What should a merchandiser do at a retail outlet? Communication tools in merchandising. What responsibilities does a merchandiser perform?

Posted On 01/04/2018

Job Descriptions

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The word “merchandising” has several meanings: 1) it is retail trade, which is based on purchasing and selling goods, as well as exhibitions, advertising, pricing policy, etc.; 2) a set of actions performed in order to interest buyers in a given product (advertising promotions, etc.).

Merchandisers (merchandising specialists) first appeared in Russia in the trade missions of foreign companies. The main function of these specialists was the display of goods - positioning of goods in retail outlets (space-management). Initially, the impression was that merchandisers were something like decorators of shop windows and sales floors. However, the functions of employees holding positions with the unpronounceable name “merchandiser” are much broader, and this follows, first of all, from an understanding of the essence of merchandising.

First of all, merchandising is the arrangement or display of goods at the point of sale (store, pharmacy, cafe, etc.). The display style should attract customers' attention to the products and encourage customers to make unplanned purchases.

But in addition to the mechanical and physical placement of goods, merchandising is also a set of activities for the promotion and sale of goods, which includes actions for market research, marketing, and effective advertising. Currently, trading companies are trying to move advertising into stores. For this purpose, points of sale are designed, special retail equipment is installed (refrigerators, displays, racks, shelves, etc.) with an eye-catching design, various advertising elements are used (posters, booklets, wobblers, product models (hanging, standing, etc.), garlands, flags, etc.). Advertising tools such as various types of promotions (for example, tastings, sampling (free transfer of product samples), lotteries, etc.) are also quite effective.

Another component of merchandising is ensuring the necessary and sufficient quantity of goods at points of sale. There are several models here: if the outlet does not sell this type goods, then the merchandiser convinces the management of the retail facility of the need to conclude a deal. At the same time, having received the consent of the management, he can provide the store with a small batch of goods on the terms of commission, delivery, etc., or indicate the nearest wholesale bases, warehouses and inform the terms of delivery through long-term connections (price of the goods, system of discounts, optimal quantity, etc. ). It is also practiced to place orders for goods on site.

If a retail outlet sells this product in the general mass of the product range, the merchandiser should motivate the administration of the retail outlet to carry out merchandising activities for their product.

The above scope of work of the merchandiser allows us to highlight the following points:

a) the merchandiser needs special training in marketing, advertising, design, and sales;

b) a merchandiser should be classified as an employee, not a worker.

Currently, there is no act of the Russian Ministry of Labor, according to which a merchandiser is given the status of an employee or worker. However, the list of functions performed by specialists in this profile, as well as foreign service law, in which a merchandiser is defined as an employee, allows us to make the assumption that we are still talking about a position. The situation is more complicated in determining which category of employees the merchandiser belongs to - specialists or technical performers. Until this issue is resolved at the legal level, enterprises independently determine the category depending on the scope of responsibilities assigned to the merchandiser. So, for example, if the duties of a merchandiser include direct participation in promotions (for example, in a tasting), this gives grounds to classify him as a technical performer. If the merchandiser organizes a promotion, i.e. manages the work of promoters, this raises his status to at least a specialist.

For enterprise specialists involved in the development of job descriptions, it is necessary to know the basic terms of merchandising:

Often, the use of these terms in job descriptions is more accessible to merchandisers, since professional training is based on foreign merchandising terminology.

MERCHANDISER INSTRUCTIONS

1. Merchandiser belongs to the category of specialists.

3. The merchandiser must know:

3.1. Current legislation regulating commercial activities.

3.2. Fundamentals of organizing work to create demand and stimulate sales of goods.

3.3. Fundamentals of marketing and management.

3.4. Characteristics and principles of using merchandising tools.

3.6. Principles of organizing a retail space.

3.7. Patterns of buyer behavior on the sales floor.

3.8. Principles of sales organization.

3.9. Psychological types of consumers.

3.10. Methods for assessing the effectiveness of display of goods on the sales floor.

3.11. Basic properties, quality and consumer characteristics of the offered goods.

3.12. Current prices for goods.

3.13. Ethics of business communication.

3.14. Fundamentals of a market economy.

3.15. Fundamentals of psychology and sociology.

3.16. Fundamentals of labor legislation.

4. Appointment to the position of merchandiser and dismissal from the position is made by order of the head of the enterprise upon presentation

(merchandising manager; marketing director; sales manager; etc.)

5. The merchandiser reports directly
		(merchandising manager;

Marketing Director; sales manager (sales); etc.)

II. Job responsibilities

Merchandiser:

1. Studies a certain territory (district) in which it is planned to organize sales of goods.

2. Defines POS and develops business networking schemes.

3. Negotiates with the management of trading enterprises about carrying out merchandising events (represents the product and related services, convinces of the necessity and effectiveness of merchandising).

4. Conducts activities to present goods in POS using the following merchandising tools:

a) Space-management - display of goods in ways that encourage impulsive purchases of goods;

c) Stock-control - calculation of the necessary and sufficient quantity (balance) of goods in the POS, ensuring their availability.

5. Motivates POS management to conclude supply, purchase and sale, commission agreements (providing small quantities of goods on commission).

6. Implements preparatory work on concluding agreements for the purchase of goods with responsible employees of trading enterprises.

7. Takes measures to maintain long-term relationships with management and specialists of trading enterprises.

8. Exercises general control over the status of order execution.

9. Monitors:

Compliance with the concept of display of goods;

10. Takes measures to reconstruct, repair, replace faulty or unusable advertising elements.

11. Provides education and training to service personnel of the trading enterprise in the following areas:

Basic consumer characteristics of goods;

Principles of maintaining the concept of displaying goods;

Basics of motivation for selling goods to consumers.

12. Organizes promotions (tastings, sampling, etc.).

13. Analyzes the principles of work in POS of merchandisers of other organizations.

14. Monitors sales dynamics in POS.

15. Prepares reports (weekly, monthly) on products.

16. Collects information on sales in the POS for applying incentives and incentives to the POS (awarding prizes based on the results of the competitions “Best in Sales”, “Best in Sales Dynamics”; providing special discount systems for high sales indicators; advertising about POS in advertising materials of a product manufacturer, wholesaler, etc.).

17. Forms a data bank about POS (organizational and legal forms, addresses, details, telephone numbers, names of managers and leading specialists, financial condition, volumes of purchases, etc.).

18. Prepares reports on the results of the work done and on the consumption of advertising samples of goods, advertising elements, etc.

III. Rights

The merchandiser has the right:

1. Independently choose methods and forms of work with management and personnel of trading enterprises.

2. Sign documents within your competence.

3. Get acquainted with the documents defining his rights and responsibilities for his position, the criteria for assessing the quality of performance of official duties.

4. Request personally or on behalf of the immediate supervisor from the heads of departments of the enterprise and specialists for information and documents necessary to fulfill his official duties.

5. Require the management of the enterprise to provide organizational and technical conditions and prepare the established documents necessary for the performance of official duties.

IV. Responsibility

The merchandiser is responsible for:

1. For improper performance or failure to fulfill one’s official duties provided for by this job description - within the limits established by the current labor legislation Russian Federation.

2. For offenses committed in the course of their activities - within the limits established by the current administrative, criminal and civil legislation of the Russian Federation.

3. For causing material damage to the enterprise - within the limits established by the current labor legislation of the Russian Federation.

Merchandiser – who is he and what does he do?

How often have you wondered who this merchandiser is and what he does? In fact, not everything is as complicated as it might seem.

A merchandiser is a company representative who specializes in product promotion and maintains a positive reputation of the promoted brand. This is a creative profession that allows you to realize your potential and gain new opportunities for career development.

Even a person without experience can become a merchandiser, and within a couple of years they will acquire the necessary skills to further master the profession. Often employers prefer to hire people who have received economic education. But there are also those who specifically recruit students and newcomers, who are easier to inoculate, necessary for successful work companies, skills.

Almost every company specializing in wholesale and retail trade, such a position exists. Any product needs to be promoted, and this is exactly what the job of a merchandiser is.

What are the responsibilities of a merchandiser?

The work of a merchandiser is quite specific, and his job responsibilities directly depend on the specifics of the enterprise and the products sold. Thus, a supermarket merchandiser does not just put goods on shelves, but also improves sales and increases sales volumes. In general, the job responsibilities of a merchandiser include a whole range of activities.

Merchandiser job description

Studying the demand for a product, identifying the target audience, analyzing seasonality indicators and other factors.
Formation and maintenance of the assortment of the outlet assigned to the merchandiser, management of inventory and remaining goods.
Organizing the design of a retail outlet (sound, lighting, placement of goods, etc.).
Ensuring unlimited movement of customers around the hall, ensuring the ability to select the required product without the help of a seller.
Analysis of the competitiveness of a product, improvement of its promotion.
Drawing up reports on sales results, making proposals to increase sales.

What are the functions of a merchandiser?

The functions of a merchandiser include:

working with consumers and customers to achieve optimal sales volumes and solve problems related to product quality;
organizational events aimed at promoting goods, such as product presentations, tastings, promotions;
maintaining relationships with existing and potential customers, tracking their orders;
search for new clientele.

What should a merchandiser know?

The merchandiser must know:

In addition to the required knowledge, the merchandiser must have such skills as diligence, observation, creative thinking, communication skills, persuasiveness, self-confidence.

In many cases, these character traits can outweigh work experience and become decisive for an employer.

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Marketing is a very popular field and is taught in almost all universities. However, not everyone can explain who a marketer is and what he does. In this article we will answer these questions.

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Some believe that a merchandiser is a loader who delivers products to the sales floor. Others are sure that this job has a lot in common with the position of a merchandiser. In fact, this term implies a multidisciplinary specialist, on whom the comfort of customers and the level of sales of a particular organization directly depend. The direction is suitable for energetic and ambitious people who are committed to career growth in the field of trade. To get a job, it is not necessary to have a higher education; it is enough to know what qualities the applicant must have and what he will have to do.

Who is a merchandiser

Merchandisers are employees of retail outlets who are responsible for the passive promotion of the product offered.

The development of this trend in Russia began at the end of the 20th century. Specially trained people began to lay out goods on the shelves in a special way, attracting the attention of consumers. Today, the principles of direction are used not only by hypermarkets or sophisticated boutiques, but also by very small economy-class stores.

Classification of employees in the field of merchandising:

a stationary merchandiser works in one place, being responsible for a specific store, its area or certain trademarks(one or more);
During the working day, a mobile merchandiser moves between different retail outlets, performing the necessary manipulations at each of them;
a mixed specialist combines the characteristics of two main types.

A merchandiser is not just a loader or a merchandiser who monitors the filling of the assortment on the shelves. This is a person on whom the level of sales of a retail outlet and the attitude of customers towards it largely depend.

Merchandising is a dynamic science. She does not stand still and demands rapid response to changing trends.

Employee's area of work

From the outside, it seems that the merchandiser’s job responsibilities are limited to unloading goods onto empty shelves. Many are sure that any loader could handle this, and there is nothing difficult about it. In practice, a specialist of this profile has many more functions, tasks and goals. The quality of an employee’s work directly affects the sales performance of a particular outlet.

Basic responsibilities of a merchandiser:

display of products according to a specific scheme developed by marketers;
assessment of inventory of specific items, tracking and timely replenishment of balances;
decorating counters and other parts of the store with promotional products;
carrying out promotions or assistance in organizing them;
training sellers in the specifics of promoting entire products or individual brands;
assessing product quality, checking the integrity of packaging, expiration dates;
often the merchandiser actually works as a loader, bringing products from the warehouse;
preparation of sales reports.

Large companies additionally include in an employee's job responsibilities an assessment of the work of direct competitors. This means tracking their price dynamics, the emergence of new products, promotions and other important events from a marketing point of view. Everything a merchandiser does is aimed at increasing sales and increasing consumer interest in certain brands.

Requirements for applicants

Passive product promotion is not for everyone. A person in this position is forced to work a lot physically and at the same time pay attention to the list important nuances. The ability to multitask is the main requirement for job applicants.

The merchandiser must also have the following qualities:

activity, energy, physical endurance;
ability to communicate with a variety of people;
presentable appearance;
openness and willingness to answer product-related questions;
stress resistance;
readiness for business trips and trips within the city or its region;
desire to learn in order to improve the quality of work;
in some cases, a health certificate or a personal car is required.

Depending on what merchandisers do in the workplace, applicants may need computer skills and modern gadgets. Companies often adhere to strict age limits when recruiting employees and give preference to young people. In some cases, a mandatory condition for resume consideration is the availability of higher education in the field of marketing, advertising or trade.

Pros and cons of the specialty

Often young people become merchandisers in order to earn money during the holidays or gain experience in the trade field. They call the main advantages of the direction that it usually does not require a higher education, and the schedule is flexible or free.

The profession of a merchandiser has many more advantages:

experience is usually not required, and many companies even specifically recruit very young employees in order to teach them everything from scratch, rather than retrain them;
there is no need to constantly sit in an office or warehouse;
The mobile version of work implies dynamics and a constant change of environment;
at proper organization a merchandiser earns more working day than a loader or salesperson with less physical activity;
career prospects;

Such an employee is usually dedicated to himself and very rarely has to communicate directly with customers. Trainings are often organized for passive sales employees at the company's expense, which allows them to raise their level of qualifications and learn something new.

Disadvantages of the specialty:

most of the day is spent on your feet, and in the case of a mobile type of work without a car, you have to walk a lot in any weather;
transportation of heavy goods from a warehouse and its display lead to serious physical activity;
when working in a dirty warehouse you have to breathe dust, displaying dairy products requires staying near the refrigerator, contact with household chemicals creates a risk of developing dermatitis;
a vague definition of an employee’s job responsibilities and a lack of understanding of his place in the hierarchy of store employees provokes conflicts;

All of the listed disadvantages of the destination are relative and with the right approach to organizing the day, they can actually be avoided. The main thing is to initially study the nuances job description and ask the manager any questions you are interested in so that there is no misunderstanding later.

Where to study to become a merchandiser?

There are no universities training directly for the profession of merchandiser yet. Organizations are happy to hire school graduates and students if they meet basic requirements. There are companies that give preference to applicants who know what the basics of marketing are.

Employee salary and career prospects

The salary level of a merchandiser is influenced by the characteristics of his schedule, workload, list of responsibilities, availability of a car, and employee mobility. A beginning specialist receives 10–15 thousand rubles, subject to a variable schedule and part-time work. To increase your salary, it is recommended to get a job in 2-3 companies at once, which is not prohibited. Work experience, completing specialized courses, and acquiring useful skills stimulate profit growth. There are often cases when a mobile merchandiser adheres to a free schedule and at the same time earns 50 - 70 thousand rubles.

Over time, the product placement employee may move to the company's central office and continue working in the marketing department. Specialists assigned to the store become product managers, supervisors, and even occupy leadership positions. The position of merchandiser provides equally good chances for career growth in the field of trade or commerce.

Merchandiser (merchandiser) (eng. merchandiser - trader) - a merchandiser or assistant merchandiser, a person representing a trading company in retail chains (most often super- and hypermarkets). Responsible for displaying goods, installing related necessary equipment (refrigerators, additional display cases, promotion trays), and placing POS materials. The main task is to control the availability of the company’s entire assortment on store shelves and its location in the most favorable places for purchase.

Planning and promotion of product sales, that is, the direct functions of a merchandiser, became a separate position only about 20 years ago. Back then, companies tried to come up with new moves in order to survive and gain a foothold in the market, stimulate buyers and not get lost among competitors. This is how the position of merchandiser appeared, who makes the product more noticeable and attractive to the buyer.

What exactly does a merchandiser do?

The main task of a merchandiser is to attract customers’ attention to products using:

decoration of trading floors;
favorable placement of products on store shelves;
ensuring constant availability of goods for sale.

The merchandiser is engaged in advertising support of the product at the point of sale. To do this, at least once a week he visits several stores and in a special document describes the sales situation for these products: demand, prices that competitors set for similar products, etc.

After the analysis, the merchandiser prepares a proposal for more profitable promotion of goods. Such an offer may include:

replacement of similar products;
alternative distribution of retail space;
increase (reduction) in the quantity of goods for a particular store.

Due to the abundance of words and expressions borrowed from other languages, it can sometimes be very difficult to understand simple things. The word “merchandiser” still confuses many people looking through job listings.

This word came to us from English language, “merchandising” in translation means planning and incentives to increase profits. It is in the translation of this word that the functions that a merchandiser must perform lie.

Merchandiser's tasks:

Product display. For a merchandiser, it is necessary to position the product in such a way that it attracts the attention of visitors to the outlet and, as a result, increases the number of sales. He must present the product favorably; as a rule, enterprise marketers have their own ideas, but ideas good ideas Merchandiser are welcome.
Design of a retail outlet. The responsibilities of the merchandiser also include competent design premises.
In addition to arranging merchandise, he controls sound and lighting. It is thanks to merchandisers that equipment in stores and supermarkets is arranged so that it does not interfere with viewing the goods on the shelves. His task is to create an environment in a retail space that will be able to attract visitors to make purchases.
Studying consumer needs. People in this profession are required to be able to competently assess consumer needs. Studying the demand for certain goods taking into account various factors, such as season, location of the outlet, etc.
Product availability control. It is necessary not only to create an assortment that meets the requirements of the audience, but also to constantly maintain it in stock. Control of product balances is an important part of this work.
In addition, it is necessary to ensure that all goods in the hall and in the warehouse are suitable for sale, that is, they have a marketable appearance, have not expired and are in full packaging.
Interaction with store staff. Assistance in organizing advertising promotions, tastings and other events aimed at increasing sales. In some cases, the responsibilities of a merchandiser also include training sellers and managers on how to effectively promote certain products.
Interaction with clients. It is important not only to expand your customer base, but also to maintain good relationships with existing customers.
Reporting. As in any profession, reporting is also necessary here. Remains of goods and the effectiveness of promotion of this or that product are far from full list what the merchandiser must report to management after a certain period of time. This also includes the expression of ideas and proposals to increase sales on the part of the employee.

How to get a job as a merchandiser?

Requirements for merchandisers vary from organization to organization. Some are even ready to hire a person without special higher education and work experience. However, promoting products taking into account the interests of the audience is difficult task, which not everyone is able to cope with.

You need to soberly assess your capabilities before sending your resume to an employer. Undoubtedly, specialized education or experience in the field of merchandising will be a huge plus when finding a job.

Some companies, on the contrary, give preference to young people, with no work experience, explaining this by saying that this is how you can educate good specialist in a certain area. Many companies consider self-training to be more practical and convenient than retraining specialists.

Basic requirements for applicants:

Age from 18 years.
Good organizational skills.
Sociability.
Pronounced leadership qualities.
Presentable appearance.
Stress resistance.
Creative thinking.
Observation and ability to analyze.
Communication skills.

Some requirements, e.g. availability of a car or willingness to travel on business trips depend on the type of activity required from the merchandiser.

Types of merchandisers:

Stationary. Works at one outlet throughout the working day.
Mobile. This is an employee of not one retail outlet, but several at once. Typically, in this case, the applicant is required to have a personal car.
Universal. It is a hybrid version of a mobile merchandiser and a stationary one. Depending on the need, he works either at one point throughout the day or moving between retail outlets.

Career growth

Employees who are engaged in arranging goods on sales floors and do this successfully can, over time, move to the next more serious level.

Over time, a good merchandiser may well rise to the rank of supervisor or even take some leadership position in the company.

Merchandiser- sounds very mysterious and unusual to the Russian ear, and some are completely put off by such an incomprehensible name. In fact, the position of a merchandiser is the position of a company representative who is involved in promoting the company’s products and maintaining positive name promoted brand. A student or a newcomer without work experience can become a merchandiser, and within a year or two will receive the necessary skills for successful promotion career ladder. This creative work, which allows you to realize your abilities and gain new opportunities for professional growth.

Places of work

The specialty of a merchandiser is in demand in any company that is engaged in wholesale or retail sales - be it clothing, power tools or food.

History of the profession

Responsibilities of a Merchandiser

What does a merchandiser do? His main responsibilities:

monitor the display of goods in stores and supermarkets;
for arranging display cases and additional equipment;
control of the availability of the entire range of company products in the store.

In addition, the merchandiser’s job responsibilities may include placement of POS materials (price tags, wobblers, posters, etc.) that help attract attention to products, arrangement of goods in accordance with the company’s corporate policy, and increasing the share of shelf space for goods. In addition to what is directly the responsibility of the merchandiser, he can also perform such additional features, How:

placing orders;
regulation of retail prices;
maintaining packaging in salable condition;
replenishment of inventory in the store.

Requirements for a merchandiser

Requirements are formed depending on the field of activity. Usually, there are no special requirements for the candidate, since it is assumed that the newcomer will learn while working in the company. The basic requirements for a merchandiser are:

Age from 18 years.
PC knowledge at user level.
Citizenship of the Russian Federation (sometimes employers allow citizenship of Belarus).
Registration of a health certificate if you have to work with food.
Preparedness for physical exertion if you have to work with large and heavy goods.

If you plan to visit several retail outlets, companies require the merchandiser’s responsibilities to be able to drive a car and look for candidates with personal transport, since on public transport they have time to visit 6-8 stores a day and perform tasks there. necessary work simply unrealistic. In addition, the merchandiser often delivers goods to retail outlets in his car.

Merchandiser resume sample

How to become a merchandiser

A student or a person without any qualifications can get a job as a merchandiser. special education, although sometimes employers invite only economics-oriented university graduates. However, most companies prefer to recruit newcomers and impart skills to them on their own, teaching them “to suit themselves,” since the list of what a merchandiser should know is different for each company, depending on the specifics of the product.

Merchandiser salary

Salary depends on region, employment (full or part-time) and company. The average salary is approximately 30,000 rubles, but it happens that wages merchandiser is 8,000-15,000 rubles for part-time employment. As a rule, such an employee works in 2-3 companies. Also, what salary a merchandiser has will depend on the availability of a car, education and additional skills - in this case it can be 35,000-70,000 rubles.