Instore - October 2018 - 20
cover story
Retail
curators
Instore departments get selective with product assortment
by Andy Nelson
HOW
do grocery retailers decide what to stock?
It's a question that has been challenging
and often baffling retailers ever since the
first grocery opened its doors. And in a hypercompetitive market with
razor-thin margins, coming up with the right answer can be the difference between success and bankruptcy.
In the 21st century marketplace, the question has become even
tougher. With the digital shopping revolution, retailers now face new
versions of the old question: How do I decide what to sell online and
what to sell brick-and-mortar? How can I make sure that the stories
behind the products I do decide to sell get conveyed to a demanding,
information-hungry customer base?
Many grocers are experimenting with smaller-format stores to lure
digital-minded shoppers back with unique instore experiences. How
does less square footage affect their stocking decisions?
One trend that has emerged out of this new world is demand for
"curated" products -items that have been carefully selected with not
only quality and flavor in mind but also things like healthfulness, social
responsibility and a clear connection to the people that made them.
They're products with stories. And consumers want retailers who
know how to tell those stories.
Hunting for value
Bill Bishop, chief architect and co-founder of Barrington, Illinois-based
consultancy Brick Meets Click, says the first question a manager has to
make about what to stock is: What is the retailer's "value proposition."
A store catering to an upscale customer base will think differently
20 * OCTOBER 2018 * instore
about what SKUs it displays than one whose customers are primarily
discount-minded.
Next, a store considers what capabilities it has to tailor just the right
product for the target audience determined in the "value proposition"
stage. "Those two filters can really help you" figure out what selection
of products will work for your particular store, Bishop says.
With space a premium at San Francisco-based Bi-Rite Market and many
other stores like it, all SKUs must be top performers.
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Instore - October 2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2018_12_01
http://digital.instoremag.net/sosland/isb/2018_11_01
http://digital.instoremag.net/sosland/isb/2018_10_01
http://digital.instoremag.net/sosland/isb/2018_09_01
http://digital.instoremag.net/sosland/isb/2018_08_01
http://digital.instoremag.net/sosland/isb/2018_07_01
http://digital.instoremag.net/sosland/isb/2018_06_01
http://digital.instoremag.net/sosland/isb/2018_05_01
http://digital.instoremag.net/sosland/isb/2018_04_01
http://digital.instoremag.net/sosland/isb/2018_03_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2018_02_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2018_01_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2017_12_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2017_11_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2017_10_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2017_09_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2017_08_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2017_07_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2017_06_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2017_05_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2017_04_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2017_03_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2017_02_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2017_01_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2016_12_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2016_11_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2016_10_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2016_09_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2016_08_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2016_07_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2016_06_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2016_05_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2016_04_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2016_03_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2016_02_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2016_01_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2015_12_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2015_10_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2015_07_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2015_06_02
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2015_06_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2015_05_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2015_03_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2015_01_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2014_11_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2014_09_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2014_08_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2014_06_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2014_07_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2014_05_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2014_03_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2014_01_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2013_11_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2013_09_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2013_08_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2013_07_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2013_06_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2013_05_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2013_03_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2013_01_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2012_11_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2012_10_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2012_09_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2012_08_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2012_07_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2012_06_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2012_05_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2012_04_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2012_03_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2012_02_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2011_12_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2011_10_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2011_09_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2011_08_02
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2011_07_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2011_06_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2011_05_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2011_04_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2011_03_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2011_02_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2009_02_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2008_12_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2008_09_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2008_08_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2008_07_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2008_05_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2008_04_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2008_02_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2007_12_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2007_08_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2007_07_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2007_05_02
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2007_05_02
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2006_06_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2006_04_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2006_03_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2005_12_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2005_10_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2005_08_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2005_05_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2005_04_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2005_02_01
https://www.nxtbook.com/sosland/isb/2004_12_01
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com