Today, in conditions of tough competition, everyone counts only on themselves. Someone is betting on a seasonal business to take advantage of short-term shoppers and maximize profits. And for some, on the contrary, due to the seasonality factor, significant problems arise with the drop in sales and the consequences of these recessions.
Let's first figure out whether these are really seasonal fluctuations, or is the drop in sales volumes not related to seasonality and an adjustment of the business strategy itself is required. To do this, it is necessary to analyze the company's sales over the past several years (experts believe that at least three years). If during this time the figures for each year increase by 20% or more, and fluctuations (ups and downs) are characteristic only for certain periods (coinciding annually), we can talk about the seasonality in sales. Of course, the decline in consumer activity in certain periods of the year is familiar to every enterprise. Oddly enough, in different months the sales volumes of even consumer goods are uneven. So, in the summer, when large cities are empty, sales of those goods and services for which demand is high throughout the year (for example, bakery products, personal hygiene products, hairdresser services, etc.) fall by 10-15%.
However, fluctuations in the range of 10–20% of the average monthly sales volume are sometimes imperceptible and do not cause significant harm to the business. Especially if the company is successfully operating and the sales volume at the end of the year is growing steadily. These fluctuations are considered moderately seasonal and do not require major intervention, although they should not be ignored in planning. But what about those companies whose sales volumes can fall in certain months by 30% or more? For example, the sales schedule for 2006-2008 of a company selling shoe care products and accessories (creams, paints, impregnations, deodorants for shoes, brushes and sponges, insoles, laces, etc.) looks like this (Fig. 1).
As can be seen from the graph, the activity of this company has a pronounced seasonal character: the peak of sales, which falls on October-December, and a sharp drop to almost zero (April-August), are clearly distinguishable. Similar fluctuations are repeated over the course of three years in approximately the same months, due to the seasonality of the business. And this phenomenon is easily explained, since the so-called weather factors are important for the sales of shoe care products. Shoes need to be cleaned all year round, but if you don't remember about it in summer, then with the onset of the rainy season, slush and mud, the question of the need to take care of your shoes is no longer worth it. Of course, the company's assortment also includes goods, the demand for which is stable throughout the year. For example, insoles, laces, shoe horns and sponges are in demand all year round. But their implementation is about 15% of the total volume in monetary terms, which does not bring sufficient profit during the period of a sharp drop in sales. In addition to weather factors, there are many other reasons for seasonal fluctuations in demand. Let's take a look at this problem.
Fluctuations in demand depending on the season are primarily associated with changes in weather and climatic conditions. In the example that we considered above, the company offers on the market a product (shoe care products) that is in demand mainly in the cold season. So, with the beginning of autumn, shoes and clothes of the autumn-winter assortment, leather goods, heaters, medicines for colds, etc. are actively being bought up. etc.
Table 1 lists some examples of goods and services that are in demand on specific holidays and dates.
This group of factors includes such a phenomenon in the real estate market as an increase in demand for suburban real estate ( summer cottages) in spring-summer and, accordingly, fall - in autumn-winter. Similar trends can be seen in the automotive market (especially in the used car market). This is due to the fact that car enthusiasts prefer to buy cars in the beginning. summer season and before the holiday season. In the same time winter period is considered unfavorable for the operation of a car, since there are many negative factors (dirt, snow, salt, ice, an increase in the number of accidents).
During the year, there are several periods of downturn in business activity. For example, the second half of January, when such a decline is a consequence of the long New Year holidays. Many people note a drop in sales of certain groups of goods during the May holidays, which is associated with an abundance of weekends, out-of-town vacations, and the beginning of the summer cottage season. The decline in sales volumes is also typical for the summer months, when the period of vacations and vacations begins. Seasonality in sales has been identified, the reasons and factors affecting the growth and decline in sales have been analyzed, it remains to decide how to proceed.
It is believed that seasonal fluctuations in sales volumes almost always negatively affect the company's activities. Is it so? Let's take a look at all the pros and cons of such phenomena.
With a significant dependence of annual sales volumes on external factors (for example, weather), problems can be encountered even during a period when the maximum growth in consumer demand is expected. For example, companies involved in the production of insect repellents (repellents and insecticides) produce products that are in demand unevenly throughout the year. The maximum demand for these products is observed in the summer. In the previous two years, due to weather events, these companies faced certain problems. Due to the abnormally warm and humid winter of 2006-2007, a huge number of mosquitoes and all kinds of midges appeared in the summer, which had a beneficial effect on sales. The winter of 2007-2008 was also warm, and many companies planned this factor in their production volumes. But in February, for one week, frosts remained as low as -25 ° C, with almost complete absence of snow, which resulted in the death of almost all mosquitoes and midges. For this reason, there were practically no mosquitoes in the summer of 2008, and a huge amount of unsold products remained in warehouses.
For example, due to uneven demand for goods throughout the year, especially when fluctuations reach 100%, many companies face the problem of a shortage of warehouse and office space during a period of increasing demand. In such cases, it becomes necessary to search for additional square meters. It is not always possible to find free space in a convenient location, and this entails additional transportation costs and the cost of hiring additional employees. At the same time, if a company has enough warehouse and office space during the period of maximum consumer excitement, then during a drop in sales, many of them may be idle, which also increases the company's costs. In addition, the costs of maintaining employees throughout the year are imposed on the cost of products that are in great demand only in certain months!
In order to cut costs, the managers of many seasonal enterprises either lay off part of their employees during the quiet period, or initially hire employees only for the season, or reduce the level of wages. But by the beginning of the season of growth in consumer demand, companies often have problems with recruiting qualified personnel.
Thanks to high margins, a short seasonal spike in consumer activity can earn enough to offset the downtime.
If the periods of seasonal downturns in sales volumes do not last long, then, in order not to stop or disrupt the company's activities during the "high" season, managers use this time to carry out planned repairs, relocations, put equipment in order, improve and re-equip production, etc. ...
The time of decline in consumer activity is also convenient to use in order to develop and launch new products, which will subsequently replenish the company's assortment list and help increase sales.
Some enterprises, during a fall in consumer demand, pay great attention to personnel development in order to prepare people for high-quality work during a period of growth in sales. So, these are just some of the phenomena associated with the seasonality of the business, and the consequences caused by it. Let's think about what we can do.
There are two ways to deal with seasonal fluctuations in sales.
1. Promotion of sales.
2. Minimization of costs.
Let's consider each of them in detail.
This method of stimulating consumer demand is quite simple to use and is used everywhere as one of the main and most affordable. It does not require special training and investing additional funds, but not always equally effective for wholesale customers and retailers.
This method is a kind of discount. It consists in the fact that the price of a product remains unchanged throughout the year, but when buying a product or service in certain months, an increasing or decreasing coefficient is applied. Thus, during a period of sales recession, consumers are stimulated by more favorable conditions, and also due to various coefficients, the total profit of the enterprise is adjusted throughout the year (recessions are compensated by a raising coefficient, and decreasing coefficients stimulate an increase in sales when demand falls). This method is used when selling airtime on TV channels and radio stations, from air and rail carriers, on the Internet, etc. For example, on the ORT (Perviy) TV channel, seasonal coefficients were used (see Table 2).
Here we are not talking about interesting promotional events, sweepstakes and other marketing moves. This method is similar to the first, but requires more careful preparation. One of the stock options is the formation special kits from their products (or a package of services), which include several items of goods. This set usually includes non-seasonal or unpopular goods (one or more). At the same time, a more favorable price is formed for the set - in comparison with the one that the consumer would have to pay for all the goods separately. Such promotions are often practiced by sellers of household chemicals and "white" cosmetics.
This method includes a well-designed advertising strategy for the year. Of course, it requires additional costs (advertising budget) and the correct management of the allocated funds. When distributing the advertising budget, it is advisable to adhere to the following scheme (see Fig. 2). The essence of this method is not only to stimulate the sale of a particular product (service) and draw attention to it, but also to show new ways of using it, to create a need for it. So, for example, some manufacturers of household chemicals produce stain removers, the maximum demand for which falls on the warm season. In order to increase sales in the cold months, advertising for this product is based on the following: either you save money, but risk your time (since after washing, stains may appear on things that you did not notice), or you use our stain remover with each wash and do not worry about stains (they may not be!), and the time saved is wasting on yourself or your family.
This method differs from discounts and promotions in that the products are sold at their regular price, but customers are offered additional profitable terms... For example, deferred payments, free delivery of goods, etc. can act as a bonus.
The method is effective but risky. It is found in those markets where there is little competition or this area is monopolized.
In practice, this method looks like this. At the end of the period of decline in sales, after the first small deliveries of goods (when basically what remains after the seasonal peak is sold out), the company closes production due to re-equipment or for some other reason. The period of rise in demand for products begins of this enterprise... Since this is just the beginning, the consignments are usually small and there are enough stock balances for almost all regular customers. Then the demand increases, but the goods are no longer enough, and new deliveries are expected only after some time. Someone has the opportunity to wait, and someone starts looking for alternatives, but they are not always there. Thus, a line of customers is built up, and when the product does appear (even at a higher price), there is a real excitement, as many tend to stock up for future use.
A similar situation arose in St. Petersburg at the end of 2008 with vitamin D. In autumn, pediatricians prescribe to all babies from the first month of life preparations containing this vitamin, since if it is deficient, a child can develop such a serious disease as rickets. By December, the stocks of these drugs in pharmacy chains ran out. Panic began, my parents were ready to go to the opposite end of the city for vitamin D. In mid-January, preparations containing vitamin D began to enter the pharmacy chain, but at a new price that exceeded the old one by more than 100%. However, for fear of repetition a similar situation, people buy these drugs in multiple packages even at such a high price.
The artificial scarcity approach doesn't just work with retail customers. For example, in 2006 a large Russian enterprise engaged in the production of high and low pressure polyethylene, polystyrene, dyes and other industrial raw materials was closed for re-equipment (according to the management, after opening the company had to increase its production capacity several times). It was planned to launch the plant by the beginning of the season of active sales, but for some reason this period was shifted by several months. The plant produced raw materials for other industries, and, in order not to risk, the supply departments began to look for alternative suppliers. But in order to change the supplier, you must at least get samples from another manufacturer and test them; only then can you buy a batch of raw materials. Other suppliers, who did not expect a sharp increase in demand, did not cope with the emerging needs. Prices began to rise and the struggle for supplies began. As a result, by the long-awaited opening of the plant, everyone was ready to buy raw materials in new volumes (in order to create a stock for the next season) and at a new - increased - price.
Still, the most effective method of dealing with seasonal fluctuations is assortment adjustment, which can be done in several ways. The first is that new products are constantly being introduced into the assortment line, due to which the sales volume in general is growing. Another way is to add products to the product portfolio, the maximum demand for which will fall on the period of the greatest decline in sales of other products. For example, almost all companies in the world that sell shoe care products and accessories offer insect repellents for the summer season. And this is easily explained: they have opposite seasons of maximum consumer demand. However, it is most effective to adjust the assortment so that the product portfolio includes categories of goods (services) with the opposite seasonality and without pronounced factors affecting sales.
If it is not possible to change the offered assortment, the method of reorientation to a different target audience is often used. This is the method used by office supply sellers. Before the start of the school year, they focus on school supplies (meaning assortment for pupils and students), and the rest of the time - on supplying offices. This method is also common in the restaurant and hotel business. Hotels after graduation tourist season actively promote services for organizing conferences and other events (which is associated with the provision of special rooms, catering, accommodation for participants, etc.). In the warmer months, many restaurants try to organize additional open areas in order to attract new customers and thus compensate for the drop in sales at stationary sites. Unfortunately, sales promotion measures almost always require additional investments, so they are not available to all companies. But there is another way of dealing with seasonal fluctuations - minimizing costs during a period of falling consumer demand.
This issue can be solved in two ways: either to hire employees for the season, or to send employees on vacation strictly during the seasonal decline in sales. In the first case, there is a risk of a shortage of qualified specialists during the season. The seasonal mode of work at one leather haberdashery enterprise is organized in an interesting way. The products of this company are sold unevenly throughout the year, but the fluctuations do not last long (this was achieved due to the correct assortment policy). Thus, the company has a certain vacation schedule: during the period of maximum demand for products, the sales department works, and production goes on vacation in large quantities, while during the maximum drop in demand, the sales department leaves on vacation (only the required minimum of employees remains), and production is active fills warehouses with new products for the next seasonal surge.
Many companies, which in the season are engaged in installing windows for the population, during a period of declining demand, reorient themselves to glazing houses during construction. Another example: in the summer, when the demand for ski equipment is practically zero, the companies involved in this build ski resorts.
In order to avoid an increase in costs due to downtime of equipment and premises during a seasonal drop in demand, contract manufacturing can be organized at our own facilities. So, an organization engaged in the production and sale of natural extracts in the cold season, in the warm season, procured raw materials, but the production capacity was idle. In order to cut costs, the company was able to conclude a contract for the use of its equipment for the production of certain types of household chemicals (since the client company did not have enough capacity of its own).
For example, you can leave only maintaining the site and providing customers with printed advertising products on demand. Of course, there are many ways to influence the level of sales during seasonal fluctuations, but when choosing them, it is necessary to take into account who these measures will be aimed at: what is suitable for wholesale contractors may not be effective for retail consumers. Seasonal drops in sales are present in virtually all industries. The most effective method of dealing with them is to skillfully maneuver between incentives and cost reductions. Each company, on the basis of its own experience, over several years develops its own algorithm of actions that allows you to significantly smooth out seasonal fluctuations and achieve maximum profitability.
Expert opinion
Yulia Novoselskaya, Head of the Marketing Department of the International Academy of Quality and Marketing
Seasonality is typical for many products. At the same time, it is important whether the product is really of a pronounced seasonal nature, or whether the demand for it can be maintained at the required level even during the recession.
Several years ago, while working at a parachute factory, we encountered the seasonality factor in the production of parachute systems for water recreation. Parasails were in demand only in the spring and in the first months of summer. In conditions of high variable costs and rapid obsolescence, it was impractical to produce goods for a warehouse. Only a seasonal decrease in production volumes seemed justified. However, it was decided to enter new sales markets to neutralize the seasonality factor caused by weather conditions. After conducting marketing research and a set of preparatory measures, sales of parasails began in the UAE and on the coast Mediterranean Sea... This decision turned out to be correct, because it allowed not only to level out the seasonality, but also to improve the product by improving it. quality characteristics... I suppose you shouldn't immediately draw disappointing conclusions and focus only on minimizing costs during the seasonal decline in sales, sometimes you can argue with nature! And the experience of conducting sales promotion activities during the recession has shown that the launch of such programs should be treated with caution, carefully calculating all possible receipts and costs. It is important to avoid mistakes when determining the effectiveness of sales promotion activities.
Prepare the sleigh in the summer. This folk wisdom, well known to everyone from childhood, gains special subtext for business owners... It is believed that the seasonal lull is natural and inevitable.
It is difficult to name a business that would not be subject to the influence of the season on production and sales. The factors shaping this kind of market trends are numerous: starting from trivial weather conditions and ending with religious posts.
The sale of consumer goods in the summer is less active due to vacations and trips to the country.
Entrepreneurs planning their business in seasonality, are obliged to pay attention to the little things, and even for obvious trends, accuracy in calculations sometimes plays a key role.
Let's start with the "nice" products that are especially popular in the summer:
Though seasonality for each of the markets its own, general trends can be identified. The sale of consumer goods in the summer is less active, including through vacations and trips to the country, warns Igor Berezin.
Indeed, if we look at the statistics of the "Romir" holding, we will see: the expenses of Russians in June-July decreased both in absolute and in relative terms. In June, the cost of purchasing food and consumer goods decreased by 9.5% compared to May, and in July - by 7.5% compared to June.
It should be remembered that excessive heat in summer makes seasonal trends more pronounced. It allows you to track market trends and buying habits that have escalated in extreme conditions... A consumer revolution is out of the question, and the data is easy to use when planning sales, adjusted for less hot weather.
In most cases, when planning a purchase, the consumer clearly defines which product groups he wants to purchase (bread, milk, pasta, clothes, shoes, dishes, etc.) Therefore, the entire assortment of the store can be divided into three groups:
· Consumer goods. Buying these items is the goal of virtually every shopper visit to a retail outlet. They are also called store-forming commodity groups.
· Periodic goods. The purchase of these goods is planned once in several visits.
· Impulse demand goods. The purchase of these items is usually not planned.
Since consumer goods are in demand by the largest number of visitors, a fairly large number of buyers accumulates around these departments. Therefore, these product groups should be located along the outer perimeter of the sales area in order to make the purchase more convenient. If customers experience any inconvenience, they will tend to leave the trading floor as soon as possible. Not only does this reduce the time a shopper spends in the store (and therefore reduces the number of impulse purchases), but it can also lead the shopper to visit another store next time.
Ways to slow down the flow of buyers. Too wide aisles and the tendency to arrange counters and counters in a strict geometric order leads to an impersonal store. The buyer does not have time to notice and want to buy any product when he moves from section to section, so it is necessary to slow down the speed of the customer's movement in the store. In this case, it is necessary not to reduce the passage, but to narrow it in the middle or at the intersections with other passages. Often used to narrow the passage:
· Display;
· Decorative column;
· A stand with a poster.
A less obvious but equally effective way of slowing down a shopper's movement in a store is by using music. Slow calm music creates a more relaxing atmosphere in the store, encouraging shoppers to take their time and stay in the store. Fast music has the opposite effect - the walking pace is transformed into a faster one, which is mainly used during peak hours to speed up the movement of shoppers.
Let's dwell on the components of the point of sale design.
1. Showcases. A storefront is one of the most effective advertising media.
Many customers enter the store because they saw something in its window that interested them. The look of passers-by at the shop window falls mainly on its middle vertical third. The objects located there are noticed by passers-by 2 times more often than those lying on the side. Items lying below are seen 10 times better than those at the top of the display case. The attention paid by viewers to different areas of the window display is distributed as follows:
| 10 % | 5 % | 10 % |
| 30 % | ||
| 45 % |
The showcase should give the buyer an idea of the assortment of the store, the buyer should at first glance understand what the store is selling and what price level it is. For example, the price level in a store for buyers with lower than average income will be eloquently indicated by the large price tags set below: the target buyer can immediately assess whether he can afford such things, and only after that he enters the store to find out more about the range and quality of goods.
Displaying products in a storefront has the following advantages:
· On the showcase the goods are presented "alive", which makes it possible to immediately get an idea of it (color, shape, size, function);
· The buyer can be significantly influenced by the presence of other buyers looking at the same product.
The following are highlighted types of showcases:
· Front (this is a glazed opening in the front part of a trade enterprise, in which the goods are usually exhibited. They are a three-dimensional advertising tool that serves to attract the attention of passers-by to the goods sold in the store. Thanks to them, buyers get a specific idea of the goods);
Demo (designed to familiarize buyers with samples of new goods, possible models, modifications, colors... Allow the buyer to view the product from a short distance from all sides);
· Trading (organized depending on the principle of trade: the buyer's self-service or the seller's service. They can be located either throughout the trading floor with free access to the buyer's goods, or in the section in front of the seller. In any case, the goods must be well viewed from the buyer's point of view, be sure have a price tag and a description of its main characteristics).
2. Layout. Things are sorted by colors, sizes, kits in a certain sequence. Despite its seeming simplicity, the work of a visual merchandiser is akin to the work of an artist: a picture emerges from the disordered multicolored goods in the space of the trading floor.
There should be enough space in the store so that the customer does not feel constrained.
· Informs buyers about the goods available for sale;
· Introduces them to the quality, methods of application and features of the product;
· Reminds of related products.
In accordance with the tasks, three main types of calculations can be distinguished:
1. Information display. Much space is given to information - brochures and posters with technical characteristics.
2. Layout - consultation. The emphasis is on the possibilities of using the product.
3. Layout - a reminder. The image of the product is created, photographs and pictures and advertising messages prevail.
There are several types of composition in the display of goods, the perception of shapes and volumes. According to the use of space, compositions are divided into the following types:
1. Plane composition is organized only in one plane, the goods are laid out on the counters or along the wall. All rhythms and elements are decorative. The composition makes almost minimal use of volume and depth. But the plane itself can have a curved outline in plan. The composition mainly develops along two spatial axes: height and width.
2. Volumetric composition makes full use of all three spatial axes: height, width and depth. This type of composition is most common.
3. Spatial composition also uses height, width, and depth. Depth becomes dominant.
Compositions can be symmetrical or asymmetrical. Compositions with the largest or smallest element in the center are sometimes called "major" or "minor" layout, respectively. Most likely, this term was introduced by one of the manufacturers, reflecting their sadness at the “diversion” of the buyer's gaze from their corporate block to the products of competitors.
Forming this or that composition, you can focus on a certain area of the general form. The oval focuses on what is depicted or located in the center, and any edges and corners are hot spots. In particular, attention is focused on sharp corners, for example, at a triangle. Therefore, it is quite possible that the composition on the shelf in the form of a pyramid (from the facade it is read as a triangle) will make the product located at the base in the corners rather than in the center more significant.
The rhythm in the display is a certain repetition of goods of a similar size and other elements (price tags) with an equal distance between them. Rhythm also helps create a sense of order, but without accents it makes the shelves look boring.
3. Color. Color is also very important in merchandising.
The color orange is the strongest irritant. This is followed by yellow, red, green, dark red and purple. Bright warm yellow Better than others for shelf stickers and announcements of sales and new products. The text is readable on it, and in terms of effect it is much more effective than the usual white.
Cold and neutral colors - blue, green-blue and violet in different shades - have the least irritating effect. Annoying colors are used for painting only small surfaces of premises, calm colors are used for painting large surfaces.
There is a concept of color blocking ( color blocking). On average, a supermarket visitor glances over the shelves of goods at a speed of 1.2 m / s from a distance of 2.5 meters. To distinguish the desired packaging from hundreds of others, sellers and designers sometimes use color blocking: products with packaging of the same color are placed together on the shelf. As a result, a one-color block of goods is created. At the same time, blocks that combine different colors can create associations that are useful for selling. For example, blocks of white, green, and blue can be associated with a relaxing and refreshing surf. This combination works well in a department that sells shower gels and other detergents.
The opposite way of attraction can be contrast - not only in color, but also in form. For example, a familiar product - a liter pack of juice - clearly stands out on the shelf with a narrower and more elongated package. Unfortunately, other stores are afraid to experiment with irregularly shaped packages due to the fact that they take up a lot of space.
A schematic representation of the main and secondary contrasts is called the Delacroix triangle. The three colors form the strongest contrasts with each other: yellow - red - blue. Weaker contrasts produce combinations of orange, purple and green.
4. Assortment of goods. No product, in theory, should "take a neutral position" in terms of impact on the buyer. So, fruit or perfume is best displayed in front of a large supermarket or department store. This helps create a sense of freshness and luxury. Impulse buying items are placed in key positions. The joint arrangement of complementary goods ( cross-merchandising) encourages the buyer to make a complex purchase. For example, T-shirts and shorts, pasta and pasta sauce. The joint display of bread, cheese and sausages on the same shelf in one large supermarket significantly increased the volume of purchases of all three products. Approaching this shelf, the customer remembered the sandwiches and took everything he needed at once.
By uploading products, you can make a link to complementary products that are not included in the standard package, because it is easier to convince the buyer to immediately purchase a set of things than to come back for a purchase again. Many shoppers love recommendations and guesses about which product works best with which.
The axiom “full shelves sell out better” works well in giant malls, but not in small shops.
5. Technical means. Such funds have been used for many years. The only problem with high-tech tools is that the buyer is focusing on them instead of thinking about buying. On the other hand, this system allows the customer to be attracted to a specific product that would otherwise go unnoticed among several thousand others in the supermarket.
The use of sound effects is widespread. Moreover, it is not limited only to the transmission of oral announcements. Sound effects can create the appropriate atmosphere in different parts of the store (for example, dynamic music in the sports department and loud sounds from the video walls) or the corresponding mood (for example, making the customer move faster or, conversely, relaxing). There are also audio dialogue systems that can ask buyers questions. Finally, with the help of sound, you can control the attention of children.
To change the mood of the customer and induce him to make a purchase, various smells are often used inside the store. Research Center of Chemistry Monell in Philadelphia launched its pilot projects, the purpose of which is to study the effect of certain odors on customers. For example, the well-known, in this case floral-fruity, smell made casual visitors to the jewelry store stay there longer. And very low levels of some odors could alter an individual's thought pattern and mood (for example, relaxed and confidential). In the UK, individual home sellers use the smell of a bakery or cafe to entice customers to enter the store and buy items that have nothing to do with food: clothes, lighting fixtures, etc. For example, in supermarkets, the smell from the fish department is not so strong like the spreading smell of freshly baked bread from the bread department.
Marketing Aromatics is a London based firm that proposes to create “a unique in-store atmosphere, relax patients in a waiting room, invigorate sales personnel or evoke associations in the minds of shoppers,” using a variety of techniques, from central ventilation system to hand sprayers, liquids, granules, gels and powders. There are even microcapsule pressure sensitive belts available. All this creates the desired mood, eliminates unpleasant odors, impregnating the product or company literature, confirming the unique characteristic of the company - the aromatic logo.
6. Merchandising "for children". For many parents, going to the store with their children is a real torment. Children want and ask for something all the time. Some stores offer the following service. The child is given a pack of yogurt at the entrance. The kid, absorbed in food, is less moody. And then at the exit, parents pay for these yoghurts by presenting empty packages.
Another interesting invention in this area, which appeared in Russia as well, is the automatic storytelling machine. They look like animals, trees or Santas. They continuously read fairy tale after fairy tale in voices, which can also captivate children for a long time.
7. Lighting can highlight the winning features of the product. Overall illumination also influences the buyer's reaction. In a room with dim light, he feels more relaxed. At the same time, a person tends to move from a less illuminated area to a more illuminated one, so a dim light, which can be good in an antique shop, cannot be used in a supermarket.
Local lighting or backlighting can be used to further grab the attention of buyers. For a long time of existence, certain practices have been developed for the use of various light filters. So, for the illumination of meat and sausage products, a green or pinkish light filter is used, for confectionery products - a white warm color, for fish - yellow. In vegetable sections, fluorescent lamps of a bluish-white hue are usually used.
8. Vending machines. This good way attract additional customers. There are a number of goods that are very convenient to purchase in this way, for example, cigarettes and drinks. Or intimate goods, such as contraceptives, which people are usually embarrassed to buy from real sellers.
Currently, in a tough competitive market, each entrepreneur relies only on his own resources and capabilities. Hoping to maximize profits, many businessmen are betting on seasonal sales. And this is quite justified, because, as evidenced by marketing statistics, the volume of sales is directly related to a short-term rise or decline in consumer activity. This fluctuation in consumer interest is commonly referred to as seasonality.
Seasonality is a periodic change in the demand for a product, depending on certain factors, usually the season. However, seasonality is not always tied to any particular factor. The presence of seasonality can be said only when the maximum peak and decline in product sales is observed for 2-3 years in a row, and the difference in the cost of the product at the peak and decline of sales is 30-40%. Typically, the seasonality cycle is 12 months, although significant fluctuations in demand can be observed both within one week and one day. However, such fluctuations in consumer demand are not considered seasonal, since no additional measures are required to equalize demand. It is enough for an entrepreneur to understand these features of the market and take them into account in business planning.
As a rule, there are two types of seasonality:
The demand for goods classified as seasonal depends on natural (climatic) factors. Classic examples production seasonality:
However, it is worth noting that the production seasonality related to the cultivation of agricultural crops is smoothed out due to the development and improvement of technologies for processing, storage and preparation of products, as a result of which the entrepreneur has a unique opportunity to sell his goods throughout the year.
Consumer seasonality is directly related to the following important factors:
It is no secret for entrepreneurs that dealing with seasonality issues is not easy. This task requires additional financial investments that many companies cannot afford. Such measures can only be taken by a self-confident entrepreneur who has a well-thought-out business plan and has sufficient funds to resolve this issue.
