The Power of Great Retailing

After my freshman year in college, I went back home to Washington (from Texas) and knew that I needed to get a few jobs. I knew I would be working at the barn and training horses, but I was looking for extra money and I had never worked in retail before, so one day in May when I had first gotten home, I walked into The Gap and asked them to hire me.

I spent that summer working in the store (and spending most of my paycheck on clothing because I had an employee discount!) and it was such a valuable learning experience that I still think about when it comes to retailing. These days, I happen to work alongside feed stores, distributors and vet clinics and I have to be honest – most people do not know how to retail, especially in the animal health and agriculture industry.

So I’m going to riff a little bit on some topics related to retailing and I hope it helps someone, but (*cough cough) I’m looking mostly at you, animal health industry.

What Does “Retail” Mean?

According to dictionary.com, the definition of retail is “the sale of goods to the public in relatively small quantities for use or consumption rather than resale.”

Interestingly enough, the secondary definition of retail (when used as a verb), is to “relate or repeat a story in detail.”

Now, there’s a few key points I want to pull out of both definitions:

1) Retail involves selling to an end-user. Not a wholesaler, not a distributor, not B2B. This person who buys will be the one using, wearing, eating, etc. this product. The key target market here is the person at the end of the chain.

2) This person at the end of the chain is buying in small quantities. In other words, you have one chance for a good impression and to lay the foundation so that they buy again when they are done with their first one. This is in contrast to the middle of the supply chain where damaged goods, broken boxes, etc. are more accepted because those customers buy in large quantities.

3) Retailing is truly about relating to people. And sometimes if you really want someone to understand a product (or a story), you do have to repeat key points. Just don’t be annoying and make sure that you understand who you are relating to.

4) Retail is all about the details. Don’t leave anything out. Is there a spec of dirt on the shelf? Wipe it off. Does a box look dusty? Throw it out. Is a shirt not folded with a plastic guideline? Redo it. The thing is: As a shopper, you do not notice when things are really looking great. However, you definitely notice when things do not look good, are dirty, messy, or unorganized. Again, the details matter here.  

Retailing Considerations

At The Gap there were specific retail guidelines for every season. Corporate would literally send each store a giant packet of materials that was similar to an Ikea furniture set. The packet included all instructions (‘put cardboard A corner into metal piece B’) and materials needed.

The instructions told us how to set up each mannequin’s body expressions, how to dress them, how to pin clothing in the back of them, how to set up each window, the angles of the mannequins in relation to other pieces in the window, how to stick the stickers on each front window and how to hang anything from the ceiling.

And much more, but I think you understand the point.

We would go into the store at about 5 am to set up the new displays, get all the ladies and men dressed according to standard and when the store opened at 10 am we would hopefully have some magic created. It was an intense, but fun process that I never paid attention to as a shopper. *Side note: If you go to a store that has a really nice window set up, say something, I guarantee it took hours at a minimum and it will mean the world to the employees.

During open hours and low times in traffic, we would scan the store for issues. I repeat: It is NOT EASY to keep a store looking top notch.

In clothing, this meant folding shirts and pants with the plastic guidelines after people tore the piles apart looking for their size (so annoying— please stop doing that when you’re shopping), cleaning dressing rooms and restocking shelves, organizing sizes from smallest to largest, cleaning up hangers, theft tags, receipts, the front cashier areas, sweeping and keeping the floors clean, etc.

What Did This Experience Teach Me About Retail for Farm & Feed Stores, Vet Clinics, Manufacturers, etc.?

1) Even though we work with animals on a daily basis, which is inherently messy and dirty, that does NOT mean that people want to shop at a filthy store, even if they walk in and need a shower themselves.

Do you know what I mean? I’ve walked into feed stores before and a supplement or tube of medication was dusty and I immediately put it down. While the dust could have accumulated that day, to the shopper this communicates that the product is close to expiring and has been sitting there for God knows how long.  

I’ve worked in the feed industry and know so many of the horror stories and challenges, and still – if I buy a bag of horse feed that is covered in dust on the outside, I have questions.

Clean shelves, clean products, clean floors (at least to an extent) are hugely important for creating an atmosphere that people want to buy in.

2) When it comes to product development for retail locations, packaging is king. Any package or label with a photo of a person on it is pretty much doomed to look obsolete in 1-2 years (at most). Why? Because the person’s outfit is always going to age, no matter how basic you think it is. Trends change (that’s why velvet is back at Target) and our subconscious minds NOTICE. Seriously, I challenge you to look on the shelves for a feed, supplement or other product and see how many have a person on there. Not many. And if they do, does it look aged? Likely, yes. 

Additionally, the package needs to work. If it has handles, the handles should not break. If it comes in a tube, the tube should easily dispense the product inside. Remember, you have one impression. If someone loves your product but has a hard time using it, it is not going to be easy to resell and they will move further down the store shelf next time.

3) For the manufacturers and distributors of products that are going to be sold in a retail location:  

Take a hint from Ikea instructions. The employees at retail stores are VERY busy trying to keep the store clean, work the cashiers, answer questions, reduce theft, etc. They do not have time to specifically make your product look nice on the shelves, so you need to make it easy.

Either go to the store yourself and have a uniform set-up (like The Gap’s packet of instructions and materials) across every location that you can replicate OR send instructions with set-up materials to the stores.

I recommend the first option because until the store gets to know, like and trust you, your materials will likely end up in the back room.

Remember that the details matter and if you are building a brand that you want end-consumers to recognize across a variety of storefronts, online, etc. there needs to be some uniformity.

4) For marketing materials used in retail locations, consider who is reading them. They should be a visual “pop” that catches someone’s eye.

Remember, most shoppers are women, who are often juggling 15-20 different life roles and may have kids with them. They do not have 30 minutes to 1 hour to read shelf talkers, signs, brochures, etc. The materials you have on the shelves, which includes the product’s packaging and appearance, need to scream, “I am the best option. You can’t go wrong by picking me.”

Does that make sense?

This also goes for endcap displays, pallet displays or stand-alone displays. They should “pop” but not make buying something more difficult. Have you ever tried to reach something off a display and almost fallen into it? Keep in mind that displays can also be more places to accumulate dust, so choose the design wisely.

To Recap My Tips on Retailing for Sales and Success:

• Make sure it looks good. It sounds vain, but it’s just the truth. We are pulled to buy things that invoke a feeling or emotion in us. When we are buying something off a shelf, we’re not reading the company’s story or mission. So, to invoke feeling in these situations, the product must be highly visual.

Think of it this way: Haven’t you ever bought a bottle of wine because you loved the label? Or put down a bruised onion to pick a different one in the grocery store produce aisle? Make sure there is someone on your team who can make the store, shelves and overall appearance look good. Remember, you have ONE first impression.

• If you sell a product that will be used by end-consumers, make sure that the packaging makes a positive first impression, both visually and practically.

• If you sell a product to a retail location, MAKE IT EASY. Send setup instructions and materials OR better yet, send someone to the locations to set it up. Again, this should be someone who can make it look visually appealing and help train the retail staff on how you want your product to look on the shelves.

• Make sure that your retailing efforts will serve the person (probably a woman) who is buying them off the shelves.

I believe that great retailing can truly enhance your brand and help build your business. And if you pair these tips with a solid mission and heart-centered purpose, there’s no stopping your growth.

If you want help putting your retail package together, either as a product manufacturer or a local business, reach out to hello@bigwildcreative.com to learn more! I have some new offerings specifically related to retail marketing.

Did you like this blog? Let me know! I’m always open to tips and I love knowing what you do and do not enjoy reading.

Thank you, as always, for being here.

Xoxo,

Em