You decided to open your store: decided on the format and audience, chose a niche and figure out which products to sell. Mindlessly collecting cool things into one directory is a bad idea. This will affect the perception of customers: customers pay attention not only because of specific products but also on the quality and style of the assortment as a whole. He distinguishes among competitors, helps to shape the brand image and interest buyers. We figure out how to make an assortment and what to take into account.
1. Define your target audience and segment it
Do not strive to sell everything for everyone. Determine what you specialize in and who the project audience is. Next – divide potential customers into several groups according to gender, age, interests, income and other characteristics.
Most often, the audience is heterogeneous: people have different problems, motivation and the selection process. Divide the target audience into groups, and you can choose more accurate offers for each.
2. Find something to stand out among competitors
Compare the offers of competitors, find their disadvantages and advantages, identify popular products, make a list of things and brands that are not represented anywhere.
Compare the offers of competitors, find their disadvantages and advantages, identify popular products, make a list of things and brands that are not represented anywhere.
For example, you open a children’s toy store and notice that one competitor has significantly lower brand X prices than others. Knowing this, you can not compete with him in price. Instead, you can not sell brand X toys at all and focus on those firms that are not represented by a competitor.
3. Select multiple suppliers and request a list of best sellers
So you understand what the majority buys. This will help in the first purchase when you still do not know what will sell well with you. If you produce goods yourself, ask for bestsellers from material suppliers. For example, you can find out which shade of fabric sells better, and include it in the assortment.
4. Define categories and distribute products
You have already chosen a niche, analyzed competitors, studied suppliers. You have a rough idea of what you want to sell. List all the products that fit into the selected concept. Do not limit yourself to the starting budget of the project, write down everything. Then categorize your recorded products into categories and subcategories. As a result, you will receive an assortment map to which the project may come. It will be convenient to navigate to it when you are planning to expand the range.
For example, your niche is organic makeup products. The entire range can be divided into products:
– for face,
– for hair,
– for body,
– for hands,
– for legs.
– for hair,
– for body,
– for hands,
– for legs.
Already at this level, you can notice a skew: for example, in the category “For the body” there are a lot of products, and “For the hair” – 1-2 products. You can not sell hair products at all and focus on body products. Then the customers will know that you have a good selection of products for the body and will come for them. You can still expand the category “for hair” – then the range will be less specialized, but wider.
After that, select subcategories in each category. For example, in the category “For the body”:
After that, select subcategories in each category. For example, in the category “For the body”:
– salt
– scrubs,
– masks,
– creams,
– lotions
– gels.
– scrubs,
– masks,
– creams,
– lotions
– gels.
At the third level, select the brands you want to sell, price or destination. For cosmetics, the appointment may be cleansing, moisturizing, nutrition. Or you can distribute it by price: up to $ 20, from $ 20 to $ 50 and more than $ 50. As a result, you get a kind of category map. It is convenient to compose in intelligence cards.
How to use the assortment map at the start:
– It is not necessary to launch all the goods at once, even if the budget allows: it is easy to miscalculate and lose money.
– It is not necessary to launch all the goods at once, even if the budget allows: it is easy to miscalculate and lose money.
– It is better to start with a small assortment and gradually test and expand it. At the start, one or two levels of categories are enough. For example, For the face → For dry skin.
– In each category, highlight about 10 of the brightest products and purchase them. They should complement each other and be combined in style.
– Provide for several price levels at the start. Within one category, there should be products more and less expensive.
– Do not select categories in which there are less than 5–7 products, otherwise, the buyer will have the feeling of “empty shelves”. If you see that there are few products in the “For Face” category, it’s best not to split them into several further subcategories.
– Do not select categories in which there are less than 5–7 products, otherwise, the buyer will have the feeling of “empty shelves”. If you see that there are few products in the “For Face” category, it’s best not to split them into several further subcategories.
5. Determine what task for the store each product solves.
Products are divided into:
– unique – work on the recognition and image of the store. They make up 1-3% of the whole assortment. The category may be unprofitable, but it distinguishes among competitors: “Do you remember the store where we bought …”;
– priority – help to get the maximum turnover and profit. They make up 20% of the entire assortment. For these goods, buyers come to your store, they want and are willing to pay for them;
– basic – form the store’s turnover and the flow of customers. About 40-50% of the entire assortment. Such products are well and constantly sold in any store in your niche;
– periodic – attract a new audience and help update the catalog. They make up 10% of the entire assortment. Goods are limited to a narrow audience, which will come as necessary and buy again after 1-3 months;
– convenient – hold customers, form affection, complement the purchase. They make up 10-15% of the entire assortment. These are related or additional products. We need an assortment so that the buyer can buy everything in one place. With the help of them it is easy to increase the average check, although they do not bring much profit by themselves.
Example.
The purpose of the store is to attract and create a stream of customers.
Categories of goods that work on purpose: basic, priority and partly periodic. Products within categories that help achieve the goal are popular, well-known brands, advertised news.
To make it more convenient to take into account all the parameters at once, make a table. With it, you will understand how to expand or deepen the range, and how the goods will work for the purpose of the store.
6. Adjust the assortment during the trading process.
To find the right ratio of goods in the assortment, to understand demand and create a cool offer for buyers will be possible only after launch. For this:
– Analyze customer interest and profit.
– Follow the trends in the market. New items and popular products attract new customers and increase the interest of old ones. They easily update the assortment of the store. Interview buyers.
– Ask directly what products in the catalog would like to see buyers. This will help launch suitable products and increase audience engagement.
– Use situational marketing. For example, before the holidays, add gift baskets to the assortment.
Briefly:
1. Do not seek to sell everything for everyone. An accurate portrait of buyers will help to form the necessary offers.
2. Spy on your competitors: they will help you be better.
3. Request a list of popular products from suppliers.
4. Define store categories, create an assortment intelligence map.
5. Know the actual purpose of the store in order to correctly determine which categories to focus on.
6. Adjust the assortment taking into account demand, profit and wishes of customers.
No comments: