Planning doesn’t matter if you can’t execute at retail

I had to run into a Meijer’s store on a Sunday evening to pick up a few things when the shelf displaying the store-brand ketchup caught my eye. Something wasn’t quite right and I did a double take. Sure enough, all the bottles were stacked on the shelves upside-down.

Read the rest at GerardMcLean.com

What a Happy “New” Year!

It is a natural exercise of the human condition to take a deep breath and reflect on the year that was. We always wish each other a very, “Happy New Year,” with the thought of reaffirming and reestablishing our relationships for another calendar year. Yet I can’t help but think of a different meaning for last year. At NARMS International, 2008 was really a happy “New” year with all of the new and exciting developments designed to propel our association into the future. Never before in its history has NARMS been in a better position to serve the members of the at-retail merchandising and marketing industry, those who are seeking great retail jobs with our members, and the outstanding manufacturers and retailers who comprise the end customer of our unique and diverse services.

Early in the year, our leadership decided that it was time for another look at our association’s strategic direction. Our Board of Directors came together and took an in-depth look at who we are, what we do and what we want to be. The outcome is what we now call our Strat Plan and is the genesis for the many new features and services that you have experienced this year. Great strategy yields powerful tactics, of which I will only name a few. And rest assured there is more to come.

The most visible of the new developments is our adoption of a Web 2.0 platform for www.narms.com. And while the look and feel of the website is enhanced, it’s the tools and techniques in the background that make the real difference. Without getting into numbers, the end result is that much more traffic is being generated. Many more people are visiting and they are staying for longer periods of time enhancing our member’s opportunities for exposure to new customers and to new field representatives. Those who list jobs now have their ad pushed out via RSS feeds to many other job seeking sites, as well as JobBank. We also enhanced our human resource generating tools through introduction of One Call Now and Twitter, which both push opportunities out to professional field reps via their cell phones, PDAs and PCs. It’s a mobile solution for a mobile audience. Simply stated, there is no better time to use The Recruiter and to list a job in the JobBank.

Based on those who are taking advantage, our monthly Webinar Series has been a great success with our members who are enjoying the opportunity to spend an hour of education without having to leave the friendly confines of their offices. Content has been planned for this new vehicle through mid-year, and there are many more prospects in development.

Of course, we are looking forward to another great conference in Colorado Springs , but this year will be different as we will be including a virtual trade show opportunity for our exhibitors. This experience will enhance the networking opportunities past just a few days in the Spring and will bring a new power to our relationships with our vendors. And speaking of that, NARMS Associate Members now have their own official division with the walls of NARMS. It is a sign of an even deeper commitment between our service members, and those companies who continue to development new tools and services to make our lives easier and our value greater.

And did I mention individual memberships? How about our charter memberships in the Center for Retailing Excellence at the University of Wisconsin – Madison? And what about the growing NARMS social network on Facebook? GlobalShop? The IFBA Top-to-Top Conference?

Whew! It’s been one heck of a “New” Year.

Think local. Think sidewalk local.

By: Gerard McLean
President /CEO Rivershark, Inc

Excerpt:
Think local. Sidewalk local
People don’t live in “states” or “regions.” They live on city blocks and in neighborhoods. Think about how to get the closest people possible to the job site. The easiest way to do that is to list the city and the ZIP Code on your job listing. As you can see from our example above, I was not looking for jobs in Ohio. I was looking for jobs in the 45426 Zip Code. Even more specifically, I was looking at GPS 39.818648,-84.288084. (Most job listing services, including the JobBank and Recruiter at NARMS.com will translate that for you as long as you provide the ZIP Code.)

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MVI Announces Top 50 Retailers

MVI has listed the top 50 retailers for this year. Top 5 include:
1. Walmart - USA
2. Carrefour - France
3. Tesco - UK
4. Metro Group - Germany
5. Schwarz Group - Germany

Read all top 50 Retailers here.

Looking Past the Headlines

Recent content here, on other blogs and the NARMS Webinar Series has centered on how to survive and even thrive in a rotten economy. A recent Wall Street Journal article signaled a beacon of hope in the retail sales sector that serves as a lesson to all. When reading and hearing economic reports, make sure to read past the first paragraph to find the meat of the story. This particular article reported that retail sales for November declined for the fifth straight month, but this figure included automobile sales which offset gains in consumer electronics, sporting goods, books, music, clothing, furniture and food. In short, those are categories that are in the wheel house of NARMS members, who provide world class at-retail marketing and merchandising services. And although growths in these categories are slower than usual, it is a point of light for NARMS members, their customers and for field personnel looking for retail jobs.

Some of these increases can be attributed to deep discounts and seasonal sales, but the activity of CPGs does seem to be holding fast in some sectors. The challenge now is to convince our customers that we can help them rise up out of flat growth and start achieving sales goals consistent with the recent past. For months, fuel prices were blamed for the decrease of growth as consumers were driving less. Consumer driving habits changed so sharply, that gas stations are still experiencing a 15% drop in sales, even though gas prices has fallen and have stabilized for several weeks now. No doubt that will trend back up with the easing of prices, but all evidence suggests that consumers are making less frivolous trips, but still making the drives to the market for essentials.

While looking for opportunities for your company to continue to be successful, it’s often necessary to dig beneath the surface clutter and get a view of the real picture. Until all the factors of glum economic reports and articles are understood and measured, we should take them with a grain of salt. That is not to downgrade serious market concerns being experienced by some of our members, but simply to point out that certain retail sectors that are the specialty of many of our members continue to experience some measure of success. And one last upbeat note from the Journal, “The University of Michigan’s index of consumer sentiment, released Friday, rose to 59.1 this month from 55.3 in November. Consumers’ expectations for inflation over the next year fell to 1.7% from 2.9% in November; the figure had been as high as 5.2% this year.”

It looks like consumers are keeping the faith, we should too.

Store brands boost grocery stores

NEW YORK, Dec. 13 (UPI) — Chains such as Trader Joe’s and Kroger say their store-brand labels are helping them through the dreary economic downturn.
Trader Joe’s, Kroger, Safeway and Wegmans all have expanded their store-brand products, which tend to be cheaper than national brands and more profitable for grocers, The New York Times (NYSE:NYT) reported Saturday.

Read the rest of the article here at UPI.com

Paco Underhill speaks to Neal Conan of NPR’s Talk of the Nation

Paco Underhill speaks to Neal Conan of NPR’s Talk of the Nation on Friday, December 12 on the science of shopping. Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping

What makes a shopper spend at one store and not others? Paco Underhill, founder and CEO of Envirosell and author of Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping, explains how he sizes up a shop for its selling potential. Also: why spending may not slow even in a slumping economy.

Paco Underhill, a leading expert and pioneer on consumer behavior and founder/CEO of Envirosell, Inc., a global research and consulting firm, will address the retail industry gathering at the NARMS Spring Conference in Colorado Springs, CO on April 6, 2009. Underhill will keynote a General Session on Monday morning, April 6 at The Broadmoor; with a retailer panel to follow. More information on Paco Underhill at the NARMS Conference can be found here.

For the complete audio and an exerpt of his new book, Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping, visit the NPR Web site.

Discover New Shopper and Market Insights for a Tough Economy

In this difficult economy, it is not business as usual. Now, more than ever, shopper and market insights are critical for growth. To give retailers and manufacturers the tools, insights and confidence to grow their business, Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) today announced that it is taking IRI Summit 2009 to a new level with its “Insight to Impact” program. The world-class conference, being held March 23-25, 2009 at the Wynn Las Vegas, will focus on leveraging insights on consumers’ motivations, wants and needs and using them to innovate for growth during challenging economic times.

Read this release at IRI

IRI: Thought Leadership

RE-ENGINEERING THE MARKETING FUNCTION ECONOMIC CHALLENGES PRESENT UNPARALLELED OPPORTUNITIES

By: Thom Blischok, President, Consulting and Innovation
Information Resources, Inc.

Excerpt: This new dimension of shopper insight deepens knowledge surrounding the behavior of each and every shopper as they challenge traditional retail and marketing execution.

Read the full report here.

Community Touch Goes a Long Way

-By Dr. Kenneth C. Herbst and Harold Lloyd

As we move toward the end of 2008 (could 2008 already be almost over?) and anticipate showing our appreciation for, among others, our family, friends and customers, Harold and I thought this would be a great opportunity to discuss what we feel sets some retailers apart from the competition — heavy community involvement and appreciation for the towns and cities in which they operate.

As we travel and observe the manner in which food retailers operate, we are often impressed by the community involvement taking place. We are not simply referring to sponsoring local races or sporting teams and leagues (although this type of activity is important). We also want to discuss how you can easily interact with customers via involvement that does not include sponsorship.

Read the rest here…