Don’t Let Your Brand Suffer Post-Christmas: How a Retail Merchandising Company Can Help
The holiday season has officially ended, and for retailers that means that decorations are down, aisles are much cleaner (hopefully), and the seasonal labour is no longer required. Brands: the party may be over, but retail still needs you! The post-Christmas season is still a busy time, especially with returns and exchanges – so don’t let the loss of labour impact your sales. A retail merchandising company may just be the answer.
As mentioned, the post-holiday season can see a disruption in retail, one that is largely caused by the decrease in labour. Since stores are not as busy, this usually seems like the best approach for retailers as far as keeping costs down. However, with customers still looking for the same level of service, a few less employees at a still-busy time of year can have an impact.
How a retail merchandising company can help:
- Quality assurance/compliance audit: whether you are starting a new campaign or just want to make sure your product is labelled and shelved correctly, a quality assurance audit can help ensure retailer compliance. If employees are spending time dealing with returns or exchanges, or still trying to come back from a change in support, your shelf-space or planogram may suffer.
- Promotional audits: many brands opt for a promotion to start the year off fresh. This can be a great way to start off the New Year and attract new shoppers looking for some cost savings after a costly holiday season. If you are holding a promotion, you want to make sure that your product is priced correctly, in the right place, and that customers are being made aware of the promotion.
- Competitive pricing analysis: if you are not planning a promotion, you may want to know what your competitors’ prices are sitting at – so a pricing analysis can find out. While you always want to know how your own brand is doing, you should also be aware of what other brands are doing.
- Mystery shopping: as mentioned, this time of year can be tough thanks to the transition, and a mystery shopper can determine how your customers are being treated – are they getting the information they want/need? Are employees able to answer questions about your brand? If not, having the information can make it easier to change the behaviour and ensure better customer service.
Start 2016 off with a plan to make sure your brand is performing the best it can at retail. A retail merchandising company can carry out a number of different audits to ensure compliance and service. Marketsupport can help. Get in touch today by calling 1-877-421-5081.
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