So that's what happens at the Retail end!

The last CDP Plus session was the Retail Visit

The Pre Visit Briefing went like this.

Visits are split between independent retailers & Tesco (Express, Metro, Supermarkets & Metro) in order to get a feel for the very different dynamics of different kinds of outlets.

The aim of the visit is to get a real flavour of what it is like working in retail outlet and the processes involved in getting news + mags product on to the shelves.  Starting early when the physical delivery drops are being made is part of the experience!

Key areas to focus on.....

• Getting a feel from the shop owner/manager about issues such as cash flow / stock control / managing money and the “business side” of retailing.
• Seeing what is involved in some of the practical admin tasks.
• Getting a feel as to the overall business of the retailer, so understanding something about the space and margins that other categories enjoy  – What are news + magazines up against? How do other categories operate in terms of merchandising / promotional support / margins / etc.  Where in the store physically do news + mags sit? What is the role of news + mags in the overall consumer offer?

And here's what you thought

SUMMARY OF MY VISIT by Mei Wong of Menzies Distribution

My early morning visit to Tesco Express began at 7am where I was greeted by my smiling, cheery contact named Chamali. After a quick introduction, we immediately went straight to work on the shop floor. As we made our way to the magazine shelves, I noticed some boxes already stacked neatly next to them. It looks like I missed the delivery – according to Chamali, the magazines are delivered every Tuesday to Friday nights after closing time and the newspapers are delivered every morning between 3 and 4 am. The magazine shelf space is 5 metres long, which only occupies a small section of the store. It is situated close to the entrance, opposite the beverages section.

Chamali’s first task was to tidy up the magazine shelves – some of the magazines were upside down and or had been misplaced. There were labels placed on various parts of the magazine shelves to indicate where each magazine title should go. After a brisk tidy up, she opened the delivery boxes which contained supplies for replenishment. She counted the number of magazines delivered and compared it to the numbers in the delivery note to check for any discrepancies before replenishing the shelves. However, she encountered one magazine title, ‘Top Santé’ which she did not recognise being stocked on the shelves so she had to store them away and refer to their weekly bulletin with the latest updates on hotspots and promotions, and planogram to see when this title should be on the shelves. Chamali stored the copies of ‘Top Santé’ away in the drawers underneath the magazine shelves. Once the replenishment was completed, it was time to scan the magazines to return to the wholesalers. Each magazine was scanned with a handheld device. The magazines sent off for return would be left outside the store each evening for collection.

The last task for the morning consisted of filing away the delivery notes and we then bid our farewells as Chamali proceeded to complete her other administrative duties for the day.

Read the full report here.