What you need to know about retail. Retailers - what is it? Wholesale functions

Trade is one of the areas entrepreneurial activity and represents a certain type of commodity-money relations between the seller and the end consumer. Consider the specifics and features of retail and wholesale trade and their main differences.

Retail - what is it?

Since ancient times, trade has been considered a popular and profitable human activity. Its main goal is to generate income by satisfying the needs of the end customer.

The seller between the buyer and the manufacturer of products is a link: the entrepreneur buys all kinds of goods in bulk and sells them at retail to buyers with a certain trade margin, while deriving benefits for himself.

In a nutshell, retail is the sale of goods to the final consumer to satisfy his personal purposes, not related to commercial activities. Retail offers customers the following types of services:

• selection of goods among products of a similar purpose (for example, a certain type of alcohol from various manufacturers);
• independent choice of various goods in retail outlets (self-service stores);
• complex (full) service (assistance to the buyer at all stages of the purchase, up to free delivery);
• mixed type - sale of goods by small wholesale and retail (large stores, supermarkets).

Today, consumers have the opportunity to purchase any goods in stores on their own, make purchases in online stores, and also receive them at home through courier delivery. The main functions of the retail trade include:

• commodity market monitoring;
• competitor pricing analysis;
• clarification of consumer demand for a certain type of product;
• search for products that meet consumer demand;
• formation of prices taking into account the cost of goods, advertising, storage, delivery.

In supermarkets and hypermarkets, the model of wholesale and retail trade in food, household goods and other consumer goods is widely used. If we consider retail outlets according to the proposed range of products, then they can be conditionally divided into specialized stores, department stores, supermarkets, as well as retailers offering various services to consumers:

• Specialized retail stores offer a narrow product range. Examples include shops selling books, flowers, building materials, sporting goods or clothing. There are also shops with a limited product range, where jeans, underwear, children's toys, men's shirts, etc. can be sold.
• Supermarkets are large trading enterprises specializing in self-service of visitors. Such stores are characterized by high sales volumes, low costs and average profitability. Mostly consumers visit them to buy food, household goods or household chemicals.
• Department stores have several product groups at the same time. Customers can purchase all kinds of clothes, household goods, tools and equipment for household needs, as well as everyday goods for the home at such outlets. A feature of such outlets is the presence of commodity departments in which certain group products.
• The service provided by retail service enterprises is in great consumer demand. This includes cinemas, medical institutions, educational establishments, banking organizations, restaurants, hotel complexes, hairdressers, repair service enterprises.

Important: according to statistics, the number of organizations providing retail services is steadily growing and exceeds the number of food and consumer goods retail outlets by an order of magnitude.

Wholesale - what is it?

The commercial activity of enterprises aimed at selling goods in certain lots (both large and small) is called wholesale trade. Such organizations mainly cooperate directly with manufacturers of various products, purchasing them in bulk for the purpose of further resale to a retail network.

The rapid development of wholesale trade enterprises is easily explained by the great demand for various goods from consumers and continuously growing profits. This type of commodity-money relations is of great benefit to buyers: the growth of competition and the product range invariably entails a decrease in the cost of various product groups, which ultimately leads to a decrease in selling prices in retail stores.

Without wholesale trade organizations, it is difficult to imagine the full-fledged work of most enterprises that produce all kinds of products. This is due to the fact that goods are produced in certain cities, and it is not possible to find the required number of consumers in one locality.

In turn, wholesalers contribute to the distribution of products in different regions, significantly increasing the consumer network. Please note that the enterprise itself, producing goods or food, is a wholesaler. In this case, products can be sold at special prices through special wholesale stores or through an agreement with the sales department of the manufacturer.

Thus, the product can be repeatedly resold between different organizations before it reaches the final consumer through stores. retail network. Wholesale trade enterprises pursue the following goals:

• development of distribution channels for goods;
• search for suppliers of products for retail chains;
• creation of reserve financing of commodity flow;
• purchase of large quantities of goods from manufacturers;
• increase in the number of intermediate buyers of goods (wholesale);
• monitoring and detailed analysis of turnover in the retail network.

Wholesale trade enterprises perform a number of important functions that form the relationship between producers and the end consumer. They also provide regional communication within the state. It should be noted that wholesale trade organizations stimulate the work of manufacturing plants to create new products.

It is important to understand that wholesalers take risks and may incur large financial losses. This is primarily due to products that are not in demand among consumers, and therefore retail stores do not buy them. The money invested in the goods, the wholesaler will not be able to return.

Like retail stores, wholesalers purchase products from manufacturers in a certain range, taking into account consumer demand. Wholesalers in without fail accumulate various products depending on the season, and also provide its storage. For this, specialized terminals and warehouses are used.

Wholesale companies provide the process of goods distribution not only within a certain state, but also far beyond its borders. In addition, they control the quality of the goods that are supplied to the retail network.

Products can be delivered to retail stores with a deferred payment for a certain period of time, which is a kind of lending and stimulating the growth of purchases.

What is the difference between wholesale and retail?

Let's figure out what are the differences between wholesale and retail. By definition, retailers interact with a specific category of consumers, which can be both organizations and individuals, as well as separate divisions various companies.

Important A: If the buyer is not engaged in business activities and purchases certain products under standard conditions, they will be sold at retail. No one can determine the exact volumes of goods so that they are considered a wholesale lot. In many ways, this issue is regulated by the type of contract (wholesale trade enterprises conclude shipping agreements with buyers).

Wholesale and retail trade differ from each other by documentary registration. Retailers use cash and sales receipts, as well as other documents confirming payment. Wholesalers working for OSNO draw up contracts with buyers, provide them with invoices, waybills, and also keep a book of purchases and a book of sales without fail.

Both types of trade differ from each other in the purpose of goods. When a retailer sells a product to an end customer that will be used for personal use without a commercial purpose, the wholesaler sells it for commercial gain.

Both retailers and wholesalers accept cash and non-cash forms of payment when paying for products. They also have the right to cooperate with individuals and legal entities.

What is retail?

The retail sale of all kinds of products to the final consumer (without further resale of the goods) is called retail. In the territory Russian Federation trade relations between retail participants are regulated by the Consumer Rights Protection Law.

Retail can be organized if there is a cash register at the point of sale and a check is issued to the consumer for the purchase made. To date, it is customary to distinguish between several types of retail:

1. The classic type of organization of the work of a retail enterprise is street retail. It includes shops located on pedestrian streets settlements, as well as retail outlets, which are located on the basement or first floors of buildings and residential buildings. Today, shopping centers are direct competitors to street retail, since they have a large number of various trade enterprises (shops, boutiques, mini-markets, as well as retail services enterprises) and a wide range of various goods. The location of street shops and the lack of shopping malls, major markets and supermarkets are the main conditions for the successful functioning and development of street retail.
2. Retail trade in food products, the number of which is located in large retail areas, is commonly called food retail. It is distinguished by the constant income of its owners, because food, regardless of the financial solvency of the population, will be in daily demand. Supermarkets and megamarkets are successful food retail projects.
3. Retail sale of non-food consumer goods ( Appliances and chemicals, sporting goods, clothing, building materials, household goods) is a format of the so-called non-food retail. In food stores, this group of products is called related. The range of such products is selected taking into account seasonal consumer demand or upcoming holidays.
4. Selling goods through virtual stores or one-page sites is called online retail. Payment can be made by cash or non-cash payments.
5. Provision of operator services cellular communication population is called mobile retail. A large increase in profits in this segment of trade is easily explained by the demand for communication services.
6. A lot of stores, the design and operation of which is in a single format and within a certain trading concept, is called network retail. In other words, this is a network of retail outlets of one owner (rarely several), which are easily recognizable by their corporate identity. Such a trading enterprise has a single logistics system responsible for the delivery and bulk purchase of products. Network retail offers potential buyers an attractive price for goods and a wide range of products. As a rule, such enterprises receive considerable profit due to the volume of sales from all points of the network.

Retailers - what is it?

Supermarkets, various types of shops, markets and other outlets that carry out retail sales of goods to the final consumer are called retailers. These organizations operate in various segments of the commodity turnover. The main ones are.

Trade- this is one of the most popular and profitable activities, which many of our users choose when registering. In this article, we want to answer your most frequently asked questions about trading:

• When do I need to get a trading license?
• Who must submit a notice of commencement trading activities;
• What is the difference between wholesale and retail;
• What are the risks for UTII payers in case of incorrect registration of retail sales;
• What is the responsibility for violating the rules of trade.

For our users who have chosen retail trade as their activity, we have prepared the book "Retail Store" from the "Start Your Own Business" series. The book is available after .

Licensed Trade

Trading activity itself is not licensed, but a license is needed if you plan to sell the following goods:

• alcoholic products, except for beer, cider, poiret and mead (only organizations can obtain a license for alcohol)
• medicines;
• weapons and ammunition;
• scrap of ferrous and non-ferrous metals;
• anti-counterfeit printing products;
• special technical means designed to secretly obtain information.

Notice of commencement of activity

The obligation to report the start of work is established by the law of December 26, 2008 No. 294-FZ for certain types of activities, among which there is trade. This requirement applies only to retailers and wholesalers operating under the following codes:

• - Retail sale predominantly of food products, including beverages, and tobacco products in non-specialized stores
• - Other retail trade in non-specialized stores
• - Retail sale of fruits and vegetables in specialized stores
• - Retail sale of meat and meat products in specialized stores
• - Retail sale of fish, crustaceans and mollusks in specialized stores
• - Retail trade in bread and bakery products and confectionery in specialized stores
• - Retail sale of other foodstuffs in specialized stores
• - Retail sale of cosmetics and personal care products in specialized stores
• - Retail trade in non-stationary trade facilities and markets
• - Wholesale of meat and meat products
• - Wholesale of dairy products, eggs and edible oils and fats
• - Wholesale trade in bakery products
• - Wholesale trade of other foodstuffs, including fish, crustaceans and molluscs
• - Wholesale trade in homogenized food products, baby and diet food
• Wholesale non-specialized trade in frozen foodstuffs
• Wholesale of perfumes and cosmetics, except soap
• Wholesale of games and toys
• Wholesale trade paintwork materials
• Wholesale trade in fertilizers and agrochemical products

Please note that if you just specified these OKVED codes when registering, but do not plan to work on them yet, then you do not need to submit a notification.

The procedure for filing a notification is established by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of July 16, 2009 No. 584. before the start of real work submit two copies of the notification to the territorial subdivision - in person, by registered mail with notice and description of attachment or electronic document signed with EDS.

In case of change legal address the seller (place of residence of the individual entrepreneur), as well as a change in the place of actual trading activity, will need to be reported within 10 days to the Rospotrebnadzor branch, where the notification was previously submitted. An application for changing information about a trading facility is submitted in any form. A copy of the document confirming the change in information in state register(form P51003 for organizations or P61003 for individual entrepreneurs).

Wholesale and retail trade

What is the difference between wholesale and retail? If you think that wholesale is selling in batches, and retail is piecework, then you will be right, but only in part. In business, the criterion for determining the type of trade is different, and it is given in the law of December 28, 2009 No. 381-FZ:

• wholesale- purchase and sale of goods for their use in business activities or for other purposes not related to personal, family, household and other similar use;
• retail- acquisition and sale of goods for their use in personal, family, household and other purposes not related to the implementation of entrepreneurial activities.

The seller, of course, does not have the ability to track how the buyer will use the purchased goods, and he does not have such an obligation, which is confirmed by letters from the Ministry of Finance, the Federal Tax Service, court decisions, decisions of the Presidium of the Supreme Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation (for example, dated July 5, 2011 N 1066 / eleven). With this in mind, in practice, the difference between wholesale and retail trade is determined by documentation sales.

For a retail buyer who makes a purchase for personal purposes, a cash or sales receipt is sufficient, and a business entity must document its expenses, so wholesale sales are processed differently.

For clearance wholesale between the seller and the buyer is or, which is more in the interests of the buyer. The buyer can pay by bank transfer or cash, but on condition that the purchase amount under one contract does not exceed 100 thousand rubles. The primary document to confirm the buyer's expenses is the consignment note TORG-12. If the seller works for common system taxation, you still need to issue an invoice. In addition, upon delivery of the purchased goods by road, a consignment note is drawn up.

When selling goods at retail, a sales contract replaces a cash or sales receipt. Additionally, the same accompanying documents, which are issued for wholesale trade (waybill and invoice), although they are optional for retail trade. The mere fact of issuing an invoice or waybill to the buyer does not unequivocally indicate wholesale trade, but there are such letters from the Ministry of Finance in which the department considers that the sale formalized by these documents cannot be recognized as retail. To avoid tax disputes, you should not issue them to a retail buyer if he purchases the goods for non-business purposes, he does not need such supporting documents.

When conducting retail trade, it is necessary to comply with the Sale Rules, approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of January 19, 1998 N 55, and in particular, place in the store buyer's corner(consumer). This information stand located in a place accessible to the buyer.

The following information should be in the buyer's corner:

• A copy of the certificate of state registration of an LLC or individual entrepreneur;
• A copy of the sheet with OKVED codes (the main type of activity must be indicated, if there are many additional codes, then they are indicated selectively);
• A copy of the alcohol license, if any;
• A message about the prohibition of the sale of alcohol to persons under 18 years of age, if the store sells such products;
• Book of complaints and suggestions;
• Consumer Protection Act (brochure or printout);
• Rules of sale (brochure or printout);
• Information about the features of servicing preferential categories of citizens (disabled people, pensioners, participants in the Great patriotic war and etc.);
• Contact details territorial subdivision Rospotrebnadzor, which controls the activities of this store;
• Contact details of the head of the organization or individual entrepreneur who owns the outlet, or the responsible employee;
• If the store sells a weighted product, then a control scale should be placed next to the corner of the buyer.

All retail outlets, including markets, fairs, and exhibitions, should have a buyer's corner. Only in the case of peddling trade can be limited to a seller's personal card with a photo and indication of full name, registration and contact details.

And the last - about the choice of the tax regime in the implementation of trade. Keep in mind that in the regimes and only retail trade is allowed, and in order to work under the simplified taxation system, you must comply with the income limit - in 2017 it is 150 million rubles a year.

Retail and UTII

UTII is a tax regime in which not really received income is taken into account for taxation, but imputed, i.e. supposed. In relation to retail facilities, the amount of tax is calculated based on the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe store. For small shops, conducting only retail trade, this regime turns out to be quite fair, including taking into account the interests of the budget.

But if, for example, 30 sq. m to conduct wholesale trade, then the turnover of such a store can be more than one million rubles a day, and the tax will turn out to be miserable. Applying the same components of the tax calculation formula to wholesale trade as to retail trade would be incorrect both in relation to other taxpayers and to replenish the budget. That is why tax inspectorates always make sure that UTII payers do not replace retail with wholesale. How do tax authorities come to the conclusion that instead of retail trade, the UTII payer conducts wholesale trade?

1. Wholesale trade is formalized by a supply agreement, therefore, if the payer of the imputed tax concludes such an agreement with the buyer, then the sale will definitely be recognized as wholesale, with the corresponding additional taxation according to. But even if the contract is called a retail sale contract, and it provides for a certain range of goods and the time for their delivery to the buyer, then such trade is also recognized as wholesale. This position is expressed in the resolution of the Presidium of the Supreme Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation dated 04.10.11 No. 5566/11.

In general, a retail sales contract is public contract, and for its conclusion it is not required to draw up a written document, but a cash or sales receipt is sufficient. If the buyer asks you for a written contract of sale, explaining that he wants to take into account these costs in his costs, then this is the use of the goods for business purposes, which means that the UTII payer, concluding such an agreement with the buyer, risks falling under additional taxes and fines.

2. The main criterion for the separation of wholesale and retail trade, as we have already found out, is the ultimate goal of using the purchased goods by the buyer. Although the seller is not obliged to monitor the further use of the goods by the buyer, there are such goods, the characteristics of which clearly indicate their use in entrepreneurial activity: trade, dental, jewelry and other equipment, cash registers and check printers, office furniture, etc.

In addition, article 346.27 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation provides a list of goods whose sale is not recognized as retail trade permitted on UTII:

• some excisable goods ( cars, motorcycles with a capacity of more than 150 hp, gasoline, diesel fuel, oils);
• food, drinks, alcohol in catering facilities;
• trucks and buses;
• special vehicles and trailers;
• goods according to samples and catalogs outside the stationary trading network(online stores, postal catalogs).

3. In some cases, tax inspectorates conclude that trade is wholesale, only for the category of the buyer - individual entrepreneurs and organizations. This conclusion is refuted by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation of July 5, 2011 N 1066/11 and some letters from the Ministry of Finance: “... business activities related to the sale of goods for cash and cashless payments legal entities, individual entrepreneurs, carried out as part of a retail sale, can be transferred to the taxation system in the form of a single tax on imputed income.

As for such budgetary institutions as schools, kindergartens, hospitals, then in relation to them trade can be recognized as wholesale not on the basis of the use of purchased goods in business activities, but on the basis of supply contracts. Thus, the decision of the Presidium of the Supreme Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation of October 4, 2011 No. 5566/11 left unchanged the court decision, according to which individual entrepreneur on UTII, which delivered goods to schools and kindergartens, taxes were recalculated according to the general taxation system. The court upheld the opinion of the tax inspectorate that “the sale of goods by an entrepreneur budget institutions refers to wholesale trade, since it was carried out on the basis of supply contracts, the goods were delivered by the transport of the supplier (entrepreneur), invoices were issued to buyers, payment for goods was made to the settlement account of the entrepreneur.

4. It is not an unambiguous indication of the wholesale trade method of payment - cash or non-cash. Retail Buyer has the right to pay the seller in cash, and bank card, as well as transfer to the current account. However, payment by bank transfer to the seller's account is often regarded as circumstantial evidence of wholesale trade.

Thus, it is safest for UTII payers to adhere to the following points when selling goods:

• Do not conclude a written contract of sale with the buyer, but issue a cash or sales receipt;
• Sell ​​the goods on the premises of the store, and not by delivering it to the buyer;
• Do not issue an invoice and waybills to the buyer;
• Accept payment by cash or card.

If among your customers there are not only ordinary individuals, then it is easier to work for. In this case, you do not risk getting tax recalculation under the general taxation system.

Responsibility for violation of trading rules

Here is a list of the most common violations in the field of trade, indicating the size of possible sanctions.

Violation	Sanctions	Article of the Code of Administrative Offenses
Failure to submit a notice	from 10 to 20 thousand rubles. for organizations from 3 to 5 thousand rubles. for managers and entrepreneurs
Submission of a notification with false information	from 5 to 10 thousand rubles. for managers and entrepreneurs
Lack of a consumer corner in a retail store and other violations of the Trade Rules	from 10 to 30 thousand rubles. for organizations from 1 to 3 thousand rubles. for managers and entrepreneurs
Lack of a license for a licensed activity	from 40 to 50 thousand rubles. for organizations confiscation of products, production tools and raw materials is additionally allowed
Violation of license requirements	warning or fine
Gross violation of license requirements	from 40 to 50 thousand rubles. for organizations or suspension of activities up to 90 days from 4 to 5 thousand rubles. for managers and entrepreneurs
Sale of goods of inadequate quality or in violation of legal requirements	from 20 to 30 thousand rubles. for organizations from 10 to 20 thousand rubles. for IP from 3 to 10 thousand rubles. for the head
Sale of goods without , in cases where it is mandatory	from 3/4 to the full amount of the calculation, but not less than 30 thousand rubles. for organizations from 1/4 to 1/2 of the settlement amount, but not less than 10 thousand rubles. for managers and entrepreneurs
Sale of goods without specifying the mandatory information about the manufacturer (performer, seller)	from 30 to 40 thousand rubles. for organizations from 3 to 4 thousand rubles. for managers and entrepreneurs
Measuring, weighing, calculating or otherwise deceiving consumers when selling goods	from 20 to 50 thousand rubles. for organizations from 10 to 30 thousand rubles. for managers and entrepreneurs
Misleading consumers about the consumer properties or quality of goods for the purpose of marketing	from 100 to 500 thousand rubles. for organizations
Illegal use of someone else's trademark, service mark, appellation of origin	from 50 to 200 thousand rubles. for organizations from 12 to 20 thousand rubles. for managers and entrepreneurs
Sale of goods containing illegal reproduction of someone else's trademark, service mark, appellation of origin	from 100 thousand rubles for organizations from 50 thousand rubles for managers and entrepreneurs with confiscation of trade items of materials and equipment used for their production

The Nature and Importance of Retail

Types of retail trade enterprises

Relative attention to prices

Character commercial premises

Store affiliation

Retailer Marketing Solutions

Story retail

Specificity retail

Interesting Facts

Retail— sale of goods to the final purchaser (individual).

Retail — trade goods individually or in small quantities for personal, non-commercial use by the end consumer.

Retail - trade goods and providing services to customers for personal, family, home use not related to business activities. Retail - The final stage distribution channel.

Retail- any activity for the sale of goods or services directly to final consumers for their personal non-commercial use.

Retail- the scope of business activities for the sale of goods or services on the basis of oral or written sales contracts directly to final contracts for their personal non-commercial use.

The Nature and Importance of Retail

Owing to the fact that salesman does not have the legal right and the factual ability to reliably determine the purpose for which buyer buys from him product(for personal non-commercial use or, for example, for sale in spontaneous markets), the specified definition of retail, in the opinion of the author, does not fully reveal its economic essence.

Based on the requirements of the current legislation in the field of patents, retail trade means trade for cash (although for cash goods can be purchased by entities economic activity and for resale). Note that such an understanding is also imperfect, since, according to Instruction No. 389, the retail turnover should include, for example, price sold by non-cash payment food products in the order of small wholesale by a separate health care institution, social security and education.

So, in the future, retail trade will be understood as the implementation by a business entity of operations that, according to Instruction No. 389, are included in retail turnover, for example, the sale of goods on a loan with an installment payment for cash, the sale of gift assortment goods for the holidays and for New Year's gifts to children With payment by bank transfer.

The largest retail companies- These are, first of all, chains of department stores with a mixed assortment and chains of supermarkets.

Whether selling to one of the social classes or to the mass market, over the years retailers merchants learned the idea that they operate in a rapidly changing environment. Yesterday's retail formulas may not work today, and they certainly won't work tomorrow.

The modern retailer needs to be on the lookout for signs of change and be prepared to refocus their strategy - sooner rather than later. However, the decision made to change the strategy is not so easy to implement.

A large retailer is often tied to its own political agenda, which management considers "common sense." And besides, he is tied to his own public image, which is stored in the mind consumers long after the store itself had already changed.

A lot of retail and small "family" shops. Small retail establishments play an important role for several reasons:

They often develop new forms of retailing, which are later adopted by large stores.

They are more convenient for the purchaser, since they are found almost everywhere.

They are often more flexible and provide a more personalized service to the purchaser.

They give buyers the opportunity to feel like the masters of the situation.

The purpose of retail is to meet the diverse needs of customers.

The merchant is the link between the producer and the consumer. His task is to buy in bulk the best-selling goods from different places and from different suppliers, and then sell them with an income for himself.

The experience of developed countries market economy indicates that over time retailing falls under a number of large trading companies. Despite the fact that less than half of all retail outlets are in the hands of these companies, at the same time they account for more than 2/3 of the total retail turnover.

Therefore, in the struggle for buyers, small enterprises Retailers have to work hard.

The dominant position in the market is occupied, not by the seller.

The effectiveness of the retailer is ultimately determined by careful consideration of all the details of trading activities.

In the Russian Federation, retail trade is currently the main type of commercial activity for many Russians. In conditions of commodity shortage, the role of the retailer is extremely simplified.

However, as the consumer market various types goods in the course of economic transformations in Russian Federation the petty trader will have to work hard to win his place in the sun.

This can be achieved if you thoroughly study your market and best meet the needs of your customers.

Retail trade is the most important branch of economic activity. Main indicator work trade enterprises is retail turnover. In the retail trade, the circulation of goods ends and they move into the sphere of personal consumption. Retail trade is the sale of goods directly to the public for personal consumption. Retail trade is subdivided according to the forms of ownership into state, collective, joint, private, mixed.

Unlike wholesale, a product purchased in a retail system is not subject to further resale (according to the current legislation, paragraph 1 of Article 492 Civil Code Russia), but intended for direct use.

The relationship between the seller and the buyer in the retail system is regulated by a special law. In Russia, it is about consumer protection.

Subjects process retail trade - seller and buyer. An indispensable attribute of retail is a cash register and cash register. Retail trade includes the sale of goods through vending machines.

There is a notion of format retail store. This is a set of characteristics inherent in any type of store. These characteristics are:

Sales floor area

Number of commodity items

Customer service level

Product placement technology.

There are the following retail trading formats:

Discounter

convenience store

Supermarket

Hypermarket

supermarket

Department store

Trading can be a powerful tool foreign policy. To this day, the ability to trade greatly affects the power of the state. If we compare retail as industry economy, for example, with ferrous metallurgy, then retail trade has undeniable advantages: it does not pollute environment, does not require raw materials for reproduction.

What is retail? Everyone knows that Sears is company retail. But what about the Avon lady knocking on the door, the contractor offering house repair services over the telephone, the doctor visiting patients, the hotel advertising low-rate weekend getaways? Yes, they are all retailers. We define retail as follows:

Any establishment that does this is in the retail business. And it doesn’t matter at all how exactly goods or services are sold (using the personal selling, by mail, by telephone set or through a vending machine) and where exactly they are sold (in a store, on the street or at the home of the purchaser).

Retail is one of the largest industries activities in the United States. Retail stores account for approximately 25% of all commercial enterprises USA and is the third largest source employment V country with a staff of workers and employees of almost 16 million people. The structure of retail trade includes over 1.5 million single-point and more than 340 thousand multi-point trading establishments, the total volume of trade of which in 1981 amounted to 1,038,000,000 thousand dollars.2

Who are the largest retailers countries? In 1981, the top ten retailers were corporations Sears Roebuck with a turnover of $27.3 billion, Safeway Stores (16.5), K-Mart (16.6), J. K. "(11.8)," Kroger "(11.2)," F. W. Woolworth (7.2), American Stores (7.1), Lucky Stores (7.2), Federated Department Stores (7.0) and A&P (6.8 billion dollars)3. The largest retail organizations- these are, first of all, chains of department stores with a mixed assortment and chains of supermarkets.

Whether selling to one of the social classes or to the mass market, over the years retailers have internalized the idea that they operate in a rapidly changing environment. Yesterday's retail formulas may not work today, and they certainly won't work tomorrow. Where did the W.T. Grant, one of the nation's oldest and largest haberdashery chains, and Food Fair, the eighth largest supermarket chain? They went bankrupt. What happened to the great A&P network? “Formerly regarded as almost a monopolistic colossus, the arbiter of petty competitors and the target of fighters against trusts, now the A&P network has become like a battered toothless lion”4. And what happened to Montgomery Ward, the fourth largest general store chain? She is busy looking for a strategy to revive her former glory. Even corporations Sears is not all right.

Retail specifics. What kind of goods to sell. What types of services can be offered. Creating a favorable atmosphere in the store. Competition.

RETAIL

The purpose of retail is to meet the diverse needs of customers.

The merchant is the link between the producer and the consumer. His task is to buy in bulk the best-selling goods from different places and from different suppliers, and then sell them for a profit.

The experience of countries with developed market economies indicates that, over time, retail trade falls under the control of a number of large trading companies.

Despite the fact that less than half of all retail outlets are in the hands of these companies, at the same time they account for more than 2/3 of the total retail turnover.

Therefore, in the struggle for buyers, small retailers have to make a lot of effort.

The dominant position in the market is occupied by the buyer, not the seller.

The effectiveness of the retailer is ultimately determined by careful consideration of all the details of trading activities.

In Russia, retail is currently the main type of commercial activity for many Russians. In conditions of commodity shortage, the role of the retailer is extremely simplified.

However, as the consumer market becomes saturated with various types of goods during the economic transformation in Russia, the small trader will have to work hard to win his place in the sun.

This can be achieved if you thoroughly study your market and meet the needs of your customers to the maximum extent possible.

Remember that in any kind of business there will always be a place for a “small trader”.

1. Specificity of retail trade

It is widely believed that retail trade means high turnover and low prices. This in to no small extent promoted by large trading companies seeking to reduce the price of goods by reducing the number of services offered to their customers.

The small trader is not able to seriously compete with the big ones. trading companies. However, he can find a small niche in the market and fill it.

It has three notable benefits:

speed, because in order to make a decision, it is not necessary to coordinate all issues with management each time;

specialization, because he knows exactly which goods are in high demand and which are not;

quality of service, because he knows exactly what types of services customers need and provides them.

Large firms do not have the advantages noted above, so if you plan to go into retail, use them to the maximum extent to increase your income.

If you want to be successful in business, you need to have a clear idea of ​​the circle of your potential customers - where they are and who they are. You must be sure that buyers will come to you, and not to your competitors.

For this you need:

sell products that your customers need;

provide services that your customers need;

create a positive atmosphere in the store.

Try to answer the questions below.

What do you trade?

Can you describe your customers?

What types of services matter to them?

For a better understanding of this issue, you can read the brochure titled "Identifying Your Potential Customers" from the first part of the "Marketing" block of this curriculum.

2. What kinds of goods to sell

The products that you are going to offer to your customers must be in demand. This is so obvious that, at first glance, it is not even worth talking about it. However, many stores are filled with these types of products that are just wasting space on the shelves. We are talking about stocks of those types of goods that have not been in demand for a long time.

In this regard, first of all, it is necessary to deal with your inventory and check the records related to the sale of goods. If any goods do not find a market for six months, try to get rid of them.

You can:

sell them at discounted prices;

implement them in a sales promotion campaign.

Storage of "lying" commodity stocks increases the expenditure side of the budget of your enterprise.

Therefore, in order to avoid the accumulation of large stocks, do not hot goods constantly monitor market conditions, switch to trading in new, in-demand goods.

Then you will always keep up with the requests of your customers, offering them new models and samples, sometimes even anticipating their needs.

If you find out that somewhere they have launched new high-quality hot products, try to buy some of these products, or maybe the whole batch in bulk. So you get a unique opportunity to get ahead of your competitors. You may be able to sell these products under your trademark as your own branded product.

You can go the other way. To do this, the main thing is to find the best supplier of the goods you need. It is possible to establish small-scale wholesale and retail trade from a warehouse for cash without delivery of goods to customers. This form of trading will allow you to reduce prices as much as possible and, as a result, gain an advantage over your competitors, of course, on the condition that you will be supplied with the most popular goods.

In addition, you can get the right to trade using the trademark of some well-known company such as Union or Sinti.

Do you have inventory? Review your notes and try to answer the questions below.

What products do not find sales within six months?

What products are in high demand?

Do you have sufficient stocks of these goods?

What types of goods do you not consider it necessary to stock? Why?

What new products can be profitable?

Are there any local products that you should sell?

3. What types of services can be offered

One of the types of services you offer may be the delivery of goods to customers. Of course, this requires certain costs, but some customers need this kind of service, and they are willing to pay for it.

Another type of possible service on your part is providing the necessary consulting assistance to your customers related to the use of goods purchased from you: food, freezers, furniture, etc.

Some buyers, of course, would be satisfied with the exchange of an old thing for a new one with partial monetary compensation for the residual value of the used goods. Often the readiness of your customers to make a purchase of some new product depends on this. It is possible that you will have to deal not only with new, but also with used goods. At the very least, you should be prepared to pick up the old item from your client.

Another possible view services - sale goods on credit. In Russian conditions, this type of service is likely to attract a large number of buyers.

In addition, you can demonstrate the operational properties and features of the use of the products you offer, and in some cases (for example, this applies to food) - give your product for testing.

Now try to answer the following questions, taking into account the characteristics of your business.

What could you offer your clients?

exchanging an old thing for a new one

counseling

service

demonstration of product properties product samples

Financial services

goods delivery

other types of services

What additional or related services would you like to offer your clients?

4. Creating a favorable atmosphere in the store

Having determined the circle of potential buyers, it is necessary to think about creating a favorable atmosphere in the store, conducive to making a purchase.

There are two opposite types of buyers.

Some customers come to the store, hoping to quickly buy the thing they need. In this case, everything in the store should be arranged in such a way as to simplify and speed up the buying process as much as possible. An important role is played by the correct, convenient layout of goods. They should be grouped according to their functional purpose (for example: perfumes, creams, deodorants, lotions, etc. should lie separately, and not mixed with other products such as electric shavers, towels, bathrobes, etc.). You need to use bright, noticeable product indicators. The interior and interior design of the store should also be juicy and bright. Sales staff should be active, cheerful and optimistic. With regard to this type of buyers, measures aimed at stimulating sales can have a good effect.

Another type of buyer is represented by those people who are not in a hurry and can walk around the store for a long time, choosing the goods that interest them. In this case, everything in the store should be arranged a little differently.

In any case, the goods should be displayed in a very convenient way for the buyer, but the order of their layout should be less strict. Product indicators may be less bright. The interior and interior design of the store should be designed in soft, calm colors. Sales personnel should behave confidently, with dignity and with sufficient restraint.

Probably, in this case, you need to strive for the "golden mean". Try to identify what guides your customers when making a purchase, and take this into account in the business process of your store, as well as in the organization of your sales staff.

How should your store be set up?

Everything will be determined by what type of buyer it will be aimed at: a quick, targeted purchase or a leisurely choice of the product you like.

This will depend on:

general atmosphere in the store;

the situation inside the store;

types of goods offered and their layout;

your trade policy.

Maybe you will stop at self-service. In this case, the buyer should be able to easily and freely move around the store and quickly find the goods he needs.

In addition, you will have to make some allowance for damage and theft of a certain number of goods displayed in the store.

If you intend to sell small, but rather expensive goods (for example, jewelry), they should be conveniently displayed and clearly visible, but out of reach for buyers. In this regard, you will need to use a lot of space on the shelves to demonstrate the goods you offer.

In addition, you will likely need space to display small billboards with product samples, flyers, banners, photographs, etc. to encourage your visitors to make spontaneous purchases.

It may need some certain place to demonstrate the operational properties and features of the use of goods, distribute samples, as well as to try on goods (clothes, shoes) and taste them (if we are talking about about food).

In short, your premises should attract visitors and give them hope for a profitable purchase of necessary and joyful goods.

If you managed to get a client into the store, in this case it is the turn of the sales staff to show their professional skills. You must be one hundred percent sure that your salespeople are well trained.

They are required to:

know all the goods;

answer any questions from buyers;

know all the nuances of your trade policy, including the possibility of selling goods on credit, exchanging an old item for a new one, delivering goods to customers, etc.

Perhaps the most important thing is their attitude towards customers. No matter how much anxiety and trouble a client brings, the seller must show with all his appearance that for him this buyer is the most desirable in the world!

If you do not yet have your own utility room, think about how big it should be. If you are already in retail, consider whether you are using your retail space efficiently enough?

Try to draw on a sheet of paper a plan of your store on a reduced scale.

Cut out a few squares of paper in the same scale, which will represent the various elements of the interior of your store that are on the floor.

This is about:

counters;

baskets for goods;

fitting rooms;

warehouse premises;

place of registration of delivery of goods;

places for displaying samples of goods.

Move these squares around the sheet of paper until you find the best option for their placement. Be sure to leave space for yourself, sales staff and customers.

After that, you can try to make such an arrangement directly in the store and see how convenient and practical it is.

Until you do the work described above, you should not buy retail store equipment if you are not yet a retailer.

First, find the best option for placing all the necessary elements of your retail interior on paper, and then proceed to its practical implementation.

It may take a long time, but it is better to make all the necessary corrections at the preparatory stage, rather than change something in the course of your business activities, when all the shop equipment and various fixtures are finally placed.

5. Competition

Now it's time to think about competition.

Which store or stores are you competing with?

The answer to this question is necessary in order to "highlight" your store and make it more attractive to potential buyers. We have already talked about how everything should be arranged inside the store. However, we should not forget about the great importance of the appearance of the store. It should attract visitors. And then the favorable internal atmosphere created by you and the professionalism of your sales staff should say their weighty word. You need to try to make sure that the visitor simply could not leave your store without a purchase.

In order to beat your competitors, you need to know what products they sell and at what prices, what special offers they make.

Make a list of your competitors. Visit them and pay attention to the following points:

appearance;

window dressing;

interior design of the store;

store layout;

use of product indexes;

behavior of the sales staff;

types of goods and their layout;

price level;

the number of customers in the store.

6. External design of the store

You must draw the attention of buyers to the goods or services you offer. Otherwise, potential buyers will turn to your direct competitors.

You can attract customers with the help of an appropriate demonstration effect, a good external design of the store.

Of course, the most powerful means of external influence is a shop window. Do not forget also about the appropriate interior design:

counters;

various fixtures.

The whole setting should attract attention. If it is possible to give it even a little movement, even better. Moving objects immediately catch the eye. This may be some kind of electromechanical device such as swinging balls, showing a video cassette, demonstrating samples of goods offered by your employees, etc.

However, you should know the measure in everything. This is especially true for window dressing. You don't have to showcase all of your products. Limit yourself to a relatively small number of items. A transparent showcase, on which the main product is displayed, is the best way to attract the attention of passers-by, forcing them to involuntarily slow down and stare at the samples of goods displayed in the window. This is the most The best way arouse the interest of passers-by.

From time to time (for example, once a month) change your advertising inscriptions. For example: "Genuine leather shoes from Italy", "Furniture from Finland", "The best canned meat from Denmark", etc. It can be anything that is directly related to the goods you offer.

If passers-by have looked at you, then the interior should impress them even more. It can either harmonize or contrast with appearance your store. She must finally endear herself to the client.

Surely many suppliers of goods will be able to supply you with various materials advertising these goods, for example:

leaflets;

window stickers;

shields in full human growth.

What is the best way to set up a shop? What are you offering? Something has already been said about this, but you may have your own original ideas. Don't forget about the high efficiency of seasonal storefront updates.

Try to describe your future store in detail. This will also help you determine how much space you need for its exterior design.

7. Advertising

You must be sure that buyers know about the existence of your store. They need to be attracted to something. This requires advertising.

You must determine what your store better stores competitors. It could be, for example:

a wider range of products;

speed and quality of service;

various additional services, including telephone orders, delivery of goods to customers, sale of goods on credit, etc.;

convenient location for your store.

Your customers should be aware of all this.

It may be best to regularly - for example, once every two months - post your promotional materials in the mailboxes of nearby houses. This may be, for example, an advertising brochure describing the products you offer and their application.

In this way, you will be able to report on the activities of your store, and residents of neighboring houses will know that they can buy just what they need from you.

If you are working using any well-known trademark, You can count on strong advertising support from the parent company of this well-known company.

Such large trading companies systematically conduct advertising campaigns throughout the country, reminding them of their existence and informing about upcoming special events aimed at sales promotion.

Maybe sometimes it is worth taking part in various exhibitions and some local events. In the event that the goods you offer arouse a certain interest and are distinguished by some originality, be sure to take part in the exhibition. Try to save the names and addresses of visitors to your stand. They can add to the list of clients to whom you will send your advertising brochures.

Is it possible in any way to link your store's advertising to a local or even a national event such as the Russian football championship or another sport, a theater performance or concert, a beauty contest, a flower show, etc.?

Is there any billboard near your store? If yes, can you use it?

Which manufacturing companies could you count on for support in carrying out your advertising campaign?

If yes, what would you pay special attention to?

Are there any exhibitions in your region, in which you could also take part?

If so, what kind of products would you like to showcase?

The answers to these questions will help you plan your advertising campaign.

8. Measures aimed at regulating marketing

During the year, manufacturing firms hold many special events aimed at sales promotion. The purpose of these events is to draw the attention of buyers to the goods they produce.

For a limited period of time, manufacturers can reduce the prices of their goods. Since the producers bear the burden of costs in this case, you can safely participate in such events. In any case, your competitors will not fail to take advantage of the opportunity presented to them to reduce prices.

When it comes to the sale of expensive goods, in this case, manufacturers can offer something for free as a gift. So, for example, when buying a VCR, you may be presented with several blank video cassettes.

Another possible option is a free service for a certain period of time (for example, for a year). In this case, of course, your participation will also be required. As a rule, the manufacturer is ready to compensate you for all costs associated with free service buyers.

You can also make the appropriate commercial offers. So, for example, small manufacturing firms often offer fairly cheap goods.

You can, of course, find other suppliers of these types of goods that you could offer your visitors at relatively low prices. Having included your commercial interest in the selling price, you can carry out sales promotion activities with peace of mind. These types of special offers on your part may be of particular interest to customers.

Now let's think about what sales promotion activities you could do, and with whom.

What special commercial offers could you make to your visitors?

How much profit do you make from sales?

How much of the resulting profit could you spend on special offers?

What kind of “suggestions” could you make?

What types of goods could you sell at discounted prices?

9. Maintaining a high reputation of your enterprise in the eyes of the public

The most valuable thing any entrepreneur has is his business reputation. This makes customers contact you again and again, as well as recommend you to all their relatives, friends and acquaintances.

The business reputation of a retail entrepreneur is based on:

reliability and good quality of the offered goods;

willingness to answer any question of the buyer;

high quality service.

In other words, you must provide your customers with everything that you would like to receive yourself by buying some product.

As you can see, the creation business reputation business starts with you and your staff.

You can maintain a high reputation of your enterprise in the eyes of the public with the help of articles in the press. In this case, we are not talking about paid advertisements, but about materials specially prepared by the newspaper's employees that may arouse interest among readers.

Is it possible, in your opinion, to prepare a special material for some local newspaper, which will tell about the economic activities of your company, the goods you offer, your regular customers, etc.? Local newspapers always need such topics.

Try to remind the public about yourself as often as possible by talking about your enterprise in the local press. This will help to create a reliable business reputation for your company.

10. Summing up

All small retailers must compete with the big retailers for their market share. Don't be disheartened. Remember that small firms can win a decent market share from large trading companies.

They can offer their customers such a wide range of additional types of services that large trading companies never dreamed of. If this suits you, you can bet on the variety and high quality of the services offered to customers.

Try to sell products that are in steady demand from buyers. In addition to the main products, you can sell various non-core and related types of products.

Your trumps are speed, convenience, high quality of service. Clients need an individual approach. They want the purchased goods to be delivered to them without delay. All this you can provide them with. And your abilities are far from exhausted by this.

You can bring real joy to the buyer. It is on this that the success of your trading activity depends.

Bibliography

For the preparation of this work, materials from the site http://www.dist-cons.ru/ were used.

Retail is production activities for the sale of goods or services to the end consumer for their personal non-commercial use.

Retail Functions:

· due to the large number of retailers, the needs of the end customer are met at the place of his residence or work.

At the same time, large volumes of deliveries from the supplier are divided into small portions of goods that correspond to the desires and needs of the end buyer;

· through retail trade, the manufacturer receives information about the demand for goods, being the most sensitive indicator of the regulation of production volumes;

through retail trade, new markets are being developed and new products are being promoted;

Classification of retail trade enterprises according to the level of service.

Self-service stores do not have salespeople on the sales floor. Buyers independently select goods and deliver them to the settlement and cash center. Here, as a rule, goods are sold daily demand familiar to buyers. The amount of information that is available on the packaging and the price tag is sufficient for buyers. This form of trade organization allows to reduce trade costs and, if necessary, to set lower prices for goods.

In stores with a free selection of goods on the trading floor, there is a seller who can be contacted for help and get the necessary information. For example, where did this product come from, whether this or that product is available, what is the principle of operation of a technically complex product, etc. These stores usually sell durable goods (furniture, household appliances, electronics, etc.).

Full service stores sell expensive personalized items (fashion items, jewelry, paintings, etc.). The seller is called upon to be a consultant to the buyer, creating comfortable conditions for him.

Shops that have a small sales area selling through the counter. The buyer, in order to touch and take a closer look at the goods he has chosen, must ask the seller, who delivers the goods to the buyer "from hand to hand". This service method is used when selling any small-sized goods.

Classification of retailers depending on the product range. The product assortment of a retail enterprise differs in its structure from the assortment wholesale company, namely by the fact that it can combine different groups of goods (food, electronics, furniture, household chemicals, watches, etc.), while, as noted above, wholesalers have, to one degree or another, specialization.

The following types of retailers can be distinguished:

Specialty stores offering a narrow but rich assortment that can satisfy the specific needs of the buyer. The assortment structure can be aimed both at a wide offer of different options for one type of product (shops selling bicycles, tennis equipment, jeans, etc.), and at meeting the needs of a narrow segment of consumers (a store for newborns, a clothing store for tall people etc.).

Department stores offer a wide range, primarily of non-food items. Located in prestigious places of the city, department stores attract a large number of buyers. In general, department stores are characterized by an average level of service with medium and high prices for goods. To increase turnover, department stores are developing grocery stores and are also leasing part of their retail space to independent retailers.

Universal grocery stores (supermarkets, supermarkets, hypermarkets) differ in the breadth of assortment and the area of ​​the trading floor.

However, according to the Western concepts of a supermarket, a hypermarket, in addition to the usual distinguishing features (the breadth of the assortment, the area of ​​​​the trading floor), there are also common characteristics for them:

main share of the assortment

· foodstuffs and a limited range of non-food items;

main form of service

self-service, except for the sale of fish, meat, bakery, confectionery (cakes) products;

developed system additional services;

condition for cars.

Let's take a closer look at each of the types of department stores.

Supermarket - a universal self-service store with a sales area of ​​800-1200 m2. This name is used in domestic trade, while in the West there is a broader concept of a supermarket.

Supermarket - a self-service general store with a trading floor area from 400 m2 to 2500 m2 (in the USA supermarkets can have an area of ​​up to 4000 m2). The product range of supermarkets is 5-30 thousand items and varies greatly in its structural content.

To maintain a high turnover by attracting regular customers, supermarkets offer a wide range of additional services, even not always related to the main profile of the supermarket. Many Western supermarkets have culinary departments, cafeterias, pharmacy and flower kiosks, shoe and watch repair shops, and currency exchange. On average, each type of activity gives an additional turnover of 2-6%. Russian supermarkets (supermarkets) are engaged in a similar diversification activity in order to withstand fierce competition from a developed network of street vendors.

A hypermarket is a giant supermarket in terms of selling space. Hypermarkets have a trading floor area from 10 thousand m2 to 2500 m2. The product range can consist of 50-100 thousand items. The main principles when creating a hypermarket are:

Relatively low prices

Extended work schedule

comfortable transport connection;

a large parking lot;

organization of trade on the principle of self-service.

Hypermarkets are popular not only due to low

prices for goods, but also the opportunity to make a complex purchase of products

food for the whole week. Many shoppers who enjoy the shopping experience enjoy the large selection that such a store has.

Large department stores have high costs associated with inventory management, assortment optimization, payment utilities. Therefore, many of the supermarkets and hypermarkets are experiencing financial problems. To increase profitability, supermarkets create trade and production associations of several stores to implement a single purchasing policy, refusing the services of independent wholesalers. Some retail chains organize the production of goods under their own brand. The average profit margin of a Western high-value supermarket is 1-3%.

Consumer goods stores are focused on the mass buyer, they have a small sales area, so they sell goods, as a rule, through the counter. Geographically, they are located as close as possible to crowded places (near the subway, transport stops, gas stations) or directly in residential areas.

A combined universal shopping complex includes different, unrelated groups of goods (for example, household appliances, furniture, food, medical goods etc.). in this case, the structure of trade turnover is of a random nature - in contrast to a department store (non-food products predominate) or a supermarket (food products predominate). If a shopping complex belongs to one owner, then sometimes it is called a trading house. Legally, the concept of "trading house" in Russia is not defined, therefore, wholesale trade and production may be included in its structure.

Classification of retail trade enterprises by the level of retail prices.

Discount stores have several varieties:

a) Discount stores that sell a limited assortment that does not require large expenses for display and pre-sale preparation. Many goods are exhibited on pallets and in the container in which they arrived from the manufacturer. The interior of this store is extremely simple. The size of the trading floor is about 300-400 m2. Price discount is 10-20%

b) "Cash & Carry" - a small wholesale or retail warehouse store intended for small resellers. And also for those individual buyers who prefer to buy goods for the future, while saving significant amounts. Low prices for the offered goods are not only the result of the pricing policy, but also the result of obtaining "cash & carry" - a combination of a warehouse and a trading floor in one room, which allows better use of the volume and area of ​​​​the working room.

Discount trade - the sale of goods at a discount to the owners of special discount cards, which can be registered and bearer. Discount cards can be issued for individual purchases in a retail store, as well as for small-scale purchases from a large wholesaler by smaller firms.

The financial scheme for working with discount cards is set by the seller himself: a certain advance amount can be taken, or only the cost of manufacturing the card itself (3-5 USD) can be paid. The system of discounts when buying with a discount card depends on the cost of the purchase, the amount of the advance payment. Sometimes discounts are transferred to a special savings (cumulative) account for subsequent purchases. The size of the discount retail discount is 3-10%, and wholesale - 1-3%.

Stores that sell quality goods at discount prices survive if they are part of a chain of at least 10 similar businesses. The assortment is based on high-turnover food products that do not require special maintenance. Due to the combination of low prices and high turnover, the required profit from the activities of such stores is obtained.

Trade in non-new non-food products is carried out through commission stores. The owner of the goods, who handed it over to the store, receives a predetermined percentage of its value after the sale. The cost of goods is set with the consent of the owner of the goods. Very cheap goods (clothing) can be sold through the second-hand system.

Low prices for ordinary goods are offered by the street trading system. Street trading is carried out by installing chests, containers, tents, trays. Sometimes the sale of goods is made from vans and carts. Due to the maximum savings in trading costs, setting low prices, it is possible to achieve a significant turnover. To attract more buyers, the street trading system is combined into large small wholesale and retail markets.

Fashion stores (boutiques), as a rule, clothes, on the contrary, have high prices and rely on a narrow segment of wealthy people. The turnover of such stores is relatively low, but the profit is achieved by a large trade margin. Once a product has ceased to be fashionable, its price decreases. Special discounts are used to stimulate.

Firm trade is guided by the manufacturer only with its products under its own brand. These stores charge lower prices than the same product found in other non-branded stores. In company stores, counterfeiting is excluded, since there are no supplies from independent intermediaries.

Classification of retail trade enterprises according to the form of service.

The traditional form of service, when the buyer comes to the store, directly selects the product and immediately pays for it. The main disadvantages of this form of trade are the large time costs, and in some cases the lack of goods or goods of a specific manufacturer that the buyer needs. For many buyers who live far from major cities, in general is actual problem search and purchase of many goods.

In this regard, other non-traditional forms of trade have become widespread, especially goods with a low turnover, which are not very attractive for ordinary trade.

Trade with the order of goods by mail.

The organization of work with the buyer is as follows. Information about a particular product is communicated to the buyer in various ways. For example, important clients catalogs are sent - free of charge or as a prize, gift or for a small cost. The buyer sends an application for the purchase of it through the post office. Payment is made in advance or at the time of receipt of the goods by mail. There may also be catalogs for ordering the necessary goods. The list of goods, and if necessary, their photographs, the seller places in newspapers, magazines, he distributes letters, leaflets, brochures to the mailboxes of the apartments. By using mail delivery goods are sold books, audio, video cassettes, simple electrical appliances, etc.

Selling goods by phone is carried out with the help of active outgoing calls and subsequent oral presentation of the goods. If the buyer agrees, the goods can be delivered to his home or an order can be left for him in the store.

When selling goods by phone, you should be aware of possible restrictions or direct prohibitions on making commercial calls to individuals. Sale by phone to the enterprise can be made in the form of oral offers with the subsequent sending of the offer by fax.

Given the limited possibilities of telephone sales (20-40 calls can be made per day), the calculation is made on the formation of a circle of regular customers, which is determined pricing policy, level of service and quality of goods.

Selling commodities such as cigarettes through vending machines, soft drinks, sandwiches, chewing gums, etc. Vending machines are installed at railway stations, in the subway, at petrol stations. Convenience for buyers is their round-the-clock work, which is especially important at night. The disadvantages of selling through vending machines are high maintenance costs, breakdowns, and theft. This leads to the fact that the prices of goods sold with vending machines, 15-20% higher than usual.

Trading through electronic channels has several varieties, but is carried out one way or another using a computer network. This includes selling via the Internet and e-mail.

The organization of trade through electronic channels is not fundamentally different from selling by telephone (in terms of the delivery of goods and the receipt of money for it). The difference is that selling by phone is active calls with a live speech of the seller, and trading through electronic channels ( computer networks) - posting information about the product offer and waiting for input passive calls or written offers from the buyer.

Trade through electronic stores is also promising. The computer program allows you to inspect the product from all sides and, if you select it, just press the button and the product automatically moves from the warehouse to the buyer. According to this scheme, goods can be selected using a home computer.

Trade with the delivery of goods to your home or office.

In this case, the emphasis is on the realization of the needs of some buyers - to free their time from searching for the right goods and get them directly without leaving home. Payment for goods is made at home, after the buyer checks them for quality and weight. The rights of buyers stipulated in the relevant normative documents RF, allow him to return or refuse low-quality goods. Price policy supplier enterprise may be such that delivery is free of charge or paid in excess of the cost of the goods.

The order is carried out by phone, for which the seller periodically conducts an advertising campaign, primarily by the "direct mail" method. Formation of a client base is also possible with the help of telephone marketing.

The range of goods sold with home delivery consists of food, beverages, simple household appliances, household chemicals, toiletries. Catering establishments can deliver prepared meals to your home.

The marketing strategy consists in the formation of regular customers with a continuous increase in their number. Trade with delivery can also be organized for enterprises (for their canteens, cafes, banquets, etc.).

Peddle trading, unlike the methods discussed above, does not involve a preliminary search for buyers. Traveling salesmen, i.e. sales agents carry desired goods and offer them to random people, for example, those who work in the offices of firms or even on the street. This is how cosmetics, cassettes, toys, etc. are sold.

A large role in the success of sales is given to the training of sellers in the technique of presenting goods and the personality of the seller (traveling salesman).

The sales strategy consists either in "pushing" the product (i.e. in a one-time contact with the buyer) or in establishing a long-term relationship with him, introducing a random buyer into his regular client, and even into an assistant who either selects new buyers or himself carries out commercial transactions under the direction of a traveling salesman. In turn, some of the new buyers also become sellers. Thus, a multilevel sales network. The manufacturer of a product that is sold through a multi-level network organizes marketing multi-level support.

Currently, network sales are an independent form of marketing organization. One of its principles is that the seller must also be a consumer of this product, having invested personal funds in the development of his network, in order to then make a big profit.

Catalog trade is carried out by compiling a catalog with photographs, brief description goods and their prices. Catalogs are placed in different places where buyers gather, first of all, in large trading enterprises or special bureaus. You can also buy catalogs and use them at home. After placing an order and pre-paying for it, after a certain time, the buyer can receive the goods at the warehouse or in the section of the store where the order was made. Catalog prices, as a rule, are higher than retail prices, but orders are also made for those specific goods that are not available in stores. Catalogs are also compiled for companies, for example, office supplies, building and renovation products, etc. Minicatalogues are published in newspapers and magazines.

Classification of retailers by concentration and location. Depending on the level of concentration of stores, the following options are possible:

group placement of retail outlets of approximately the same profile;

group placement of retail outlets of different profiles;

· isolated (remote) placement of a trade enterprise relative to other outlets.

The concentration of commercial enterprises in one place helps to attract a large number of buyers. However, isolated stores are located closer to where they live or work, so they are often more convenient for shoppers.

Depending on the location, there are:

central city location (in the business center of the city);

central district location (in the business center of the city district);

Peripheral location of stores;

· in microdistricts of the city remote from the city center or the centers of administrative districts.

The disadvantage of the central location is the limited space for the construction of new shopping malls, the high payment for land. Therefore, large shopping centers (supermarkets, hypermarkets) are often built in peripheral microdistricts, organizing a convenient connection with the center and other areas of the city.

One of the first and most important decisions a retailer has to make is determining the target market. What audience will the store brand target: high, medium, low income? Do buyers need the breadth and depth of the assortment or a highly specific product group? Until the target market is defined and characterized, it will be difficult for the retailer to make informed decisions on the effective management of his business: assortment policy, distribution advertising media, price level, service class, merchandising development level, etc. If this stage of business development is ignored by the merchant, then he will not be able to most fully (at the right time and in the right place) serve the needs of the audience, which, ultimately, can adversely affect the perception of the retailer's brand and customers drifting to competing store brands.

But even after identifying their target audience, retailers must periodically marketing research(monitoring of buyers, drawing up a psychological portrait, motivation for making purchases, compiling a client database) in order to most deeply satisfy the ever-changing tastes of buyers.

Assortment policy of retail commercial enterprise. The product range of a retail company must meet the expectations and perceptions of the target audience. This highly important element of the marketing policy of a retail brand is increasingly becoming key instrument fight against competing organizations. As part of the assortment policy, decisions are made on:

breadth (number of product lines) of the product range;

its depth (the number of products in one product line);

compatibility (between different product lines);

height (average price in the product line);

quality (the buyer is interested in quality no less than in the quantity of goods provided).

One of the goals of a marketing manager in retail is to form an “optimal” product range that would maximize profitability (often the product category profit per square meter in a certain period of time is used to assess the profitability of the assortment) and satisfy the needs of customers as much as possible. Decisions on the development of product lines can be aimed at eliminating assortment "holes" or, vice versa, at "thinning" an overly wide assortment, upgrading product lines (adaptation to new technical, environmental, aesthetic and other requirements).

However, the real test for the retailer begins after the optimal range and quality of the products offered have been determined. In addition to the fact that there are competitors with similar assortment policies, the retailer must choose the sources of supply, policies and methods of purchase.

Every week, manufacturers offer hundreds of new products, of which more than half are rejected by stores. When purchasing one new name, the retailer must refuse to sell another (for example, a product with poor sales dynamics or a large number of claims received for it), since the store's selling space is not unlimited and each additional meter is too expensive.

The most important criteria for selecting brands for a retailer are evidence of the potential profitability of the product, future plans for advertising support and sales promotion, and that the product will be accepted by the consumer.

In general, it can be said that retailers are constantly improving their assortment/purchasing skills. They use various methods of demand forecasting, brand selection, inventory control, sales and storage space, presentation and display of goods, which allow them to adapt to the ever-changing needs of customers with maximum flexibility.

The formation of an assortment of goods in retail trade enterprises is a complex process based on taking into account the action of many factors. These factors can be divided into general (not dependent on the specific operating conditions of a trade enterprise) and specific (reflecting the specific operating conditions of a given trade enterprise).

TO common factors include consumer demand and the production of goods. Specific factors include the type and size of the store, its technical equipment, conditions of supply, the number and composition of the population served, transport conditions (presence of paved roads, public transport stops, etc.), the presence of other retail trade enterprises in the area of ​​activity of this shop.

Consumer demand acts as the main factor influencing the formation of the assortment. When forming the assortment of food products in retail trade enterprises, some features of the demand for food products should be taken into account. Thus, the demand for food products, compared with the demand for non-food products, has a high degree of stability, and in some cases - a certain conservatism. The consumer gets used to certain types of products (bread, cheese, confectionery, etc.), so it is important to achieve stability in the formation of the range of such products, ensuring their uninterrupted sale.

When forming the range of food products, it is necessary to take into account the factor of their interchangeability. In the absence of the desired product on sale, the buyer, as a rule, does not postpone the purchase, but looks for a replacement for it. This is especially true for goods of one group, but there is also intergroup interchangeability: meat can be replaced with fish, potatoes with cereals, pasta, etc.

In addition, the demand for food products is complex, i.e. at the same time, products are purchased that complement each other (meat, fats, vegetables; bread, milk; tea, sugar, etc.).

Consumer demand for goods of a simple and complex assortment also has its own peculiarities. So, for goods of a simple assortment, which have an insignificant number of varieties, the demand is mainly specific, firmly formulated and does not allow replacement of these goods. On the contrary, when buying goods of a complex assortment, numbering tens and hundreds of varieties, their wide interchangeability is allowed in demand.

Many food products can be maximally prepared for consumption in the form of semi-finished products, concentrates, and culinary products under production conditions. With the modern rhythm of life, the demand for these products is constantly growing.

The demand and consumption of many goods, especially foodstuffs, is influenced by the seasonality of their production (dairy products, meat, vegetables, fruits, etc.). As a result, their consumption is uneven throughout the year and demand is switched to goods that replace them.

For example, in winter period the demand for canned vegetables and fruits is increasing; in summer, with an abundance of vegetables, berries and fruits, sales of cereals and pasta etc. The problem of smoothing seasonality in consumption food products is solved by creating seasonal stocks of relevant goods.

Demand is also influenced by the following social and economic factors:

the amount of monetary income of the population, its number, social,

professional and gender and age composition;

level of retail prices and their ratios;

the activities of enterprises Catering;

the volume of imports of products from other regions;

geographical and climatic features of the population;

national and historical features of the area, etc.

When forming the range, it is also necessary to take into account the nature of the demand.

Distinguish demand steady, alternative and impulsive.

A stable or firmly formulated demand is presented for a certain product and does not allow its replacement by any other, even homogeneous product. Demand for many food products is characterized by a high degree of sustainability.

Alternative (unstable) demand is finally formed in the store in the process of familiarizing customers with the product and allows for the interchangeability of goods. Alternative products include, for example, confectionery, shoes, clothes, etc.

Impulse demand arises under the influence of advertising, display of goods, offers of the seller. This is the demand most often for little-known or unknown goods. Impulsive demand is often caused by the presence of new products in the product range in stores.

An essential factor in the formation of the range is the price of goods. The buyer most often necessarily determines the marginal price for himself. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure a combination of a range of goods with different costs.

The formation of the assortment of goods in stores, taking into account the above factors, allows to ensure satisfaction consumer demand, increase economic efficiency enterprises and the level of commercial services to the population.

Pricing policy of a retail trade enterprise. Making marketing decisions in the field of setting prices for goods/services is a difficult task for a retailer. Pricing is a key factor in retail brand positioning. Determination of retail prices should be carried out in accordance with the characteristics of the target market, the range of goods and services offered and the level of competition. Of course, all retailers would like to charge high markups and sell as much as possible, but these two objectives are often incompatible (except when the retailer's brand is already established, recognizable, and in demand, and accordingly the retailer can charge premium prices without fear of falling sales and losing customers). The complexity of price management is due to the fact that its formation is influenced by many different factors (both internal and external): transportation costs, the state of demand, the level of competition, the stage of the product life cycle, the policy of suppliers / brand owners, measures state regulation prices.

Depending on the specific market situation, the retailer may apply various solutions to determine the final price:

1. Differentiated pricing, which can be:

spatial (the price is set depending on the location of buyers in different territories).

temporary (the price is set depending on the time of day,

days of the week or seasons).

personalized (the price is set depending on the contingent of consumers - goods for young people, the elderly, the sick, professionals, etc.).

Quantitative (the price is set depending on the volume of the lot of goods sold), which is typical for small-scale wholesale trade.

2. Competitive pricing, which is aimed at maintaining price leadership in the market. Here, the retailer can use the following pricing methods:

· “price wars” (used mainly in the market of monopoly competition). If the merchant sets prices below the competition, then the competitor may respond in kind. The desire to attract consumers with low prices over time leads to low profits, the brand of the organization is perceived as "cheap" and is associated with low quality and service, which leads to switching customers to other brands of stores;

· skimming prices (prestige prices) the merchant can set for new, trendy, prestige goods. They are usually designed for those market segments where buyers will start buying them despite high level prices. As competitors begin to offer similar products or services and this segment becomes saturated, the enterprise may move to a new segment or to a new level of “cream skimming”;

"penetration prices" - lower starting prices relative to competitor prices. They create barriers for competitors to create similar products. The policy of low prices is more aimed at obtaining long-term profits (in comparison with the "quick" profits of high prices);

· 'learning curve' prices represent a compromise between 'skimming' and 'penetration' prices. This approach involves a rapid transition from high prices to lower prices to attract a wide range of buyers and counter competitors.

3. Assortment pricing is a fairly large arsenal of approaches. Many of them are based on the psychological perception of the price by the buyer. In particular, the psychology of the price barrier, the psychology of the perception of numbers, the psychology of price comparison, the psychology of prestigious prices, etc. are taken into account. These methods include:

· price lines represent a range of prices within one product range (product line), where each of them reflects a certain level of quality - from low to best. This is a kind of division of price niches for different consumers (with different income levels). This makes it possible to better adapt the offer of a particular product to the perception, needs and, most importantly, the capabilities of a wide range of consumers;

The price is higher than the face value - it's enough low price for the main base product and a wide range of additional products to the base;

price with bait (the main product at a low, affordable price, additional - at an increased price);

price for related products(related pricing);

· the price of a set - a single price of a set of products;

unrounded prices. Prices below round sums (for example, 18 rubles 87 kopecks, 499 rubles, 999 rubles, etc.) give the consumer the impression of a thorough justification of the price and help reduce the “threshold” price perception. Psychologists have found that some numbers (prices) make consumers more willing to buy than other numbers. They create some illusion of a “cheap product” or “bargain purchase”, which you need to hurry up with. So, odd numbers are more stimulating to buy than even numbers. The number "seven" is more "pleasant" to the buyer than the number 3 and 6.

4. Incentive pricing is based on the use of various kinds of discounts, bonuses, offsets (accumulative, one-time,

for the volume of purchased goods, for the frequency of purchases, seasonal, etc.).

The basis for the successful operation of a retail enterprise is its location in the path of human traffic. This is, first of all, the city center, the centers of urban areas, the main thoroughfares, metro areas, central avenues and streets. However, the cost of renting or buying premises for the enterprise is also the highest here. Perhaps isolated or group placement of trade enterprises. When choosing a location for a retail store, it is necessary to take into account the buyer's gravity zone, which is determined by the distance from the store to the place of residence or going to work (from work). Given the high saturation of retail outlets in all districts of the city, it is necessary to rely only on those buyers who can be located from the store within a radius of 400-800 meters. To locate an enterprise, it is necessary to map all existing retail outlets of a similar profile, including markets, chests, etc., as well as traffic routes and real pedestrian routes, on a map of the area. Finally, one should estimate the number of people living in the area, the number, type and size of nearby enterprises, the number of people coming to work from other parts of the city. Information is needed about potential competitors in the area, about the needs for goods that the new store plans to sell.

Based on the results of the analysis, the potential number of buyers who will use the services of the opened new retail enterprise is established. Population surveys show that the following factors influence the choice of place of purchase:

price - 38%;

quality - 38%;

assortment - 42%;

personnel - 27%;

convenience of location - 35%;

service - 10%;

services - 27%;

atmosphere - 18%;

Reputation - 20%.

It is advisable to highlight several possible options for the location of the store and conduct an objective comparison of them with each other.

Usually when choosing the "ideal" location of your outlet guided by the following parameters:

the intensity of human flows in front of the trading facility (flow measurements can be carried out using "people meters" - special devices resembling an automatic pen, or manually);

Proximity to metro stations (within a few minutes on foot);

· large, "watchable" showcases, which would make it possible to demonstrate the trading floor from the outside or design the appropriate assortment;

Attractive appearance, facade of the building;

Convenience of approach / entrance, car parking space.

But it should be noted that not always the key to the future success of the store is its location in busy areas.

Promotion (communication policy in retail trade). The main task in retail is to lure the customer into the store. Considering that there are a large number of competitors nearby selling approximately the same assortment, it is very important that the buyer enters your store. When choosing a store, the buyer first of all pays attention to the attractiveness of the facade, outdoor advertising. Studies show that if the sign is original, beautiful and neat, 75% of people passing by enter the store. The design of the store should correspond to its profile.

If the store has showcases, then it is a sin not to use this most important element of promotion. An attractive window display can sometimes make all the difference and bring an additional customer into the store. The purpose of shop window dressing is to inform people passing by about the range of goods offered, to create a favorable emotional background, a veil of mystery and unusualness (in order to intrigue the passerby), the showcase can be additional tool when conducting an advertising campaign (because it is possible to place advertising posters, posters, etc.). A showcase can convey an invitation, excite, advise, inspire confidence, captivate. But at the same time, it can scare away, offend or hold back. It is recommended to change the filling of showcases no more than three times a month or once a season.

If the buyer nevertheless “bought” on an attractive window display or sign and entered the store, it is not yet a fact that he will leave his money in the store. After all, unskilled personnel, chaotic and unsystematized display of goods, long queues at the cash desks can scare him away. Therefore, in order to avoid a possible negative reaction of the visitor, the trader uses a lot of tricks, for example, he organizes “shopping corridors” (luring buyers into the depths of the trading floor through a special arrangement of passages), installs television monitors with advertising, outdoor advertising, creates a pleasant sound background, uses smells, opens game rooms for children - in general, everything that can hypnotize, lure and encourage you to make a purchase in a store.

Corporate identity - one more the most important tool distinguishing the retail brand from competitors. Many underestimate the importance corporate identity, and this is the most important tool of the retailer's marketing policy, since branding represents and identifies the merchant's business in his absence (in fact, this is the so-called Sales Representative who does not need to be paid).

Firstly, it is desirable to develop your own recognizable logo, which in the future must be used on all business documentation (forms, envelopes, invoices, etc.).

Secondly, you should not save on creating bright, unique, high-quality business cards. They can be laid out at the cash register, as well as tasked with sales staff (and other employees) to distribute them to their acquaintances and potential store customers. The move will boost the store's popularity in the area and strengthen the relationship between customers and employees. There is another way effective use business cards - encouraging staff to distribute them. Personal business cards for each employee of the store can work as bonuses - customers who present such a business card will receive additional discounts. At the end of each quarter, you can sum up and reward the employee who received the largest number of returned business cards.

Thirdly, it is desirable that elements of corporate identity (for example, colors) be present in the interior design of the trading floor, and sales staff dressed in corporate uniforms look stylish and beautiful.

Direct mail. One of the most common mistakes in the organization of direct mailing list addressees - incorrect presentation of promotional materials (leaflets, brochures, calendars, etc.). This is most likely due to the desire to make the maximum number of contacts for less money.

It has been proven that an illustrated picture is more attractive than any text, and if it is also made in color, then it is much more likely that the merchant’s flyer will not be instantly thrown away, but will be read (even if the addressee does not have a desire to visit the store, then in his memory will record information about the brand, assortment, prices and services, which will play a decisive role, and when the goods and services are needed by the addressee, he will definitely remember the store).

Customer Relationship Management (CRM). Final goal UVP - the implementation of communications interaction with an audience of one person. UVP is, first of all, the creation of a strong retail brand (this marketing tool is of little use for production brands due to the lack of close connection with the end consumer). This is achieved through the right combination of organization, systems and processes, which allows your employees to better understand individual customers and, in principle, tailor the dialogue with each customer to their specific needs. The fact that the employee has detailed information about each consumer also means that they have every chance to find additional business opportunities with existing clients and thereby bring additional income to the company.

There are many benefits to having CRP in a retailer's marketing activities, all of which help create the desired retail brand image. Among the generally recognized advantages of UVP, the following should be highlighted:

· offensive and defensive brand promotion strategies. ERP allows you to aggressively attract new customers and increase sales to current customers or strengthen relationships with consumers;

increase in the rate of return on investment in the brand;

Attracting new customers is faster and cheaper. Clearly, if a consumer feels valued and loved, they will be more willing to make purchases. But not only. A satisfied customer is usually willing to name other people who they feel could benefit from your products and services;

Reducing the frequency of switching to brands of competitors;

Demonstration of the "personality" of the brand. If the trader shows that the company listens to the opinions of customers and responds to their wishes, then consumers are given the opportunity to communicate with the company, which endows the brands of the store with a hospitable, friendly and responsive character. All this is extremely useful for creating long-term brand value;

increase in staff loyalty. Just as a satisfied customer becomes more loyal, so employees who feel useful to the firm are less likely to think about moving to another firm;

more active sale of new goods and services;

Reducing the need for research;

Increasing profits and brand value.

Special events can take many forms:

additional discounts for certain categories of customers, at certain hours and days, gifts when buying for certain amounts, free shipping(with overall purchases and not only).

The organization of sales is a too “hackneyed” method of attracting visitors (it works only for those buyers who are guided by the purchase primarily by price), but at the same time it is necessary to eliminate product residues and goods that are not in demand.

One of the most effective marketing activities that can both stimulate purchases and increase loyalty to a retail brand is sales promotion. Here it is especially important to involve the buyer in the process (for example, to organize some kind of fun event in the store during the sale).

There is another way to attract and retain consumers - this is the organization of a company club. It can be a shop club or a club for lovers of something, where the merchant's shop will be central platform that unites club members. Club members can be offered exclusive discounts, additional service and services. Besides the fact that this will help increase turnover, it will also have a positive impact on the reputation of the store, will earn the respect of customers.

It is extremely important to keep the retail brand in touch with its consumers. There are about eight holidays during the year - from the New Year to the Defender of the Fatherland Day. Congratulating customers, the retailer will receive gratitude in return, expressed in repeat purchases and good attitude towards the store brand. It is necessary to constantly conduct surveys (questionnaires) of store visitors in order to replenish the knowledge base about customers (by the way, to stimulate the completion of questionnaires, it makes sense to give small gifts). The information that can be obtained in this way is invaluable and will serve you well in the future, and the costs will pay off with interest. Access to unique information about customers, their preferences and expectations is opened, which will help to make more effective sales offers, correctly determine further advertising goals, and form the image of a “caring” brand.