Merchandising is  crucial, but often overlooked component of retail success. In this “Ask an Expert” session I invited on Stevie Allegretto to answer your merchandising questions. Here are some of the topics we discussed:

What is merchandising?

• Merchandising encompasses any in store activities to help sell your product. This includes making sure your product is in stock and properly displayed on the shelf, confirming promotional shelf tags, setting up end-cap displays, and more.

When should a brand invest in merchandising?

• When launching in a retailer that’s too large for the brand to support themselves.

How often should you have a merchandising team perform store checks?

1. There are key times to engage merchandisers:
   • New retailer launch
   • Special promotion with shelf tags or out of aisle displays
   • Seasonal busy periods.
   • Poor performing stores
2. Merchandising can be setup for occasional spot checks, or you can establish regularly occurring check-in periods depending on what you can afford.

What are the various merchandising tactics I have at my disposal?

1. At Shelf
   • Shelf facing check
   • Shelf talkers
   • Promotional tags
   • Coupons on product
2. Off shelf
   •  Displays
   • End caps
   • Secondary placements

Read our Ultimate Guide to Merchandising for a detailed breakdown of everything you need to know about merchandising.