The mechandising is routinely used in supermarkets and in ready-to-wear stores to increase sales. What does the word merchandising mean? What are the rules? What techniques were used ?
Explanations.
Definition, 5B rule and techniques
Merch, 5B, linear, vertical, horizontal, pyramidal presentation… that makes them terms to know! Do not worry. We will see all of this in detail, and at the end of the article, you will be merchandising specialists.
This presentation is offered to us by Mister Rayonnage , specialist in the online sale of shelving for stores and warehouses.
The definition of merchandising
The merchandising , merchandising or French is a set of techniques and rules used by traders to showcase the products they offer for sale .
In common parlance, “ merch ” also means products that carry the identity of an event, a celebrity, an influencer, a sports club or an association.
Example: a PSG cap or an AC / DC t-shirt.
We will focus on the first sense of the word first.
Kepner’s 5B
The 5B rule is a key principle of merchandising founded by Charles H. Kepner between 1950 and 1960. The five rules are as follows:
- The Bwe produce (the right assortments),
- The Bon moment (selling coats in winter, selling shorts in summer),
- La Bonne place (the place where the products are located on my shelf),
- The Bonne quantity (having enough stock replenishment)
- The Bonne information (prices and necessary information to consumers).
The implantation technique by level
Imagine a linear (= a radius).
| LEVEL | PRODUCT TO PUT | SALES |
| Eyes | New products, flagship products | Sell well |
| Hands | Private labels | Sells very well |
| Feet | Current or discount products | Sells little |
The first merchandising technique is implantation by level . It consists of putting your products on different levels in your store shelving.
Products that are at eye level sell well because they are in the field of vision. Shops put their own brand at this level, or even private label products.
For example, Leclerc’s private label is Marque Repère.
Then there is the hand level, which is very selling, because the products are easily accessible. At this level, we find new products, little-known products, leading products and flagship products.
Finally, there is the level of the feet. The products are difficult to access and not very visible, because you have to bend down to access them. At the level of the feet, you find the current products and the discount products, because the consumers will take the trouble to look for them.
| LEVEL | PRODUCT TO PUT | SALES |
| Eyes | New products, flagship products | Sell well |
| Hands | Private labels | Sells very well |
| Feet | Current or discount products | Sells little |
Horizontal and vertical presentation techniques
It is also possible to optimize the shelf with the way you store the products on the shelf.
Again imagine a linear.
| Product or Brand A | Product or Brand A | Product or Brand A |
| Product or Brand B | Product or Brand B | Product or Brand B |
| Product or Brand C | Product or Brand C | Product or Brand C |
The horizontal presentation consists in repeating a product on a whole line.
A product A will repeat at eye level, a product B will repeat at hand level, and a product C will repeat at foot level.
| Product or Brand A | Product or Brand B | Product or Brand C |
| Product or Brand A | Product or Brand B | Product or Brand C |
| Product or Brand A | Product or Brand B | Product or Brand C |
The vertical presentation consists in repeating a product on an entire column. It is mainly used to highlight products from the same family, or from the same brand.
There is also a third presentation technique called the pyramid technique . It is aesthetic and imposing, but less effective.
The restocking technique
In commerce, we say that the mass sells .
The more products available, the more the consumer will want to serve themselves. If there is only one product left, people will be afraid to use it last and not leave it to others.
The last technique is to always match the linear . In other words, there should never be a hole in your radius. The products sold must be replaced immediately with new products.
