All posts in Retail

Merchandisers are the unsung heroes of the retail industry. Whilst plenty of businesses employ their own staff to carry out merchandising work, plenty of others dont, because these businesses recognise that Retail Merchandisers can offer a lot more efficiency in store. Jobs in retail merchandising offer lots of variety, socialising and travel options.

Retail Merchandisers dont just work on the shop floor. Merchandisers who are permanently based at one company will be expected to plan trading strategies and sales forecasts, possessing good number skills to work with buyers and finance departments. Analysing the popularity of certain lines and being one step ahead of upcoming trends also means a good business head is essential.

Retail Merchandisers can also be employed by an external agency, working on contract in teams up and down the country. These Retail Merchandisers will visit stores for a short period of time when the company is implementing a new store format or undergoing a seasonal changeover. To work as a temporary or contract Retail Merchandiser, you must have excellent team working skills to bond with your colleagues and merge seamlessly with the stores existing staff, as well being sociable, approachable and professional at all times.

Jobs in Retail Merchandising are very flexible, and due to the scale of some store format and changeover plans, evenings, nights and weekend work is nearly always compulsory. If you are working on contract for a retail merchandising agency, you will be expected to travel the country and stay in temporary accommodation. Employment in a retail environment is normally essential for a job in retail merchandising, but it is desirable to have at least some experience of a customer facing role. The job is also physically demanding, so some familiarity with roles that involve lifting, moving, pushing and pulling is ideal.

Fancy joining something special? We are one of the leading agencies supplying Retail Merchandisers to major retailers up and down the country. Take a look at what Retail Merchandising jobs we have to offer.

Now more than ever there is a focus on what products and services should and should not be advertised to the masses. On a daily basis we are bombarded by thousands of promotional messages, brand names and strap lines that on a subconscious level can shape our buying patterns and brand associations from birth. The young are a key demographic many advertisers target as they after all will be the future and if a child has a positive brand association at a young age it is likely to remain positive throughout the rest of their lives.

With this in mind, the government have been placing restrictions on the types of advertising that can be seen on TV and in stores that can affect not only the young, but the entire population. For example, in a bid to reduce obesity rates in the country, fast food advertising has been banned from television during prime time hours that would likely be seen by the hundreds of thousands of young children throughout the UK.

However, not only has the fast food industry been hit, but cigarette advertisements in print mediums were banned as long ago as 2005 and with talks of cigarette displays being banned in stores across the country, the tobacco industry has perhaps just received another nail in the coffin – the biggest since the rise in the legal age for smoking back in October 2007.

The alcohol industry has also been hit hard with recent calls for a complete ban on the advertising of alcoholic drinks on the TV in order to help curb the sharp rise in binge drinking. In a bid to remain ethical and become more socially responsible for the products they sell, the UK’s leading suppliers of alcoholic drinks have teamed up with the government and the Portman group to promote responsible drinking with a mixture of shocking -don’t do drunk- and -drink responsibly- campaigns across the cinema and television mediums.

Although these industries have been hit hard by these regulations, like any good business, they are adapting and changing by using other channels to advertise through. The likes of McDonalds have advertised heavily online within recent years by promoting a healthier menu and their own nutrition drive, which informs customers about the nutritional value of their food; countering the criticism from various obesity groups and one of their biggest opponents, the British Heart Foundation. This drive has proved successful for the fast food chain, as advertising of their healthier snack range on the -Kids Zone- of their website has gone down well with parents and health activists alike.

With tobacco products being placed below the shop counters, the traditional wall mounted shop fittings behind the kiosks will be no more and a more portable display will need to be introduced that can be brought out from below the counter, allowing staff easy access to the products on sale. Several companies have already addressed the requirement for alternative shop fittings and storage solutions in order to help retailers make the transition. However, although shops have been affected, international online tobacco stores may see a rise in demand as the industry develops more of an online presence to make up for any potential lost sales through retailers.

Although measures have been taken to help promote healthier brand associations for the next generation of spenders, there will always be something out there that needs censorship. Advertisement censorship can dramatically impact on certain industries, but as long as businesses can adapt and be imaginative with their point of sale material and target customers through new and emerging channels, they will be able to combat these challenges.

Daniel Collins writes on a number of topics on behalf of a digital marketing agency and a variety of clients. As such, this article is to be considered a professional piece with business interests in mind.

Because people love to shop, retailers are always looking for ways to sell their products and services, especially when trying to gain a competitive edge. When you use customer friendly and innovative retail displays, you will win over your customers and generate more sales. One way to attract and keep loyal customers is to use professional and engaging retail store fixtures. To make your store fixtures appealing and interesting, below is a list of tips to making the most out of your retail store fixtures:

Learn about the Various Store Fixture Designs: When you know all of the various store fixtures available, you can better create a professional and compelling retail display. Full store fixture designs include storefront signs, flooring, lighting, and much more.

Retail Store Fixtures that Attract Today’s Consumers: Using out dated store fixtures will not attract the attention of today’s consumer. You need to use innovative and professional strategies to attract customers. Retail store fixtures should be modern, target consumer shopping habits, appealing, and professional, in order to maintain customer satisfaction. Consumer shopping habits are always changing so it is important to keep up with changing consumer trends.

Retail Displays and Fixtures that Target your Specific or Niche Market: it is important to use retail displays and store fixtures that attract your targeted customer. It is important that your display and fixtures meet and are compatible with your customer preferences and needs.

Create a Retail Floor Plan for Store Fixtures: It is helpful to draw up a floor plan so that you can be better able to create your own retail store fixture layout for your store. When you create a floor plan for your retail display system, you will not have to move things around.

Retail Display System Should Be Non Intrusive: It is important to arrange your display and fixtures in a way that encourages people to continue shopping. Make sure it is not in their way when they walk around the store and is not blocking other products. The customer should be able to easily navigate throughout the store and be able to reach any product. As well, it is important to be aware that an average person’s field of vision is 170 degrees so keep that in mind when arranging your display system.

Retail Display System Aesthetics: When you create your display with the store fixtures, make sure that your space is designed so that it is friendly and welcoming. As well, use engaging and compelling store fixtures. The overall dcor should be attractive, send a positive message, encourages curiosity, and have a positive psychological impact on the customer.

Many of the store fixtures are designed to showcase merchandise to its maximum appeal. You can create a distinct look for your store to attract your targeted customer base. Creative retail displays and retail store fixtures are a great way to win over your customers, sell more products, and generate more sales. When setting up your next retail display, look for innovative ways to making the most out of retail store fixtures.

you always get to hear tips on how to succeed in a particular job. However, some of us have mental blocks regarding a particular job. If you feel you have mental blocks about a particular job, it is best not to take it up. Here are some things that you should not do in retail sales jobs.

The tips:

Understanding of the self: before you take up this type of job, you must understand yourself. Retail sales, marketing are tough jobs, especially nowadays when the competition in this field is so high. Do you think you can survive in this field with the competition around you? Can you manage to sell something when people are not ready to buy it or when they think they can buy better products than what you are selling? If you want to have an honest opinion, then the market is like this. Do you think you will be able to achieve your target? A lot of rejection will come your way. Will you bee able to handle all of it without taking things personally? You must be able to handle business communication very well. If you want to succeed in sales, you must do all this. However, you can ignore these points if you are not serious about the profession!

Do not ignore the customer: your customers are the most important people to deal with. You cannot afford to ignore them. The customers are not a hindrance to your business but they are the purpose of it. Try to talk to them as politely as possible. Try to provide them with maximum facilities. If they are dissatisfied with your service, try to find out the cause of the dissatisfaction and promptly make amends for it. Remember that customers satisfaction plays a vital role in business. If you provide bad service to your customers, you will lose them and your business will not survive.

Do not be low on confidence: whether you are a bad sales person or you are a good sales person, is determined by your confidence level. Retail sales recruiters will check your confidence level while recruiting you. If you want to do well in this profession, you must be high in spirits and in confidence level all the time, no matter how many rejections come your way. You must be able to convince the customer with your confidence level. Understanding the customers psychology and winning over it is the name of the game.

Do not harbor malice towards your company and towards the product that you are trying to sell: it is very difficult to fool the customers. You must be genuine with your actions. If you yourself do not believe in your company and in the product that you are trying to sell, you cannot expect the customers to buy it.

Retail sales employment is growing with the days. Retail sales management jobs are the most sought after profession these days.