Register for The NEW Retail Merchandising & Marketing Conference

Late last year, NARMS International made the announcement that it was changing the name of its annual spring conference to The Retail Merchandising & Marketing Conference. Registration and a new set of details are now available for the largest gathering for retail merchandising and marketing industry players across North America. The showcase event will be held April 14-17, 2012 at Saddlebrook Resort, north of Tampa, FL.

The agenda, now available at the Conference Center on www.narms.com, promises to challenge, educate and update each and every attendee and their staff. The dynamic program is headlined by keynote speakers Daniel Shapiro, Vince Lombardi, Jr. and Art Turock. Educational sessions focusing on running your business, developing a top notch staff and dealing with modern technology challenges and opportunities will bolster your networking experience with NARMS members, manufacturers and retailers. The very popular Manufacturer/Retailer Connection Session is back for its third consecutive year to allow you to hear directly from key industry players about their at-retail plans.

Everything you need for four terrific days in Florida can be found at the Conference Center. Here you can register, make hotel reservations, sign-up for the golf event and access sponsorship opportunities. Those interested in exhibiting can also find links to the floor plan and registration for the trade show. You can also go mobile and carry the agenda with you in your pocket by scanning the QR code with your smart phone.

The Retail Merchandising & Marketing Conference is a chance for you and your staff to get away for a few days, relax and focus on your business and industry while networking with peers, attending educational sessions and high energy motivational speakers. You will come away refreshed, energized and ready to take your place as a leader in the industry. Click here to access the Conference Center and to register. #RMMC561

Getting on the Scorecard

Growing sales and expanding margins. This is how most retail executives define success and how most of them are measured. Certainly any successful business needs to be mindful of these metrics. However, using them solely as the basis for merchandising and operational decisions has some downfalls. That is the key message of the latest Competitive Edge newsletter by Willard Bishop Consulting.

As the author points out, by these measures alone, maintaining operating margins can cause retailers and brand marketers to over-invest, over-promote or under-invest in areas that might be the only real competitive advantage they have. The example is cutting back on in-store labor to maintain the bottom line at the cost of excellent service. The result is lost store traffic and eventually market share. It often takes aggressive price promotion to regain lost territory. As margin erodes, the downward cycle begins.

Competitive Edge uses some graphic examples of scorecards where everything looks great on the surface, but fails to account for what is certainly to come. They also advise the use of an improved scorecard which accounts for new shoppers, how much the new shoppers spend and how many shoppers are trading down as a result of price increases or perceived bad service.

Retailers using this revised approach take into consideration the results of excellent in-store execution. The members of the at-retail merchandising and marketing services community help provide high marks on this type of report card because their services directly lead to an enhanced shopping experience. NARMS members also help to gather the shelf-level data involved in compiling such a scorecard in the first place.

Take few minutes and download the Bishop report by clicking here. An effective measure for real growth takes the value of at-retail service providers into account.

Webinar Series Returns with Key Account Management Session

Exciting news this week from NARMS International as it announced the return of the highly popular NARMS Webinar Series. The next installment will be on Thursday, January 26th at 1:00 P.M. CST. Frequent NARMS contributor Mark Hunter, otherwise known as The Sales Hunter, will lead Key Account Management: Maximizing the Opportunities. The NARMS Webinar Series is an important value added member benefit, so make sure you complete your membership renewal for 2012 so you do not miss out on future educational programming. The series is sponsored by associate member Natural Insight and powered through the technology of associate member ReadyTalk.

Managing key accounts can take a significant amount of time and resources, which is fine if the business is profitable and sustainable. During this hour long session, Hunter will share specific steps you can take now to keep problems from arising. More importantly, he will show you how to find ways to grow the business and do it profitably. All participants in the webinar will receive a copy of the same training materials he provides in his key account management seminar, which he has delivered to numerous CPG companies. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions and interact with Hunter during the session via the ReadyTalk chat function.

Hunter is well known within the NARMS community. His background includes 18 years with three major CPG companies and the past 13 years as a consultant and speaker on sales. His clients include numerous CPG companies, such as Wrigley, Unilever, Heineken, Cadbury, and more. To find out more, visit his website and blog at www.thesaleshunter.com. His book, High-Profit Selling: Win the Sale without Compromising on Price, releases next month. You can find it on Amazon.com.

Maintaining key accounts and actually growing the business is vital to all in the at-retail merchandising and marketing service business. The session is complimentary to NARMS members but is also made available to other interested persons at a non-member rate of $99.95. We encourage you to share this invitation with other co-workers and anyone else who might gain value from this information-sharing opportunity. You can register by clicking here.

Report Reviews CE Channel

The members of NARMS apply their trade in every channel of retail. By visiting www.narms.com and using the Detail Search function, it just so happens that 88 members of NARMS say they do business in the Consumer Electronic Channel. Why is that relevant? Well, today is the first day of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. One of the primary functions of the website is to help prospective customers find and retain just the right professional, experienced and expert at-retail merchandising and marketing service company to fit their needs.

And speaking of Consumer Electronics, DSN Retailing Today just came out with a story that highlights a recent report by Market Research Solutions (MRS). The white paper reports on a survey of 272 CE department managers at Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Hhgregg and more. The full report is available for download at a fee, but DSN Retailing Today gives us a sneak peak with some top line insights into this very dynamic channel.

Just a few of the observations: The majority of the managers said that sales and store traffic were up during the Holidays compared to last year. Certain brands lead by Apple were in high demand. The tablet computer was the hottest product and managers expect that to continue into 2012. The supply chain did an overall good job of being ready for the high demand of certain items.

Executing in-store initiatives at specialty retailers such as the CE channel requires a high degree of performance and often involves hand-held technology and robust reporting systems. The NARMS brand means that prospective customers can come to us to find and hire service firms who have the highest standards for quality, innovation and business ethics. And the bar is getting higher. Membership in NARMS helps to constantly raise those levels so that our customers get the best service possible in whatever channel they do business.

Top 100 List Sets Stage for New Year

The week between Christmas and The New Year is a chance to get to a few things that are elusive during a regular business week. It is also a good time to catch up on some reading. Such is the case with a publication released last week by NetWorld Alliance and RetailCustomerExperience.com. Their top 100 list report ranks retailers, issues, trends and tools that are having the biggest impact on retailing today.

This publication is somewhat unique because it does not attempt to put the list items into silos, but rather just simple throws them in one big pot and ranks them. Not surprisingly, technology and integration with technology like social networking and multi-channel efforts dominate the list. Read a bit deeper though and a clear picture of the retail landscape starts to unfold. For members of the at-retail merchandising and marketing services industry, opportunity is at every turn.

Here is a limited sample. Number Four on the list is Online Reputation Management. The point is that brand marketer reputations are now more exposed than ever. Failure to deliver on the promises made on the path to purchase at the store level are exposed quickly leaving little margin for error. It is the same issue with Number 10: User Generated Product Reviews.

Experience Design comes in at Number 17, Smaller Store Formats Number 18, Electronic Shelf Labels Number 21 and Assortment Localization at Number 24. Supply Chain Optimization ranks 28, Retail CRM Number 35, High Tech Dressing Rooms Number 39, Kiosks Number 41 and Self-Checkout Number 43.

All of these issues have something in common. They all require excellent in-store execution and they all shape the service requirements of our retailer and manufacturer clients. Click here and download your copy of the free report today.

To Automate or Not to Automate

A great self-checkout debate began this year. Some retailers began taking them out of stores saying that the benefits are limited and that the use of self-checkout robs them of an opportunity to display exceptional customer service. Others say there is no proof of that argument and that consumers enjoy the speed and convenience of self-service. A news item in CSP Daily News takes the debate to a whole new level. Kraft Foods will begin using an automated sample dispensing machine in the Chicago market in the near future.

The machine will hand out Temptations dessert by Jell-O. It will get by potential exposure abuse by using technology that can detect the facial age of the user. In this case, the product is targeted to adults so the machine scans the users face to determine if it will dispense a sample or not.

As is the case with self-checkout, shopper experience experts are weighing in on the use of the device. Some say the wow factor is too good to ignore. Others are calling it gimmicky and not very useful.

The investment in the technology and the pilot test speaks volumes as to the importance of sampling programs to CPG manufacturers. According to the story, the food and beverage industry spends somewhere in the neighborhood of $1 billion annually on product sampling. It is all about getting the right sample in the right hands.

For NARMS members who specialize in event marketing, sampling and demos, the news might be somewhat disturbing. But widespread use of such devices is likely to run into the same debate as self-checkout. No matter how hard we try, shopping at retail stores is largely a social experience. No amount of technology will ever be able to replace the services of a professional and well-trained event marketer whose ability to act as a real life brand ambassador is priceless.

Supermarket Consolidation on Horizon

We are in the middle of that time in the editorial calendar when trade publications take a deep breath and look back at the year in review and attempt to foresee what lies ahead. A particularly good series is being run right now on www.supermarketnews.com. Several industry experts are being called upon for their views of 2012. In one such column, David Schroeder of The Food Partners tells us that he sees an acceleration of food industry consolidation.

As some retailers seek to divest of non-viable locations, many are considering simply closing locations rather than selling them as grocery stores. According to Schroeder, those who are looking to sell fall into two groups.

The first group is small chains of six to 20 locations. The key to survival for this group is to carve out a unique niche in the market. The author expects that group to decrease by half over the next five years as a few independents will act as consolidators and buy them up.

Schroeder also sees another group that he expects to experience widespread consolidation. Many regional chains are struggling for a variety of reasons. He does not expect these to be single buyer transactions, but rather multiple buyers who will break up the chain.

Whenever we read retail observations of trends or predications of the future, we have to ask ourselves what that means to the members of the at-retail merchandising and marketing services industry. A rapidly changing retail landscape can mean one of two things. We could wake up one day and see that our business has gone away, or we could embrace the opportunities that these changes bring. Acquisitions almost always bring about store conversions on both the store and shelf level.

Retailers and their manufacturer suppliers will want to use these conversions as opportunities to attract new customers and market share. But in order to do that, they will have to execute in-store changes quickly and efficiently to see the sales lift sooner. Partnering with members of NARMS can ensure that.

Hold the Date

These are exciting times for NARMS. The Association recently named Tom Caddell as Executive Director and is in the process of putting together the 2012 new membership drive and renewal campaign. The 2012 Spring Conference is coming on April 14-17 and in its 17th year will feature a new name. Remember to hold the date for The Retail Merchandising & Marketing Conference held at Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa Florida. Caddell, Conference Chair Stefan Midford, the NARMS staff and the NARMS Board of Directors are putting together a value- packed agenda for our annual showcase event.

Billed as the largest event for retail merchandising and marketing across North America, the event is geared toward retail in-store companies, retail industry executives, retailers, independent food brokers, manufacturers, event/mystery shopping/demo companies, professional installation companies, merchandising service organizations and future NARMS members. The event annually features speakers, workshops, meetings and networking opportunities designed to address the issues and needs faced by the at-retail service community.

Registration for The Retail Merchandising & Marketing Conference will open up shortly at the Conference Center at www.narms.com/conferences. You will want to check the Conference Center often for upcoming agenda announcements, hotel information, sponsorships, and exhibitor opportunities.

If you have not already done so, open up your date book or smart phone and make sure you set aside April 14-17, 2012. There are many changes going on at your trade association and you are going to want to be on hand to witness and experience this annual event. Stay tuned for more big announcements from NARMS.

When Resolution Meets Reality

Everyone in some way, shape or form makes resolutions for the coming New Year. For CPG manufacturers, some help is offered from the November Competitive Edge newsletter by Willard Bishop Consulting. The author offers seven New Year resolutions to help suppliers support the sales and business performance of their retail partners. As providers of at-retail merchandising and marketing services, NARMS members are often part of that support package.

You can click on the link to see the entire report and read all the suggestions for yourself. This column will take a closer look at two of the resolutions.

The first is, “Proactively optimize your assortment.” This allows suppliers to focus on strategic fit and growth opportunities. It also helps to make the most out of existing shelf space and existing trade funds. As the author points out, a huge component is to minimize out-of-stocks and to optimize pack out. As always, managing assortment means executing new planograms, shelf sets and adjacencies. It also means regular coverage to help in the never ending battle against out-of-stocks.

The second point is, “Utilize shopper data across all of your merchandising decisions.” The author points out that we are at the intersection of category management and shopper insights. The data and insights, supported by mystery shopping and shelf data gathering techniques and technology, offer a clear picture of merchandising gaps. These gaps, when filled, drive increased volume.

However, the plans and resolutions of trading partners often go unrealized due to the lack of resources at store level. Suppliers quickly find it difficult to rely on retail store staffs to execute their plans in a timely, quality and consistent manner. They also realize that this is often not time well spent by their sales organizations. NARMS members provide the people, systems, experience and expertise to help introduce resolution to reality.

Recruiting for the Engagement Advantage

A guest column at DSN Retailing Today by executive coach and consultant Jackie Sloane introduces the term, “Engagement Advantage”, to describe the energy and attitude of successful retail employees when it comes to influencing purchase decisions, increasing sales and exhibiting loyalty. Since the members of NARMS also provide at-retail merchandising and marketing service personnel to their manufacturer and retail clients, and since these individuals often interact with the end consumer, some of the points in the column are good practical advice when recruiting retail merchandisers.

Successful retail merchandisers often become brand ambassadors for the products they are working with. Sampling and demonstration personnel are probably the best example of this, but the engagement advantage also extends to shelf merchandisers and professional installation workers. Consumers do not often differentiate between in-store reps and store personnel. Sloane provides a brief roadmap toward finding, managing and retaining people who exhibit the engagement advantage. Here is a summary:

-Be clear and up front about the customer experience you want to convey. Make sure all communication reinforce the message so that it can be repeated.

-Establish the top three drivers of success for each position.

-Challenge and continually improve your own communication processes to ensure expectations are clear.

-Take steps to make the experience that you want the end consumer to have consistent with that of your in-store personnel.

- Include the importance of the customer experience in your orientation and training process.

- Build ownership by always listening to feedback and ideas from your reps. Have regular lines of communication set-up for this purpose and make sure to use the feedback.

-Celebrate successes and reward it.

To find reps well on their way to the engagement advantage, look for those who have gone through the on-line training at NARMScertifyU. Encourage and enable your existing reps to enhance their skills by accessing this convenient resource.