The efficiency and profitability of almost any trade business largely depends on a well-designed assortment. Today's range of food products on the market is quite extensive. Therefore, it is problematic for management to decide which positions should be presented in their grocery store.
Marketing research should precede the assortment development stage. Their task should be to identify competitors and analyze their assortment. Next, you need to analyze potential customers and determine their preferences. It is worth noting that consumer behavior must be analyzed constantly and based on changes in it, adjustments in the assortment must be made.
Assortment width and depth
Before you start forming an assortment for a grocery store, you need to decide on its key parameters. The product range is characterized by such characteristics as width, depth and height.
The first thing to do when developing an assortment is to decide on its width. It represents the number of assortment groups in the aggregate volume. The specifics of the selection of product groups will depend on the format of the outlet and its specifics. It is clear that the breadth of assortment in a hypermarket and a small convenience store differs significantly.
For example, in most small neighborhood stores, product groups such as dairy, bakery, confectionery, tea and coffee, convenience foods and frozen foods, cheeses and sausages, alcoholic beverages, vegetables and fruits are distinguished. And if the store is highly specialized, then the product groups will differ. For example, in a butcher shop, you can distinguish such subsections as raw meat, semi-finished products, ready-made food, sausages, canned food, etc.
The assortment width should be determined based on an analysis of the competitors' assortment. You need to strive to find your own niche and offer a unique product, because competing with large hypermarkets and supermarkets in terms of price parameters will be quite problematic. This way you can focus on the sale of healthy food, organic products or gourmet products in the assortment.
After you decide on the width of the assortment, you need to start filling each product group with goods. The number of products in each product group is called depth. It is believed that it is optimal to include in the assortment products that will be focused on various segments of buyers and include economy-class products, goods from the mid-price category and from the premium segment. The prevalence of certain products will depend on the store positioning strategy and its location. The cost of items in product groups will determine the height of the assortment.
Effective assortment characteristics
The important parameters characterizing the effectiveness of the assortment are its mobility and relevance. They reflect the ability of the assortment to change to best suit the needs of customers and their demand for key assortment positions. For example, in recent years, the popularity of healthy food among buyers has been growing, so stores are expanding the range of fermented milk products, vegetables and fruits.
On the other hand, the assortment of the grocery store should be stable, i.e. it must invariably represent goods that are in demand.
An assortment matrix is created based on the concept of the optimal store depth and width. It includes the necessary list of products sold that meets the needs of buyers. The minimum list of products sold is the minimum assortment that must be constantly present in the store.
In order for the store to be profitable, the assortment must be formed in accordance with the well-known ABC rule. According to him, the most popular and demanded products make up the group of goods A. They account for 20% of the product range, but they bring up to 80% of the profit. They must be guaranteed to be present in the store in the required volume. Products from groups B and C are needed in the assortment, first of all, to maintain the optimal width.
