Rethinking Retail

We remember working retail back in the early 70's. There were several constants we were trying to sell: Two of the things we wanted from the stores was to give us control of the order book and the shelf set - if we got that, that store was a gold-plated member of the "HQ Tour" circuit.

As time went on, we still wanted control, but we also wanted to reduce our manpower management costs and hassles (hiring / firing, training, college recruiting, etc.) so we turned to brokers - now agencies, of course. And, naturally, we wanted our brokers (agencies) to be at least regional, and preferably national, to "follow the customer".

Well, it's 2005, and we have all of the above. We have VMI, Homestore and national agencies, but the question is, are we better off at retail? The answer, according to most of our clients, is a resounding NO. Many tell us things have never been worse, and in the 2004 CMS SalesTrac^sm, Sales management rated "satisfaction with retail conditions" as a 6 out of 10 - just about halfway to bright.

What Are Others Doing?

For starters, P & G has begun hiring retail merchandisers, again.

At CMS, we've worked with clients in a number of areas to address this issue

		We helped a large, multi-division company install a national agency management organization to replace its existing, regional setup. The new organization is designed to better align with their agencies; it improves communication dramatically and gives everyone, in the agencies and the manufacturer, a one-stop "go-to" for retail execution.
		We helped a mid-sized company transition to a shared services retail management organization (two divisions), freeing up resources to boost the bottom line while increasing "critical mass" with the agencies, and putting more people "on the street".
		We have trained hundreds of manufacturer and retailer personnel on Retail Execution, Agency Management, Negotiation (Getting to Win / Win), Communication Skills and Category Management.

Articles

For starters, P & G has begun hiring retail merchandisers, again.

At CMS, we've worked with clients in a number of areas to address this issue

		700 Tubes of Toothpaste Are Seized in Connecticut
		Large Brands Go On The Block at Industry Giants
		Trade Marketing Finally Gets Some Respect (Well, at P&G)
		Target: Ratcheting up Competitive Pressures...Again?

What Can We Do For You?

Follow this link to the self-assessment form to see how you stack up. Please contact us at www.CMSConsultingInc.com, or call Fred McCormick at 215 493 3613.