MERCHANDISE PRESENTATION

Transcription

1 UNIT 5 MERCHANDISE PRESENTATION Merchandise Structure 5.0 Objectives 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Concept of Planogram 5.3 Creation of Planogram 5.4 Macro Space Planning Deciding Product Categories Adjacencies Placing Product Categories Brand Layout 5.5 Micro Space Planogram 5.6 Types of Merchandise presentations 5.7 Types of Fixtures Gondola Bins Pallets Hanging Rails 5.8 Let Us Sum Up 5.9 Key Words 5.10 Answers to Check Your Progress 5.11 Terminal Question 5.0 OBJECTIVES After studying this unit, you should able to explain the concept of Planogram discuss the process of creating Planogram describe the steps to create a new Planogram discuss the macro and micro space of Planogram list of various fixtures 5.1 INTRODUCTION As the name suggests it is the way you showcase a product to the customer. The way different merchandise are displayed or placed, affects its sales to a great extent. Merchandise presentations first starts at, where the product categories are decided to be placed. Secondly, how are they placed within that allocated area and hence, the merchandise presentation can be divided into product adjacencies on the sale floor i.e. Macro space planning and merchandise display in its allocated area on the designated fixtures i.e. Micro space planning. This allocation of products and categories within a store and on fixtures are called planograms. In this unit, you will learn about concept of planogram, creation of planogram, types of merchandise presentation and various types of fixtures. 67

2 Visual Merchandising and Store Management 5.2 CONCEPT OF PLANOGRAMS Planogram refers to a diagrammatic representation of how the fixtures and merchandise are to be placed within a given space, either on the store sales floor or on an individual fixture. It makes product stacking easier and is a first priority to make merchandise display organized and strategic. Drawing up a planogram is of immense help to the store staff for organized stacking of the store shelves and achieving functional grouping and a standard store look. This will free the floor staff to concentrate on their other duties instead of worrying about the stacking. According to the oxford dictionary, It is a diagram or medal that indicates the placement of retail product on shelves in order to maximize sales A Planogram should also illustrate how many facings are allocated for each skill. The complexity of a planogram may vary by the size of the store, the software used to create the planogram and the need of the retailer. Planograms can be as simple or more detailed with numbered peg holes and shelf notches showing exact placement of each item. Apart from having an aesthetically presentable store, a planogram aims at increasing profits by arranging the merchandise in a tactical and scientific manner after a thorough analysis of the sales, margins, market share, etc. This is especially true for planograms for FMCG goods (Fast Moving Consumer Goods). Reducing the wastage of selling space through maximizing and optimum space utilizations is another aim of planogramming. Product placement and improved sales are just two very basic reasons a retailer should be implementing planograms in their shops. Planograms provide many other positive benefits such as: Utilization of every square foot of space A better visual appeal Strong inventory control and reduction of out of stocks. Good and specific planograms increases lifetime customer loyalty. Creation of an optimal commercial product placement. 5.3 CREATION OF PLANOGRAMS 68 Planograms are made with the help of a planograming software. Earlier the software was based on a manual painting of shelving units. This needed an advance level of human intervention to create the planograms for stores. This software has very much evolved in the retail industry. The objective of the software has been to ensure that the right products are in the right quantities at the right time on a store by store basis. There are a variety of softwares available in the market to help create planograms and are extremely helpful in the planogramming process. These planograms can be bought for the office systems after free trial versions are tried and tested. Some of these softwares and their websites are named below: 1. JDA- JDA has designed a number of software, space planning being one of them. It is a comprehensive package widely used in any type of retailing. 2. Visual Retailing- Visual Retailing has developed software like Mock Shop and Sample room to help visual and clear planogram and assortment analysis specifically for fashion retail. Developed in UK and Romania, their Indian solution partner is Ptex Solutions ( 3. Shelf Logic -

3 4. Plano Graphics Smart Draw Planogram Builder- Merchandise Figure 5.1: Cloth Merchandising Planogram Steps Involved in Creating a New Planogram There are mainly seven steps to create a new Planogram. They are as follows: 1. Object - A Planogram is a diagrammatic presentation of retail chain to determine the layout of a store. The main object of Planogram is to provide customers with the user-friendly and best selling merchandise. Another object of Planogram is to guide the customer through the Store in a way that produces the largest sales volumes for the retailer. 2. Contain - A planogram contains a visual schematic as well as a product listing. Therefore these products can be easily used by a merchandiser to place the products on the shelf. These Planogram mainly operated with the aid of computerized shelf management programs which are updated frequently to keep up with the everchanging marketplace. 3. Purpose - The main purpose of Planogram is to utilize the proper space with each section and increasing the profit by arranging the merchandise in tactical and scientific manner. 4. Factors - There are mainly three factors of Planogram. These are i) the cover page ii) the schematic iii) the stock keeping unit (sku) with accompanying universal product codes (upc). The cover page contains general information and instruction. The schematic shows the overall layout of each section along with number of shelves needed the proper shelf heights. The SKU listing and UPC codes tell the merchandiser the correct placement of each item as the proper number of facings or number of shelves positions, each product is to receive. 69

4 Visual Merchandising and Store Management 5. Design - In the present scenario almost every retail chain adapts computerized space management software to lay out at their store. The aim of the program is full of information regarding the size of the product and selling the product in faster and better way as well determination of proper shelf positioning. 6. Implementation - Store is usually set by the team of professional merchandisers or by store employees. Some times, store is reset while it is closed and some times it is performed during shopping hours. The merchandise are work in a teams with each member possessing a copy of the Planogram for section being set. 7. Follow up - Planogram is not static. As new product enters in the market old once are discontinued by the manufacturer, there is a need to upgrade the Planogram both at the office as well as at the Store. Look at the figure 5.2 which shows the Planogram featuring textile product. Figure 5.2: Planogram Featuring Textile Product. 5.4 MACRO SPACE PLANOGRAM You have learnt the product category adjacencies on the sale floor. Macro space planogram is a diagram of the Store layout with clearly defined areas for each department and/or each merchandise category. It gives an overview of the basic merchandise placement on a sales floor. It is the first and the most crucial step in merchandise presentation while setting up a new Store. In order to develop macro space planogram, you are required to decide product categories adjacencies and the placing of product categories. Let us learn about them in detail Deciding Product Categories Adjacencies 70 While deciding category adjacencies always remember to place categories that complement each other side by side. This will help to cross merchandise the products

5 and be beneficial to the customer to match the accessories and garments. For example, the bag and shoe department can be side by side to facilitate co-ordination. Similarly the belts fixture could be placed near the fixture holding pants. A note to remember would that well-known brands act as anchors as the customers identify them, and comprehend what to expect in that particular department. Example: When a customer sees the brand name BIBA or W will instantly realize that particular section of the department hold Indian wears. The merchandise can be grouped are as follows: i) By end user: The end user or merchandise can be a man, woman, children or it can be a unisex commodity. Most men find it uncomfortable to browse for their requirements in a department which keeps merchandise for both men and women together within the same area. Hence, it is more comfortable for both men and women if the apparels and other products are kept in separate sections. There should be clearly defined sections/departments for men s wear, women s wear and kids wear. However, the areas where these departments meet could be separated with a neutral section like footwear, home wear or perhaps a cash counter. ii) By the end use: The merchandise should be segregated according to the end use i.e. Formals/ office wear should be displayed together while party/ fancy dresses should be displayed separately on a different fixture. Similarly casuals like denim and tees should also be stacked and displayed on a separate fixture. iii) By style/theme: Some collections are designed with a particular theme or style. These apparels need to be displayed or stacked together as the customer can get a chance to view the options available to him in that particular style. iv) By brand: In large department stores the brands are an important part in defining a particular department. All the brands that sell similar type of merchandise should be placed together. Example: Levis, Pepe, Spykar, etc. should all be placed within the same selling area as they are all denim brands. Similarly brands like Louis Philippe, Arrow, etc. should be displayed side by side as they fall in the same category of formal wear. Look at the Figure 5.3 which shown the Product Categories by brand in Men s formal department like Louis Philippe Merchandise Figure 5.3: Men s Formal Department, Shoppers Stop, Delhi 71

6 Visual Merchandising and Store Management v) By color: Some stores prefer to color block the entire sales floor. All the merchandise is segregated as per color. Colors are given the first preference followed by end use and style. This creates a very strong visual impact and is beneficial to the customers. You must be aware that most customers may shop for colors. One of the sores that used color blocking in this way is Globus, Inorbit mall, Vashi Placing product categories/brand on layout Before we start placing the merchandise on the sale floor we need to understand the floor layout. You should consider that which areas within the store can act as hot spots, which will attract the eye of the customer, etc. Let us learn about them in detail. Look at the Figure 5.4 to understand the floor layout. These steps are as follow: 72 Figure 5.4: Design of Floor Layout. i) Landing: It refers to the first 6 to 7 feet inside the store after entering the store. It is in this area that the customer is still adjusting to the store ambiance. Hence he may not comprehend any sales message that may be displayed before him. Any merchandise displayed or signage displayed in this area will not fulfill its purpose and will not be comprehended. ii) Zone 1: This is the first area that will be seen by the customer and hence is prime sales area. It should hold the most salable merchandise. Clearance or sale merchandise, or promotional merchandise should be placed in this zone. iii) Zone 2: This area tends to have the largest number of foot falls and should hold the merchandise and brand that sell. It is zone of high turn over. iv) Zone 3: This is an important area. As we go further into the store, the merchandise stacked and displayed should be more fashion forward and trendy. v) Zone 4: As it is located at the end of the store, it is likely to receive low foot falls. Hence the most desirable merchandise (destination items) should be placed in this zone so as to encourage more customers to walk through the store till the end of the store to reach these items. This will expose the customers to a larger assortment of products in the store which they would have missed otherwise. vi) High points: The high points should be eye catching and inviting. As they can be viewed from the entrance, they should hold the most desirable merchandise in that section that represents what that area holds. They can act as anchors to pull the customer inside the store. The primary locations within the store are always a subject of deep considerations and debate as some prominent brands might have issues if not allocated these desirable

7 locations. Smaller brand however will do well if positioned besides the more prominent ones, to which their customers aspire. Hence an in-depth brand positioning and customer profile understanding is extremely important. 5.5 Merchandise MICRO SPACE PLANOGRAM You have already learnt about the concept of Planogram, creation of Planogram and macro space Planogram. Lets us learn about the micro space plano gram and the types of merchandise presentation. The product display technique to be used/used on the fixtures within a category, when depicted in a diagram is Micro space planogram. Each planogram comprises a visual representations/diagram as well as a schematic report detailing where each product will appear. Earlier, it used to be one planogram for all the stores.today, the need is to create individual planogram for each store, reflecting that store s unique pattern of demand, demographics, competitive situation and possible varied layouts and fixtures. Figure 5.5: Planogram Created in JDA for Fabric care category, Spinach Figure 5.6: A shelf Schematic Report Created in JDA for Fabric care category, Spinach 73

8 Visual Merchandising and Store Management The creation of Planogram for fabric and self schematic report are depicted in Figures 5.5 and 5.6. There are a number of methods and techniques that can be applied to display the merchandise, each of which need to be thought over, and the one best suited to the store and brand should be implemented. Check your progress A 1. What is planogram? 2. What is placing product categories? 3. Define micro space planogram. 4. Which of the following statements are true or false? a) The allocation of products and categories within a store and on fixtures are called Planograms. b) The end user or merchandise cannot be man, woman, or children. c) High point can be viewed from entrance. d) Color blocking is one of the negative methods to display the fashion merchandises. e) Planograms are not important for neat merchandise presentation TYPES OF MERCHANDISE PRESENTATIONS There are various types of merchandise presentations. Let us learn them in detail. i) Colour blocking: Colour blocking is one of the safest methods to display fashion merchandise. Depending on the color pallet used in the collection to be displayed a color spectrum can be created to guide the eyes of the customers through the display. Colour blocking can create a strong impact if the merchandise is arranged as per the colours of the rainbow/colour wheel starting from red followed through to violet. Red being the brightest and strongest coloor to attract attention and the rhythm of the colour wheel guides the eyes through the collection. If you find it difficult to remember the colours of the rainbow simply try and remember this name Roy G. Biv that stands for Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo Violet.

9 Merchandise ii) iii) Figure 5.7: Color Blocking Product blocking: Large stores, especially home décor stores prefer to stock only one merchandise type in the entire fixture repeating it in different colors. This created a very strong visual impact and is convenient to the customers to find the right merchandise for them. Horizontal/vertical blocking: When displaying a large number of same merchandise one can stack them either horizontally or vertically. Note that the largest and the heaviest product should come at the bottom shelf (to ensure safety while handling the product) whereas the lightest and smallest at the top (as it will be easier to handle). iv) Figure 5.8: Horizontal Blocking Symmetric/balanced: A planogram could be designed or the fixture could be so arranged to form symmetry. For example, an equal level of waterfall arms and shelves could be maintained on both sides at the same height and level to form a mirror image. Symmetry in design is more accepted as most people comprehend symmetry whereas symmetry confuses people. The other way to maintain balance in a planogram is to repeat the set of fixture design in terms of shelf, arms, etc. being maintained in number and on the same height. Nevertheless while detailing the planogram for a fixture, especially a wall planogram, a certain level of artistic balance should be maintained. 75

10 Visual Merchandising and Store Management Figure 5.9: Symmetric/balanced wall planogram v) Price blocking: Some retailers prefer to display the products based on the price point of the merchandise within their category. Depending on the flow of footfalls in the aisle the merchandise flow could be from high price point to a lower price point. You must be conversant with some of the common terminologies used while discussing planograms which are discussed below. These terminologies may be very useful when you visit a Mall. Facings- The front view of a product when kept on the fixture/shelf is a facing. Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) Every individual type of product/merchandise is given its own unique numbering or an ID in the data entry process. This number/id helps in removing confusion that a product name or description may create. Horizontal Facings- The number of facings of a product/sku placed horizontally on a shelf. Vertical Facings- The number of facings of a SKU placed vertically one on top of the other. Depth Facings- The number of facings of a SKU (one behind the other) placed to fill the depth of the shelf. Orientation- The position in which the SKU is kept on the shelf, in relation to the product packaging is called orientation. Front orientation- If the SKU is kept with the front of its packaging facing the front of the bay it is front orientation. Base orientation- When the SKU is kept on its back with front of its packaging facing the ceiling, it is base orientation. 76 Figure 5.10: Shelf Display Planogram

11 5.7 TYPES OF FIXTURES Merchandise There is a variety of fixtures available in the market today to choose from. The choice of fixture should depend upon the look and feel that is to be conveyed as an overall visual package, the quantity of merchandise estimated to hold and the overall layout of the sales floor. A thorough market survey of the options available in the market should be studied, along with the cost-quality analysis before taking the decision. The fixtures are very important as the sales depend on the customers interacting with them. Fixtures can broadly be divided into four type. These are discussed below: i) Capacity fixtures: These fixtures can hold a large quantity of merchandise. They are large in size and should be placed at the rear of the store or along the walls. They usually hold different varieties of the same merchandise like bed sheets or curtains with the same pattern but in different sizes and colors. Example: wall units and fixtures. ii) Feature fixtures: They are fixtures designed to hold an assortment or a group of co-ordinated merchandise. The number merchandise that can be displayed in these fixtures is less compared to the capacity fixtures. They are placed at the front of the department or store. Example: round rack, 2way or 4 way browsers. iii) Custom made fixtures: These fixtures are specially designed keeping in mind the interiors of the store and represent the brand they are designed for. They could be theme fixtures designed in an innovative shape or just designed to service the specific needs of a particular store. They are usually elaborately designed to attract the attention of the customers. Look at the figure 5.11 which shows the use of fixtures in the stores. iv) Figure 5.11: Hamleys at High Street Phoenix Mills, Mumbai Vendor fixtures: Some vendors prefer to supply their own fixtures to the retails. These vendor fixtures have the suppliers own branding on it. This is marketing strategy to reinforce their brand image and identity. These type of fixtures are usually seen in supermarkets, Kirana stores, etc. 77

12 Visual Merchandising and Store Management Figure 5.12: Coca Cola Refrigerators Cool Maal Fixtures Let us now have a look at the different types of floor fixtures used in mall. These are as follows: Gondolas Gondolas are floor fixtures and are used in supermarkets and hypermarkets. They can be accessed from both sides. The backboard uses the keyhole strip mechanism with brackets to hold the shelving which can be adjusted to any required heights and a pegboard for hanging pegs. They are free standing and come in many size, or one can get them made to a particular size depending up on the store requirements. However it is advisable to maintain a standard size throughout the brand stores to maintain uniformity. Pegboard Peg Figure 5.13: Gondola Parts of Gondola a) Wall fixtures: Similar to gondolas, wall fixtures are larger in size and have shelves on only one side. They are placed against the walls. 78 Figure 5.14: Wall Fixture

13 b) End cap: The fixtures that are placed at the edges of the aisles of the gondolas are called end caps. They are same as the gondolas in mechanism and size but like the wall fixtures have shelves on only one side. They usually hold the promotional items. Merchandise Figure 5.15: End Cap Figure 5.16: More Megastore, Hyderabad The figure 5.15 shows the endcaps used as shelve and Figure 5.16 shows the fixture uses pigs to hold merchandise Bins They refer to the square or round containers which are used to hold small merchandises. The merchandise is dumped into the bins and not arranged and the customers have to dig into the bin to find the product they want. They are usually used to hold small impulse item like soft toys, chips etc. and are placed near the cash counters. These fixtures are used extensively in supermarkets, hypermarkets and in kid toy stores. There are different type of bins as described below: a) Promo/dump bins: They are large in size and are free standing floor fixtures. These bins are used for promotional items and are placed near the cash counters or in the aisle way. Figure 5.17: Dump Bins 79

14 Visual Merchandising and Store Management Figure 5.18: Dump Bins Used in Planet Sports, DB City Mall, Bhopal b) Stackable bins: Stackable bins are smaller in size where one bin is stacked on top of the other to form a vertical standing fixture similar to the gondola only smaller in size.bins c) Grocery bins: Grocery bins are used to hold fresh produce like onions, potatos, tomatos, etc. They are used in super/hyper markets. Look at the figure 5.19 which shows Grocery bins used for grains. Figure 5.19: Spar, Mangalore and Vegetables at Spar, Mantri Square Mall, Bengaluru Pallets A pallet is a low high platform used to display merchandise on the floor. It rises the height of the display from the floor to give it an emphasis. It is mostly used in super/ hyper markets to display bulk or heavy merchandise which are stacked in a pyramid form. Look at the figures 5.20 which show Pallets are used for different purpose in malls. 80 Figure 5.20: Ruci & Idoni, Hyderabad Basecamp, Inorbit Mall, Pune

15 a) Nested tables: Nested tables refer to tables which are placed one after the other, the top most being the largest one followed by a smaller one and then a smaller, in the form of steps to display merchandise. Usually two or three tables are used. An attractive display can be created by placing a bust or other display form and props to displays the merchandise on the top table, and stacking the same merchandise on the lower tables in different sizes and colors. This creates an inviting display that encourages the customer to pick up the merchandise displayed on the top. Look at the Figure 5.21 which show different types of Nested tables used for garments shops in malls. Merchandise Fiure 5.21: Nested Tables at Zara, Select Citywalk Mall, Delhi Nested Tables at Shoppers Stop, Delhi b) Tier/Pyramid tables:unlike nested tables where each tables separate/detached, tier table is a single fixture unit. The levels are created and attached to the base in the shape of a pyramid. Tier table can be of any shape like round, square or rectangle. Look at the Figure 5.22 which show Tier/Pyramid table. Figure 5.22: Tier/Pyramid table Landmark, Ambience Mall, Delhi Check your progress B 1. What do you mean by fixtures? 81

16 Visual Merchandising and Store Management 2. Enumerate the different types of fixtures. 3. Fill in the blanks a. Planograms are made with the help of. b. Capacity fixtures can hold merchandise. c. Vendor fixtures are usually seen in.. d. Side arms structures along the wall. e. Steps arms have 3. Fill in the blanks a. Planograms are made with the help of. b. Capacity fixtures can hold merchandise. c. Vendor fixtures are usually seen in.. d. Side arms structures along the wall. e. Steps arms have in the form of step protruding forward. in the form of step protruding forward Hanging Rails a) Two/Four way racks: They are free standing fixtures. A two way has two arms jutting out on two opposite sides and a four way has four arms jutting out from all four sides. They are usually used to display co-ordinated merchandises like shirts and trousers or skirts. They are very commonly used fixture for garment display in retail stores, throughout different formats and are available in a variety of different designs and styles. Look at the Figure 5.23 which shows two way Racks used for different purposes in store. Different types of two way racks: Figure 5.23 With Straight Arms With Waterfall Arms With One Straight and One Waterfall Arm 82

17 Different basic four way racks: Merchandise Figure 5.24: With Straight arms With Waterfall Arms With Two Straight and Two Waterfall Arm b) Round racks: They are round rack used to hang the merchandise. Their heights can be adjusted according to the garment to be displayed on them. Round racks can be used to display same merchandise in different colors or for co-coordinating merchandise. It is a very commonly used fixture to display bulk merchandise. Figure 5.25: Round Racks c) Wall treatments: There are variety of different wall treatments that can be done for its optimum utilization to display merchandise make aesthetically pleasing and attract attention. Some of the most common treatments and fixtures used are listed below: d) Slat walls: These are horizontal groves covered either with wood or laminated that can be mounted directly onto the wall. Slat wall system comes in panels and can be bought from any vendor supplying retail fixtures. Slat wall give a sleek and clean look unlike a bulky fixture place in front of the wall. Once the slat wall is installed the additions like the arms and shelves can be added and moved as per the display requirement. 83

18 Visual Merchandising and Store Management Figure 5.26: Slat Wall Section Slat Wall used on a Pillar in Odyssey India Ltd., New Delhi e) Grid wall: They are grid metallic panels mounted on the wall. Similar to the slat wall the additions like arms and shelves are added on the grid. However, the grid wall can make the store look too mechanical. Figure 5.27 Grid Wall Metal Mesh Grid Wall, SPORTXS, store in Mantri Square, Bangalore f) 84 Keyhole strip: Also known as wall standards, they are similar to the ones that appear at the edges of the gondolas. These are strips with rectangular holes rubbing throughout the strip, in which the brackets are attached. These strips when used as wall treatment can either be concealed behind a wooden or laminate panel for a more sophisticated look or be exposed for a more rugged or grunge look.

19 Merchandise Figure 5.28: Keyhole Strips/Wall Standards Exposed Keyhole Strips used in Zara Select Citywalk, Delhi Figure 5.29: Concealed Keyhole Strips at Shoppers Stop, Mantri Square, Bengaluru g) Before we proceed further to the different types of fixture additions available for display, let us first understand the difference in the mechanisms that each wall treatment will require. Below are the figures of the different fittings required for each wall treatment: Figure 5.30: For Slat Wall For Grid Wall For Keyhole Strips h) Brackets: There are a huge variety of brackets that are available in the market to choose from. Some brackets are to be mounted directly on the wall while some are designed to be mounted on slat walls, grid walls or keyholes. These brackets are also referred as bracket shelving as a glass or wooden shelf base is placed on the 85

20 Visual Merchandising and Store Management bracket. Look at Figures 5.31 and 5.32 which show the different types of brackets used for different purposes in walls. Figure 5.31: Bracket Shelving for Slat Walls Bracket Shelving for Grid Wall Bracket for Keyhole Strip Figure 5.32: Brackets to be Fixed Directly to the Wall i) Arms: They are the attachments available to be mounted on the slat wall, grid wall or keyhole strip. The rod of the arm can be round, square, oval or rectangular. 1. Straight arm: They jut out at the front and are straight. 2. Step arms: Step arms have two levels in the form of step protruding forward. 3. Waterfall: They slope forward and have small nodes that help to stop the hangers from slipping down. 4. Side arms: This arm stretches horizontally along the wall. 86

21 Merchandise Figure 5.33: Square Straight Arm Oval Step Arm Rectangular Waterfall Round Sidearm Other display accessories: Figure 5.34: Hat Display Basket 5.8 LET US SUM UP Diagrammatic Planogram is of immense help to the store staff for organized stacking of the store shelves and achieving functional grouping and a standard store look. Hence merchandise presentation can be divided into product adjacencies on sale floor i.e Macro space planning and merchandise display in its allocated area on the designated fixtures i.e Micro space planning. Planograms are made with the help of planograming software. This software has very much evolved in the retail industry. The objective of the software has been to ensure that the right products are in the right quantities at the right time on a store by store basis. 87

22 Visual Merchandising and Store Management Macro space planogram is the first and the most crucial step in merchandise presentation while setting up a new store, whereas Micro space planogram is the product display technique to be used on fixtures with in a category, when depicted in a diagram. There are several types of merchandise presentation like colour blocking, product blocking, horizontal blocking, symmetric and price blocking. There are a variety of fixtures available in the market today to choose from. The choice of fixture should depend upon the look and feel that is to be conveyed as an overall visual package, the quantity of merchandise it is estimated to hold and the overall layout of the sales floor. Fixtures can broadly be divided into four types i.e capacity fixtures, feature fixtures, custom made fixtures, vendor fixtures. 5.9 KEY WORDS Bins Color Blocking : They refer to round or square containers which are used to hold small merchandise. : Color Bloching is one of the safest methods to display fashion merchandise. Fixturer : Something that is fixed or attached (as to a building) as a permanent appendage or as a structural part. Gondals : Gondals are floor fixtures and are used in supermarkets and hypermarkets. They can be accessed from both sides. High points : The high points should be eye catching and as they can be viewed from the entrance and should hold the most desirable merchandise in that section that represents what that area holds. Macro space planning : It is a diagram of the store layout with clearly defined for each department and each merchandise category. Micro space planning : The Product display technique to be used on the fixtures with in a category as depicted in diagram. Stock Keeping Limit (SKU) : Every individual product is given its own unique numbership or ID in the data entry process. Placing product categories : The areas within the store act as hot spots, which will attract the eye of the customer. Planogram : Planogram refers to a diagrammatic representation of how the fixtures and merchandise is to be place within a given space, either on the store sales floor or on an individual fixture. Symmetric/balanced : A Planogram could be designed or the fixture could be so arranged to form symmetry ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS 88 A4 a) True b) False c) True d) False e) False B3 a) Planogram Software b) Large Quantity c) Supermarket d)horizontally e) Two levels

23 5.11 TERMINAL QUESTIONS Merchandise 1. What do you understand by macro space Planogram? Discuss the important steps while setting up a new store. 2. Discuss the types of merchandise presentation and distinguish between micro space Planogram and macro space Planogram 3. What do you understand by fixtures? Discuss types of fixtures in detail. 4. How do you place a product categories /brand on layout in new store? Explain with diagram. 5. Write notes on: a) High points b) Fixtures c) Deciding product categories adjacencies d) Symmetric/balanced 89