In this age of modern behaviours, there are some things which have remained largely unchanged; like the habits and behaviours of retail. Even though the vending platforms have vastly shifted into more of an online realm, the supply chain has retained itself quite well.
Still when you are learning these new rules, you are going to run into problems with things, like merchandise management and brand control. In order to get acquainted with these new rules, it’s important to take a step back and remember some of the things which are essential in the supply chain.
Purchase: The first thing which every retailer needs to be in control of is their POS and purchasing powers. With your vendors, you need to be able to keep your order flow fresh. With your customers, they need to be involved at every step. If your customers can’t buy the products they want or if they buy them and something comes back askew or is a no-show, you will have lost so much potential business. So, keeping your purchasing channels operating efficiently is really smart.
Distribution: Your customers need to get their things; there can’t be any issues in the distribution chain. If your website says that they will have their merchandise the next day by 5pm local time, then it has got to get there. Even worse are the regular deliveries which are supposed to be there in 3-5 business days which go on for too long. In either event, neither should happen.
Promotion: If no one knows about your merchandise, did it ever really exist at all? You need to be the one who is front and center with your products promotional efforts and you need to have management which is right there with you. If your team doesn’t have a strategy to roll out your product during a promotion cycle, then you are fooling yourself. Commercials and adverts come out at a certain time and no matter how innovative or fresh your product is you won’t reach a mass audience without a firm marketing plan in place.
Brand: Another thing that your management team can partner with you on is your product’s brand identity. If you have a strong affiliation with your brand, you need to have a management company that is equally there with you. If your company doesn’t have a strong brand ID yet you need to be working with a team who can help you realize that fully. Your product is your baby and your brand identity needs to be in lock step with how you’d like your company to be. It’s the same for a parent and child; if your brand isn’t emerging as you’d like it to, you need to refocus those efforts immediately.
Quality: One more area where a good management team can really help you reap rewards is in your product’s overall quality. If you have product going out from wherever in the world it’s coming from and the quality suffers, so does your company name. You need to be laser-focused and ensure your company stands tall!
If you have been seeking help for the management of your merchandise and you don’t know where to turn for help, fear not! There is a great resource for you that you and your team can use right now; Arcadia Branded Merchandise.
They can help you take control of your whole product cycle from purchase through distribution and promotion. Hang onto your brand and keep your merchandise in check; give these guys a call or visit their website to learn more!