insights that ignite: blue touch-papers

from VM-unleashed! Ltd

why store-based training:

blue touch-paper no.8

another blue-touch paper

from VM-unleashed! Ltd

insights that ignite: blue touch-papers

from VM-unleashed! Ltd

why store-based training:

blue touch-paper no.8

Training has always been important

for retailers. It just got More-So!!

- To ensure the store is visually attractive

- To ensure that individual products and

product groups are located correctly for

maximum sales

- To ensure a visual consistency across

stores for a strong brand image

- To ensure daily/weekly tasks are performed

- To communicate product attributes, building

awareness and expertise

- To train best practice customer service

skills, communication and interaction

Why is store-based training so important now?

• Store portfolios of many retail chains have grown

geographically across borders in search of new

customers and additional sales.

• Store teams have become more remote, with visits to

head office more logistically difficult, infrequent and

expensive

• Regional field teams have also become more remote

with the link to central resources becoming more

difficult to maintain.

• The physical size and shape of stores has become

more diverse, making VM guidelines less relevant, and

forcing store personnel to stand and think on their own.

• Assortment grading complexity has created a wider

variety of store clusters requiring more store product

awareness.

• The wider cultural mix means staff mind-sets and skill

sets are more challenging, and training must be more

individual and customised accordingly.

• More franchisees and partners with different values &

attitudes makes central training more difficult and less

appropriate.

Why is “a little information, more-often” better?

• The dynamic retail environment generates the need

for more support, more guidance, more often.

• Formal training is still essential as a basic building

block of skills, but this needs to be continually

refreshed with ongoing training

• Informal Training can be delivered in “bite-size”

segments, easy to digest

• Informal training can be delivered specific to current

issues with assortment or promotions.

• Informal training can be both proactive or reactive

• Informal training can respond spontaneously to

changing store situations and calls for help giving

relevant up to the minute guidance

• Informal training is an excellent way to grow fruitful

relationship with new retail partners, giving the

opportunity to train, monitor and help

• In all situations ongoing training develops a better

relationship & team culture.

• Ongoing training is more cost-efficient in situations

where staff turnover is high.

Widening store geographies, diverse environments & increased retail dynamics

The Balance between Education &Compliance;

Whilst a combination of training andinstruction works for many retailers thecorrect balance should be determined by theretail strategy & the customer proposition

Brandequity

PricePoint

Storelocation

Customerdemographics

Assortmentgrading

ServiceStrategy

Staffturnover

Assortmentdynamic

Diversityof product

Storeshape

Storeportfolio

Regional National International

Uniform Mix Irregular

Similar Different Very different

Minimal Some Substantial

Self-service Some service Total service

Low Mixture High

Low Medium High

Low Mix High

Impulse Combination Destination

Low Important High

Low Medium High

SalesPromotions

Retailcalendar

Prevalent Important Rare

Primitive Evolved Advanced

Instruction& compliance

Training& education

Retail Strategy& proposition

insights that ignite: blue touch-papers

from VM-unleashed! Ltd

why store-based training:

blue touch-paper no.8

VM-unleashed unlocks the multi-channel profit potential of retailers by

integrating the buying, visual merchandising and selling functions, for

traditional stores and on-line channels.

which product?

how much of it?

how to segment and group it?

how to display and communicate it?

how to promote and sell it!

...and how to make it happen in your company?

Space planning & allocation

maximising sales/profit productivity per sqm., space density and store

capacities – store grading, square metre to linear metre conversion,

store & web space allocation, fixture capacity and design flexibility.

Assortment structure display

Segmenting the assortment for customer ease-of-shop, balancing

product story types, defining construction of options within stories,

planning the flow of goods to construct and fragment stories.

Store layout & web architecture

Segmentation, architecture and intuitive navigation, sightlines and

focal point planning, best seller merchandising, “contact points” to

stimulate impulse purchasing, cross-merchandising.

Visual Merchandising

Commercial display with optimum option and unit densities, creative

display for maximum rates of sales, integration of actual and planned

best sellers, image makers, high & low margin product.

Retail Calendar, Events & Promotions

sales promotion strategies and calendars, price & promotional

communication, stimulating the assortment, controlling store & web

space, time and graphic communication, dynamic promotional

layering, window strategy & display, store & website promotional

journey, e-newsletter delivery.

VM tools & processes, team structure & training

developing guidelines & manuals, space plans & zoning, developing

store regimes and routines, instilling a culture of visual merchandising

“from boardroom to stockroom!”, improving visual merchandising skills

in-store, developing & delivering training programmes.

…for more information please call Tim Radley

+44 (0)7967 609849.

delivering your store selling fundamentals

- making the most of what retailers have

VM-unleashed is a retail

specialist consultancy working

with clients throughout Europe

on training & implementation.

Tim Radley is the founder and

Managing Director and has

been working with best practice

European retailers for over 20

years including:-.

All Saints, Camper, Boots,

Carrefour, Primark, Otto

Versand, Cortefiel, Oviesse,

Coin, Springfield, Motivi,

Adidas, Sonae, Alessi, Aena,

Marks & Spencer, KappAhl,

Imaginarium, Porcelanosa,

Clarks, Aldeasa, Pepe Jeans,

Trucco, Sony, Koton, Oltre,

GasNatural, Orange…

VM-unleashed Ltd!11 Moat FarmRoyal Tunbridge WellsKent TN2 5XGUK

Tim RadleyManaging Directortim.radley@vm-unleashed.com07967 609849www.vm-unleashed.com

pinpointing & delivering ROI opportunities in physical & online stores

from VM-unleashed! Ltd