Moderator of the workshop Irina Bolotova, senior consultant at JosDeVries The Retail Company Russia, shared information on the topic “Time for optimization: what are the leaders improving”. Shops of household goods, decorations and interior have begun to improve graphics and communications in the sales areas.

Hoff Home has introduced a new worthwhile concept; “Domovoy” has also improved graphic communications creating a better atmosphere in two new shops in Moscow. The expert recommended paying attention to the experience of European networks Flying Tiger Copenhagen and Action, the new kings of non-food retail. They are interesting for the customers for their active marketing and for introducing new assortment every two weeks. Thus, Action is successfully trading even in C-locations.

Ekaterina Buzukova, independent consultant and business trainer, shared additional knowledge on the topic “Assortment – interaction of supplier and retailer” with the audience. Her advice to the retailer is the following: “Customers are thinking not in brands but in categories. This is what they come to the shop for. The only exception is such brands as Fairy, Pampers and Xerox. One should work with categories in such a way that it would be intuitively comfortable for the customer. I recommend every retailer to create a classifier, to divide goods into levels and classes, at the same time the number of categories in the assortment should equal the width of the assortment. Thus, a hypermarket will have 500 categories which means a wide assortment.”

Nadezhda Savina, practical expert in the sphere of retail and constructing formats and concepts of merchandising, covered the topic “How to build a planogram: algorithms”. In trade many things are dependent on the market, - noted the speaker. - Every retailer needs to have an accurate calendar of changes in the assortment and plan the budget accordingly. While developing principles of merchandising I recommend:

• Creating vertical blocks;

• Keeping the dynamics, mixing light and dark;

• Adding figures/background. Use trade equipment with a backdrop; if the budget is limited cover the back wall with wallpapers and self-adhesive film – this is non-expensive and effective.

• Remember the “7±2 law” – the customer can only see no more than 7 objects at once.”

Ekaterina Bogacheva, expert in retail trade and merchandising, introduced the topic: “How to sell more: light, colour, layout”. Together with Mikhail Gusmanov they conducted a light show showing the difference in luxes, light temperatures and the appearance of goods in different light. “The right light improves the appearance of goods. We often change wrong lamps to right ones in sales areas; and the shop significantly increases its sales. Quality light increases the goods turnover by 35%.”

At the workshop the participants have learnt a lot of useful information and retail news and, most importantly, have understood that to earn more a retailer has to change for the better!

Irina Bolotova, JosdeVries The Retail Company