What is Retail Marketing?
Definition of Retail Marketing
A retail marketing include set of activities where a retailer buys products from a wholesaler or manufacturer to sells them to ends users (consumers). In simple words, a retailer is an intermediary which makes products available to consumers using different channels, for example, brick-and-mortar retail store, shopping malls, shopping website, automatic vending machines, kiosks etc.
Store Retailing Vs Non Store Retailing
A retail store means a place where the business is operated, usually by the owner; however, sometimes operated and owned by the manufacturer or by anyone other than a retailer within which the merchandise is primarily sold to end users.
On the other side, non-store retailing involves selling merchandise outside the boundaries of a retail facility. This generic term tends to describe retailing that takes place outside from stores and shops. The retailing takes place through television, internet, video, automatic vending machines direct marketing and direct selling.
Retail Marketing Strategies
Retailers are always in search of different marketing strategies to attract more customer, increase awareness and sales growth. In the first place it should select target market and then select combination of right marketing mix can lead a retail business to higher ROI. Keep in mind the following elements that need close consideration when drafting a retail marketing strategy.
Targeting and Retail Positioning
In retail business defining the target markets should be the first priority before position itself these markets. The main objective of Retail positioning is to achieve competitive advantage by differentiating itself from its competitors. Differentiation allows customer to prefer a retail store than other stores
In the retail positioning strategy, retail branding for example brand name, brand logo, technological advancement and retail customer experience play a vital role to outpace the competition.
Retail Store Location (Place)
Retail store location has a huge impact on overall sales performance of the product. Todays’ customer is more empowered and having many alternative for example online shopping. The best retail strategy is to focus on your target market, level of competition, disposable income, traffic conditions and parking facilities when deciding to open a store in a city, specific area of the city or even an online store.
Price Strategies
Pricing is the key to retail marketing strategy. The price should include not only the cost of the product but also overhead costs as well. Following are the pricing strategies used by majority retailer keep in mind the overall business objectives.
- Psychological pricing: Many retailers set prices with odd numbers that are perceived by customers to be lower than they actually are. Suppose $4.99 is related to spending 4 dollars instead of 5 dollar.
- Competitive pricing: Retailers set the price based upon what is charged by competitors in the market.
- High/low pricing: Prices are initially set higher; however, later on, the prices are lowered when the product life cycle reaches decline stage.
- Every Day Low Prices (EDPL): Every Day Low Prices strategy is used by many retail stores to attract consumer by offering lower prices on regular basis without waiting for sales event for example black Friday.
Product
Merchandise is of two types, durable or hard goods like electronic appliances and sporting products and soft goods such as household items, clothing, and cosmetics. Some retailers have a combination of both hard and soft products like departmental stores or a retail chain whereas, other small retailers may sell only one type of goods like a boutique of clothes.
Promotional Strategies
Retailers can adopt both in-side and out-store advertisement strategies. But in-store advertisement strategies can influence more retail customer than out-store advertisement. Strategic placement of marketing messages can increase the sale of targeted brands and products. Retailers can use promotional strategies for different objectives for example introducing new products, increasing sales, increase brand equity and corporate image.
Trained Employees
In any retail marketing, trained staff can easily influence customers’ decision making process. If the staff know how to deal customer at personal level if can positively affect the retail store in the long-run.
Retail Marketing Examples
Walmart: Walmart is the giant of retail consumer market; however, despite the constantly rising of cost of goods and thinner profit margins. Walmart has still managed to cater all type of income groups.
Amazon: Amazon is a big player in both the e-commerce world and physical retail and holds a strategy to deliver products to customers even faster and compete more effectively with other online and brick-and-mortar outlets.
How Does the Retail Supply Chain Works?
The retail supply chain comprises of manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers and the end user (consumer). Both manufacturers and wholesalers are directly connected and retailer is connected with the wholesaler.
- Manufacturers: These business produce goods, using raw materials, labor, and machinery.
- Wholesalers: Purchasing of finished goods from manufacturers and selling them to retailers in bulk quantities.
- Retailers: Retailers sell products in individual units or small quantities to consumers at a price including profits theoretically at manufacturer Suggested Retail price (MSRP).
- Consumer: These are the end-users who buy goods from retailers’ outlets for their use.
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