Deliver the goods: stocking and arranging retail stores. (Sidelines).(Brief Article)

How managers of retail operations stock their stores, display their merchandise and group their available products has a direct effect on sales.

While sales clerks should offer each customer personal assistance to inform and help stimulate the sale, logically organized merchandise will allow consumers to easily locate products on their own. Organized merchandise can also help complete multi-item sales when in-store traffic doesn't allow one-on-one assistance.

Stock with confidence

Many small or independently owned operations are afraid of buying too much product, and hence wait for high sales or low physical inventories to reorder and restock. More often than not, such a strategy results in a scramble to source necessary merchandise. It can also waste money by forcing managers into expensive overnight shipping or settling on second-choice products.

If a product has proven its sell-through ability, owners and operators should have sufficient inventory to allow for six to eight weeks of projected sales of that item. Strong floor numbers with supply-room backup for daily restocking is part of the equation for generating successful revenue.

Don't spend big money on location, decorations, fixtures, and labor and management payroll just to skimp on product. Owners and operators must have confidence in their businesses, and this confidence must be apparent to customers.

Promote multi-item sales