For Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) brands, retail execution field forces provide a unique opportunity to engage with stores on the ground. Field teams can be implemented to fix voids and issues with product placement, as well as coordinate store teams to be ready for demos and promotions.

Designing field campaigns requires a nuanced approach to establish and maintain relationships with stores. Understanding how to address stores with challenges such as inventory management, product placement, demos and promotions, is key to long-lasting store relationships.

Using Out-of-Stock/Voids to Your Advantage

Out-of-stocks, also frequently known as voids, represent lost revenue in its purest form: your product should be on the shelf, ready for purchase, but it’s nowhere to be found. Worse, the product’s price tag — crucial for the store to realize that it needs to be restocked — might be missing altogether. What does it take to fix that?

Field campaigns are an excellent way to address gaps in a store’s inventory, make sure tags are on the shelf, and capture reorders of products that may not have been top of mind.

• New Product Launches: Campaigns are perfect for promoting product launches that may not yet be on stores’ radars. When launching a new product, identifying a void in the store’s current offering and introducing your product as a potential solution can be highly effective in fulfilling orders for that product, and building rapport. This gives a new product more exposure to store teams and customers alike, as it receives shelf placement earlier than it would otherwise.
• Items Not Ordered in a While: If a product hasn’t been ordered for a while, a check-in on voids can help rectify this. Especially for smaller brands, semi-regular check-ins can be the perfect opportunity to remind the store of its current inventory and planogram. This also gives you a chance to notice slow-movers, denoting slow sales performance.
• Shelf-Placement Problems: Check-ins can address shelf-placement issues where products are not being displayed optimally, making it harder for customers to find them. Sometimes one product is mistakenly placed in front of another, and a check-in will identify this problem. Shelf visibility is key for sales in this space.
• Inventory Clarity: Checking specific on-hand numbers to track inventory and stock levels can be especially useful following promotions or demos, as some stores may over- or under-order a product for these events.

Preparing for Demos & Promotions

The timing of check-ins is crucial in helping stores with their operational goals. Well-timed check-ins not only help stores prepare for in-store demos and promotions, but can also build rapport with store teams. Notably, coordinating the timing of demos with off-shelf promotions or Temporary Price Reductions (TPRs) can lead to significant in-store sales increases.

• Demos: In advance of an in-store demo, a check-in can ensure that stores are well-stocked on the necessary products for sampling. Be sure to work with each store on the date and purpose of the demo to confirm that product and staff availability aligns with the event. This also helps stores find designated floor space for the demo to promote its operational success. Scheduling demos during promotional periods also encourages customers to purchase these products, which can considerably improve ground sales.
• Promotions: Promotions can come from both your distributors and retailers. Working with stores to ensure promos are setup well can be a powerful tool to increase sales. Distributor promotions, like those offering a discount to stores that order a newly launched item, can incentivize stores to stock up on products at a preferred price. Meanwhile, in-store promotions target the end customer, aiming to increase visibility and accessibility within the store. A successful promotion requires the right inventory levels and product placements (both on-shelf and off-shelf), so working with stores ahead of time is key to ensuring these concerns are addressed.

Follow-Up After Demos & Promotions

Following up after a demo or promotion is just as important as the initial outreach itself. This is also a great opportunity to build rapport with store teams, as they deserve recognition for their work put toward demos and promotions. Store employees appreciate it when we thank them for their work, and put effort into making a lasting relationship with their team members.

• Post-Demo Check-In: After a demo, it is prudent to check with the store to see how it performed. Determining how much product is left, or how customers responded, can provide valuable insights on inventory levels and demographics for future re-orders and demos. Was the demo effective in attracting new customers? Did it lead to immediate sales? Understanding the effectiveness of a demo can help refine future marketing efforts and campaigns to stores.
• Post-Promotion Follow-Up: Checking in the week following a promotion is a great opportunity to build rapport by referencing store-level sales data. Not only do you build your relationship with stores, but you can better understand how a promotion contributed to product sales. Stores deserve thanks for their participation, and you can work with them to find the right order interval based on sales momentum. Offering incentives like Instant Redeemable Coupons (IRCs) following a promotion can also maintain sales momentum for longer periods of time, and can help keep products on promotional displays for longer than initially allocated.

IRCs and Shippers/PDQs (Off-shelf displays)

For non-perishable items, offering IRCs and empty Shippers or PDQs (foldable cardboard display cases) can be an effective strategy to boost sales through off-shelf product placement. For perishable items, IRCs are also very useful, while shippers are less-so. Not all stores may be willing to accept IRCs or shippers, however - your relationship and the store’s policies will dictate this. It is also important to understand the demographics of each store’s customers to avoid directing these efforts toward underperforming stores.

• Empty Shippers: Offering shippers can help stores that over-ordered for a demo or promotion. This gives them a way to allocate backstock without cluttering shelf space. However, be mindful that some stores lack space for unapproved off-shelf placements.
• IRCs: If a store doesn’t have room for empty shippers, offering IRCs may be more appealing. Some stores prefer to receive discounts on the product rather than additional physical display units. Offering IRCs with shippers can be a winning strategy that gives stores the flexibility to use both resources, or simply benefit from one or the other. IRCs and empty shippers effectively complement each other by providing promotional pricing and product placement, even outside of a scheduled promotional period for a given store.
• Preferred Pricing: Sometimes store chains will not accept shippers across the board. In these scenarios, stores will often have their own promotional side-cap, or metro rack displays. IRCs can be a useful tool to leverage in these situations. Preferred pricing can help with off-shelf placement, or encourage customers to purchase your products at a higher volume. In both cases, sales increase and off-shelf placement becomes more likely.

Education Campaigns

Working with store staff to educate them on your products can be incredibly impactful for your brand. Stores that know your products and are well-informed on their differentiators are better positioned to answer customer questions and recommend your product to new customers, which can drive sales.

• Product Knowledge: Provide store managers and staff with detailed resources about your products. These can include fact sheets about ingredients, sourcing, product benefits, and how they should be merchandised. For example, if you sell a snack product in multiple formats or quantities (i.e. single and bulk options), you may want to work with stores on how to display them together for maximum visibility and sales potential.
• FAQs: Offering guidance on frequently asked questions, discontinued products, or new product launches, will help store staff provide accurate and helpful information to customers. This enhances the customer experience and portrays your brand as reliable, transparent, and trustworthy.

Happy Store, Happy Life

Successful relationships with stores requires careful planning, thoughtful conversations, and a deep understanding of the needs within the broader retail environment. By leveraging strategies such as filling out-of-stocks/fixing voids, preparing and following up for demos and promotions, as well as offering displays, coupons, and educational resources, your brand can drive double-digit percentage improvements in sales outcomes. The key to success lies in building relationships that balance the needs of your products, the store, and the end consumer — creating a seamless, effective strategy that benefits everyone involved.

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At Treater, we know that retail execution among the most challenging aspects of a sales organization. We meticulously apply foundational technology and real-time store level insights to drive sales and scale retail execution for your brand. We'd love to hear about your experience with retail execution - you can always email us at [email protected] or book a demo with us.