"There is only one valid definition of business purpose: to create a customer."
Peter Drucker
A $3.5B multichannel computing retailer had an overworked, stressed merchant buying team. Always at the center of business decisions, they needed to find ways to operate the teams more efficiently and strategically to effectively compete with strong online and big box retailers.
CASE STUDY | Merchandising Excellence
RETAIL MERCHANT OPERATIONS ASSESSMENT AND TRAINING
Increasing price pressure from growing online retailers and specialty big box retailers, plus shifting customer expectations pinched topline growth and bottom line profitability.
A core competency of the company, the merchant buyers were always at the center of business decisions. Last minute promotional needs and product put constant pressure on a stressed, lean team
The multichannel computing retailer needed to finds ways to become a more efficient and effective merchant buying team and their internal team was divided as to how best to address.
CLIENT SITUATION
OUR APPROACH
Client engaged ROIG to assess their merchandising operations to identify how their capabilities lined up to industry best practices and to develop an action plan for closing key performance gaps.
The ROIG Group conducted a comprehensive, fact based review of 10 key areas – all critical to a successful merchant-based organization – and prioritized improvement areas based on strategic impact to the business via a Portfolio Management process.
We developed 100 Day action plans to close gaps and conducted team teach outs on findings.
Upon the request of the client, we designed and facilitated select team trainings on priority topics and identified opportunity areas where interim talent investments would get a positive return on investment.
THE RESULT
Provided Best Practices Action Plan across 10 key merchant areas.
Conducted training program for select merchant functions with corresponding training materials.
Staffed interim merchant executive talent
OUTCOME:
Common strategic priorities were agreed upon and established.
Client was able to allocate the appropriate time and resources to high-impact product categories and activities.
Low-value activity was significantly reduced or eliminated.