Retail Technology

Retail trade network

The retail trade network is a combination of a large number of retail trade enterprises. The main types of trade network are stationary, non-stationary (mobile) and parcel.

A stationary trading network includes trading enterprises located in buildings and structures specially equipped and intended for trading (shops, pavilions, kiosks).

Shop – a specially equipped stationary building or part of it, intended for the sale of goods and the provision of services to customers. The stores have a complex of commercial and non-commercial premises necessary for the implementation of various trade and technological operations. This allows them to use the means of mechanization of labor-intensive operations, creates favorable working conditions for trade workers, improves the quality of trade services for customers, and provides them with additional services. Therefore, it is desirable that the total number of retail trade enterprises should be dominated by stores.

Pavilions and kiosks belong to the small retail trade network.

The pavilion is an equipped building with a trading floor and storage facilities for inventory, designed for one or more jobs.

A kiosk is a building equipped with commercial equipment without a trading floor. The kiosk is designed for one workplace of the seller, on the area of ​​which the commodity stock is located.

Non-stationary trading network operates on the principles of delivery and distribution trade. It belongs to a small-scale retail network and is represented by tents, car dealerships, trailers, tank trucks, etc.

A tent is an easily erected collapsible structure, equipped with a counter, without a trading floor and premises for storing goods, designed for one or more seller’s workplaces, on the area of ​​​​which there is a commodity stock for one day of trading.

Special facilities adapted for peddling (autoshops, trailers, tank trucks) or peddling (trays, baskets, carts) are mainly used to serve residents of settlements in which there are no shops (for example, due to the inexpediency of their construction due to for a small population). They can also be used in cities in crowded places.

Parcel trade is carried out by specialized organizations, including some stores, by sending by mail goods selected and ordered by buyers according to samples, catalogs, etc. Payment for such goods is made either in advance or at the time of their receipt by the buyer.

Price

Cost is what it costs you to produce and sell a product. It is also the amount of money you need to spend on acquiring a customer. It will be better if you find a balance between the cost of producing and selling a product, and the price you want to charge for it.

If your costs are too high, you will not be able to make a profit, and the opposite will lead to losses.
Your marketing expenses are a financial investment to reach your customers. This is the part of retail marketing that is not worth skimping on.

It helps if you are willing to pay to get your product in front of the right people at the right time. The cost may include:

• Advertising
• Public relations efforts
• Cost of sales
• Distribution strategies
• Communication

Communication is the process of conveying a message to your customers and understanding it.

This also includes understanding what they are saying back to you. If you want to connect with your customers, it’s not enough to just sprinkle energetic words on email and be done with it.

Instead, you need to know their wants and needs, as well as what attracts them. Surveys, focus groups, and consumer research can be used to determine this.

Communication is how you get your message across to those who are potentially interested in your product.
This may include a well-designed website that ranks high on search engines, email newsletters, social media campaigns, and guerrilla marketing tactics such as flyers and newspaper ads.

Convenience

Convenience is the ability of a customer to purchase your product or service at a convenient time for him.

You must remember that customers know what they want, which means you must be ahead of them when it comes to convenience.

For example, in the case of online sales/online retailers, here are a few questions you can ask yourself:

Will they find all the information they are looking for about your product?
Can they get it easily?
Will they be willing to buy your product and not another company’s product because the buying process is simple and hassle-free?
👉🏼 Your product should be convenient for your customer base.

If you are positioning yourself as the market leader in a certain area, you need to make it easy and convenient for customers to access your products.

It is more convenient for customers to browse the catalog, compare prices and place an order on your website. If your customers can’t find what they need quickly, chances are they will move elsewhere.