classifier of Services to the Population" (approved by the Resolution of the State Standard of the Russian Federation of June 28, 1993 No. 163), trade services are a subgroup of homogeneous services to the population belonging to the 12th group "Trade and public catering services, services markets "(code 121000). This subgroup is subdivided into the following types: retail trade services (121100), wholesale trade services (121200), purchasing services (121300), marketing services (121400), other trade services (121500). The names of specific services are given only for one type - retail trade services.

The classification feature of services is the nature of the needs they meet. Depending on this, trade services are divided into basic and additional. The main trade service is the sale of goods. In this regard, additional trading services are subdivided into pre-sales and post-sales (after-sales). An example of pre-implementation services can be receiving and placing pre-orders by phone, evaluating and accepting goods on commission from committees, etc. Post-sale services include: guaranteed storage of purchased goods, delivery of goods to your home, installation and adjustment of complex technical goods, work with complaints and claims, etc. Additional services also include services related to the creation of convenience, comfort for the buyer in the store, ensuring the security of property, the presence of a parking lot.

For a trade organization, customer satisfaction in service is no less important than satisfaction in a particular product.

If the manufacturer can change his product for greater success, then the trading company can change its product offer by organizing additional services. The range of services offered can be very diverse.

In accordance with GOST R 51304-2009 "Trade services. General requirements" retail trade services include:

• - sale of goods (sale of goods is carried out at trade enterprises and outside trade enterprises);
• - assistance to the buyer in the acquisition (purchase) of goods and in their use and application;
• - information and consulting (consulting) services;
• - additional services to create convenience for buyers in the purchase (purchase) of goods.

The sale of goods at retail outlets includes the following main operations: familiarizing buyers with goods, showing or demonstrating goods or samples of goods to buyers, consulting buyers, choosing goods by buyers, organizing payment for goods, packaging purchased goods, issuing purchased goods, delivering purchased goods by order of buyers.

The sale of goods is carried out at trade enterprises of various types and types, taking into account their specifics and the range of goods.

Settlement with customers for purchased goods can be carried out for cash, by non-cash method, including using credit cards.

The sale of goods outside trade enterprises includes: the sale of goods by trade agents; remote sale of goods; sale of goods through vending machines; distribution trade; fair trade; other forms of online sale.

The remote method of selling goods is carried out by acquainting the buyer with the description of the goods proposed by the seller contained in catalogs, brochures, booklets, as well as through electronic media, communication means (TV and radio advertising, teleshopping, postal services, online commerce, electronic store) or by other means , excluding the possibility of direct acquaintance of the buyer with the goods or a sample of the goods. The remote method of selling goods involves the provision of services for the delivery of goods by sending them to customers by mail (postal and parcel trade) or by other means.

Services to assist in the acquisition (purchase) of goods and in their use and application include:

• - acceptance and execution of pre-orders for goods available for sale (placing orders directly at the trade enterprise, by phone or in any other way outside the trade enterprise);
• - Acceptance and execution of pre-orders for goods temporarily out of stock;
• - order picking for goods and their packaging;
• - provision of booths for trying on goods;
• - organization of delivery of goods to customers at home or to the place of order;
• - packaging of purchased goods;
• - demonstration in action of fundamentally new products;
• - demonstration of clothing models;
• - adjustment to the customer's figure and minor alteration of purchased clothes, cutting of purchased fabrics, hemming curtains;
• - organization of after-sales service of purchased goods, including the organization of work on connection, adjustment and commissioning of technically complex goods at home or in the office of the buyer, services for the assembly and installation of furniture and other goods;
• - provision of a booth or salon with equipment for listening to audio tapes, watching sold video tapes, computer disks, CDs, etc .;
• - stretching of purchased shoes and hats;
• - adjustment of bracelets to watches.

Information and consulting (consulting) services include:

• - provision of information about goods and their manufacturers, about the services provided, including audio and video means;
• - expert advice on the sale of certain types of goods, including their purpose and use;
• - consultations with interior designers, beauticians, nutritionists, etc .;
• - services for advertising goods, including conducting advertising presentations of goods (displaying goods, tasting food);
• - organization of tastings of new food products and food products of certain types;
• - training buyers in the rules of using technically complex goods at home or in the office;
• - holding exhibitions and fairs for the promotion and sale of certain types of goods.

Additional services. Trade enterprises can organize the provision of additional services related to the creation of convenience for buyers in the purchase (purchase) of goods, for example: organization of places (zones) for the rest of buyers; organization of a mother and child room; organization of children's leisure time, including children's playrooms for children; organization of information bureaus (in large trade enterprises); catering for buyers; sale of food products with the organization of consumption on the spot; guaranteed storage of purchased goods; guaranteed storage of buyers' belongings (wardrobe services); provision of organized parking (parking) for buyers' cars and other services; organization of taxi ranks on the territory of large shopping facilities; organization of the provision of personal services, etc.

The considered services to a large extent form the marketing complex of a retail trade enterprise. From a marketing point of view, each type of commercial enterprise can only develop successfully if it meets the needs of the target customers better than others, i.e. carries out a targeted selection of a range of services.

We do not just say what to do, we say how to do this!

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Retail marketing, or retail marketing - what is it?

Besschastnov Igor Evgenievich - Retail Business Growth LLC.
February 2010

If you read the books of many, including prominent authors, who give definitions of marketing and its role, then you can find many formulations that, on the one hand, have differences, but on the other hand, they are all united by a single concept of the role of marketing as a defining strategy in market development. goods and services in order to maximize the satisfaction of the needs of either the Society, or business, or an individual, or all of this combined.

At the same time, as a rule, all books and articles are devoted specifically to the marketing of the Supplier - the Manufacturer of goods and services.

I may be wrong, but little is said on the market and is devoted specifically to retail marketing (although in part this industry can be attributed to the service sector, it would be wrong to attribute it entirely). Retail is the very "advanced" one, which is an indicator of the real needs of the end customer, and automatically - along the chain - a defining element of the very production of the same goods, the same services.

I am talking about RETAIL MARKETING, which is partly present in Russia, but in general it is not yet there. To a certain extent, this is a kind of counterbalance to the category management of the manufacturer and a reasonable (including to support competition) counterbalance to the aggressive plans of the manufacturer, including in the field of BTL activity.

Typing the phrase "retail marketing" or "retail marketing" in any of the search engines - you can see a large number of definitions that retail marketing is a set of measures to promote a manufacturer's products in accordance with its marketing plan, or retail marketing - this is the conduct of promotions, the introduction of loyalty programs, etc ... .. It's all so superficial, and in some cases - just absurd. Retail is presented as a passive link, which is wrong, sometimes destructive, it hinders the development of the market and all its participants.

I'll try to formulate what is retail marketing, at least - how it should be:

And everything related to promotional activities, loyalty programs, etc., the proposed tactics of organizing sales from the manufacturer, etc., is all very superficial, this is just a small part of a big iceberg.

Many may disagree and counterbalance the example of category management by a manufacturer. It all looks good from above and the producers who use this approach are good fellows in that they can derive additional profit from this. But does retail really need it, does the end customer need it?

CATEGORY MANAGEMENT (as part of the retail marketing process) MUST BE INDEPENDENT. And this can only be done by retail itself. It is obviously wrong to believe, as an example, that Danone's category manager, seeing unsatisfactory sales of any of his SKUs as a whole in the network, or in individual outlets, will propose to replace it with a similar SKU produced by Wimm-Bill-Dann, or any small, local, but quality manufacturer.

Category management of a manufacturer can really help a retailer, freeing him from the daily routine of analyzing a category, but this help is actually a road to dependent existence for the retailer himself, interferes with the end consumer in choosing a product, and among other things, it simply restricts competition, all the more so for new producers of small and medium-sized enterprises, the development of which is so necessary for any strong democratic state and strong economy.

It is trite, but the presentation of the category management of the manufacturer comes down to the presentation to the retailer of great benefits from obtaining the maximum revenue (not always, but also profit) from a unit of selling space, selling his products. It sounds like it’s logical, but does this correspond to real consumer demand and purchasing power, does it make retail independent in the right of its choice, does it violate the balance of interests? buyer - retail - manufacturer (supplier) in the broad sense of this concept?

Marketing (BTL) shares of a manufacturer in retail (if they are presented as a priority in defining the same assortment strategy) are probably not a bad thing, but they do not give retailers the complete independence that is necessary to conduct a customer-oriented (from the market) business. It is better to be in a situation where this activity is aimed at promoting the assortment that the retailer himself has chosen in accordance with his marketing strategy against the situation when the assortment (or assortment matrix, as they say in a simplified version) is imposed under pressure from the supplier (manufacturer), including including in terms of category management.

A manufacturer's category management has a right to exist, but for a truly strong retailer, it should be secondary. If, of course, the manufacturer has a market share close to 100%, then we can probably say with confidence that his approach will be useful for retail, but if this share is at the level of 50% and below, then most likely a wise retailer needs his own independent approach.

According to the practice of international retail leaders, it is very reasonable to have at least 5 suppliers in one category (no more than 20% for each), as well as not to have a share of more than 20% of their supplies in the turnover of one supplier.

And the opinion of the supplier-manufacturer is very mistaken that his entire product is really in demand by the market, that as soon as he hits the shelves of retail stores, especially in the CHAINS, how life begins is a fairy tale for everyone. Not that time, the time is no longer a shortage, when such an approach justified itself, but the time of actually overproduction, when the choice of 90% of groups of goods of mass demand is so great that only the maximum correspondence of the price to the quality of each product will give it the right to life.

Why independent retail marketing (at least on the example of Russia) can be more effective for the development of the entire distribution chain from the manufacturer to the end customer than the manufacturer's strategy:

1. Production and logistics (what, how, at what prices, where and to whom) - as part of the manufacturer's marketing.

   When planning production, a manufacturer (mainly Western or federal Russian) proceeds from the averaged data for the country, in rare cases - for the regions, and only when it becomes the owner of enterprises already existing in these regions that produce products that are in demand in these regions.

   A local producer (regional or "provincial"), as a rule, does not understand at all what marketing is, what is a development strategy, what is a market share, etc. covered "glades", etc.

2. Product promotion (ATL and BTL activity) by the manufacturer, as the next part of his marketing:

   For large producers, it also has an average approach both in terms of territorial specifics and in terms of target audience.

   For a local manufacturer, this, of course, is from the realm of fantasy. But to be fair - there are producers in the regions who really develop their business in a quality manner on market conditions, and not on ties with the authorities.

3. Retail sales:

   Any trade facility (both traditional retail and chain, regardless of format and premium) has its own territorial specifics, its target audience. This applies to both existing facilities and those planned for launch.

   Naturally, the trading network as a whole has the same specifics. It is impossible to have a unified approach according to the manufacturer's strategy to a small format chain near the house in Moscow, where both the standard of living and the number of buyers (to a sufficient extent at the expense of visitors and business travelers) and an average check of 300-400 rubles is the norm with a similar network in Orel (as an example), with an average check of 100-120 rubles and a standard of living far from Moscow.

   It is logical to believe that having in your strategy - the task of conducting a profitable business (primarily from the point of view of the assortment policy, as part of retail marketing), from the realities of the market, taking into account the specifics of not only each city, but also each district in which shopping facilities are located networks - independent retail marketing is a more effective tool for the quality development of not only your own business, but also the entire distribution network.

Retail marketing (or retail marketing) is an ideology independent of suppliers; it is a set of measures within the retail company itself that determine its profitable development in a competitive environment, taking into account all the specifics of the retail business - from real consumer demand and purchasing power of the population to the format and location of retail objects, taking into account the development prospects of all factors.

I will try to detail this concept, what it (retail marketing) should consist of:

What to sell, to whom to sell, how to sell and at what prices ...

1. Determination of the assortment policy based on the real demand and purchasing power of the population for each separate territory, taking into account the competitive environment, taking as a basis a deep detailing of the assortment nomenclature. Start from real needs, and not from the initially laid down capacity of the outlet, adjust this capacity to the need, and not vice versa.
2. Determination of proportions between product groups based on analytical data. Taking into account the correspondence "need - capacity" - clause 1.
3. Determination of the target audience, breakdown of the assortment by product families by price ranges that meet the needs.
4. Determination of the pricing strategy, the level of marginality for each product category, corresponding to reaching the planned level of sales income (operating income) in absolute units while maintaining competitive retail prices. Determination of uniform principles for displaying goods.
5. Based on the above criteria - a clear selection of suppliers and assortment.
6. Sales analytics, control of turnover, rotation of the assortment by product families in order to maximize satisfaction of demand and conduct a profitable business.
7. Conducting periodic independent research of consumer preferences, competitive environment and its activity.

All those indicators that are indicated at the beginning of the article, and which are for the most part announced by "retail sales specialists" (... promotion of the supplier's products, etc. ...) are only a small part, a kind of PULL-type activity in a developed, independent retail ...

Probably, it would be more logical when running a retail business to have an operating income of about 75% and higher, against what exists now in Russian retail - non-operating income (in my case, this is income not from sales themselves, but from bonuses, "marketing" of suppliers etc.) - takes up to 2/3 of the total income. Personally, this does not seem entirely normal to me.

What is interesting is that with properly organized business processes in a retail company, for the implementation and conduct of this type of activity (independent retail marketing), it is not necessary to maintain, as it may seem, a huge staff of marketers.

With a company's turnover from $ 100 million to $ 1 billion, the dedicated staff of marketers involved in the development and definition of an independent marketing strategy and control of its implementation can be at the level of 5 - 15 people (with the appropriate temporary involvement of sales staff).

Practice shows that the marketing department of a regional retailer in Russia with a turnover of $ 100 - $ 150 million per year, as a rule, employs 25 - 40 employees. All of them practically deal only with PULL. Having reorganized the marketing department and adjusted the business processes in this area of ​​its activity, the regional (especially the federal) retailer will not need to be afraid of additional costs, they simply will not exist.

There are already vivid examples of strong retail marketing in Russia. Among the trade for the broad masses of the population is the French "Auchan", where, as it may seem, there is no marketing, but in fact - it is, and is so deep that it is difficult enough for a quick understanding and mentality of Russian business. If I am not mistaken, the staff of the entire marketing department of "Ashan" in Russia is about 10-15 people, just the whole staff is involved in the process of forming the strategy, from the hypermarket sales manager to the director of the purchasing office. The marketing department only "processes" the information coming "from the fields", systematizes it, decisions on the structure of the assortment are developed by working groups and are taken collectively once a year, adjustments for the assortment itself can be adjusted monthly, but strictly within the framework of the strategy adopted for the year.

A simple example (as one of the results of this approach): at low retail prices, nothing is sold at Ashan, while Russian retailers, forming attractiveness for a client, can sell certain goods at a loss, imperceptibly compensating this is a large mark-up for the rest of the assortment, having a 50-70% share in its income from the supplier bonus, including listing, etc ....

I absolutely do not idealize Auchan, there is a lot of "what is wrong", but from the point of view of independent retail marketing (invisible to many) and the very ideology of retail sales - there is a lot to learn. Moreover, the leader of the world retail, the American Wal-Mart, lives by the same principles.

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Retail Marketing

Product, price ... What else? What is Retail Marketing? Is there a difference between product marketing and retail store marketing? What questions do you need to answer, what activities do you need to plan for the long-term success of your store?

Let's figure it out in order.

Since the inception of marketing as a science, a huge number of definitions of this concept have appeared. We have selected the ten most suitable for retail trade and for convenience of perception have brought them together in table. 1.1.

Table 1.1... What is marketing and what it means for retail

Retail Marketing Is the process of planning and implementing a set of activities aimed at attracting new and retaining existing customers in order to create a competitive store and generate constant profit.

What complex of events are we talking about?

Marketing complex- 4P - was proposed by E.J. McCarthy in 1960. He

included the main areas of application of marketing efforts. At that time they only talked about product, chain, point of sale and promotion. Currently, the 5P complex is used:

? product- what assortment of basic and related products do you offer customers in your store;

? price- at what prices and under what conditions the goods are sold;

? place of sale- the location of the store, its surroundings and appearance, the organization of the trading process in the trading floor, trade equipment and presentation of goods, etc .;

? promotion- by what means do you attract the attention of buyers to the store and how do you stimulate sales;

? personnel- who works in your store and is thus responsible for its financial success.

Terms every store manager needs to know

Need- the need for something caused by nature or social life. That is, needs are innate (inherent in a person as a species) and acquired (cultural and social needs, depending on a person's life experience, habitat and stage of development of society). They also highlight the declared needs - what a person says when he comes to the store, and hidden ones - which he may not talk about, although he might expect (for example, a certain level of service), or which he may not be aware of before meeting with the product and the sales assistant. (concerning the details and conditions of use of the chosen thing).

Product- everything that can satisfy the need and is offered to the market in order to attract attention, purchase, use or consumption. A commodity can be physical objects, services, persons, places, organizations (stores) and ideas. Product by design - the main benefit, or what the buyer really gets (not lipstick, but the desire to be beautiful and be liked by others). Product in real performance possesses the shape, properties, level of quality, packaging and name (lipstick of bright red color in a gold bottle of a certain brand). Item with reinforcement - provision of additional services and benefits, for example, guarantees, delivery, after-sales service, etc. (to choose a lipstick, you can use a tester, as well as a free consultation of a makeup artist in the store).

Retail- any activity for the sale of goods and services directly to the end consumer for personal use. Retail is not limited to store walls, but includes direct sales through consultants, catalog sales, and more.

Visitor- a person who came to a point of sale with an undefined purpose.

Customer(potential buyer) - a person who intends to make or makes a purchase at a point of sale.

Customer segmentation- This is the division of all consumers into clear groups (segments) depending on their characteristics, needs, expectations and behavioral characteristics.

Segment- a group of buyers who will equally react to the proposed product and to the incentives of marketing (price, advertising, packaging). Target segment - the one to focus your marketing efforts on. This is the group of shoppers who buy the most or the most and bring the store the most profit. Minor segments - other groups of customers making purchases in the store.

Microcosm of the store- a concept that is complex in its composition; a set of technological (the sum of the physical characteristics of the store and the organization of the shopping process in it) and psychological (the atmosphere of the store, which creates a certain emotional mood) components. The clarity of the technological component is important for the mind, the comfort of the psychological component is important for the feelings of the buyers.

Positioning- providing the store (product) with an undoubted, clearly distinct from others, a desirable place on the market and in the minds of target consumers.

Position- how the store (or products sold) are perceived as compared to competing stores. For this, significant characteristics of the store are highlighted, which can favorably distinguish it from competitors.

Life cycle- a concept borrowed from biology. The life cycle of a store is an S-shaped curve, divided into four stages: opening, strong growth, maturity and decline.

It is important to determine at what stage of the life cycle are:

The product and trade marks you offer, that is, what is the interest of consumers in them, how long will the demand for them last, what will replace this product in the future;

The market in which your company operates, that is, how long has it developed, how long will it be relevant, what is the level of competition in it and your prospects for the future.

Concept- the main point of view, the guiding idea of ​​the store for further development; leading idea.

Brand name- a product (product, service, place, organization or idea) with a recognizable and identifying trademark (trademark) and a stable attitude on the part of consumers.

Branding- the area of ​​the marketing communications system, the process of creating and developing a brand and its identity.

Competitive strategy- a set of tools and initiatives aimed at attracting buyers, resisting marketing efforts of competitors and strengthening its own position in the market.

SWOT analysis- analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the store as a whole or of its individual elements, as well as opportunities and threats from the external environment of the store. Helps to structure information for making management decisions. It is carried out in two stages: analysis of the situation and the search for a constructive solution.

Loyalty- from the English word loyal(loyal, devoted) - a stable positive attitude towards the store of the buyer who comes to this store, despite the presence of other, financially more profitable offers on the market, and also actively recommends it to his friends and acquaintances.

Retail marketing is focused on the long-term success of the store. Therefore, you need to determine for yourself how you see the long-term success of your store and by what means you will pave the way towards this goal.

An additional plus for retail: every year the number of buyers who have a stable income and are willing to spend this money is growing. People are more inclined to consume than to save, and, besides, many have already managed to acquire essential goods, which means that the next thing is pleasant in all respects things “for oneself”, which are bought according to the principle “I want”.

At the same time, in the course of the development of the retail market, the buyer quickly gets used to the variety of goods, additional services and a certain level of service. He knows exactly what he wants and successfully determines the places where he can be provided with it. The time has long passed when a person could be lured into a store by the elementary availability of this or that product or by low prices.

How to guess the needs and wishes of the buyer, what marketing tools to use in order to attract and retain him, as well as to win the so-called customer loyalty?

Retail marketing, like other industries, is an imprecise science. She does not give ready-made formulas for happiness. It offers tools for achieving goals, and it is the task of the store director and his colleagues to properly dispose of them. This chapter provides a typical store opening sequence and an overview of the activities that are suitable for attracting and retaining customers. Your task is to try to apply the above to the specifics of your store, fill the toolkit with your own content and plan your success.