The retail strategy is an overall plan and guidelines that guides a retailer.
Elements Of Retail Strategy
The
retail strategy is an overall plan and guidelines that guides a retailer. A
retail strategy is a clear and well-defined plan that the retail organizations
outline to tap the market and create a long-term relationship with the
customers. The steps that are involved in strategy formulation are the same in
every industry. Exhibit 4.2.5 brings out the steps in retail strategy.

Situation
Analysis
The first stage in retail
strategy is establish the organizational mission. A mission statement acts as a
motivator for the organization. The mission statement is one, which inspires
the employees in the organization to stay focus on the goals of the
organization. Evaluating ownership and management options like whether to go it
alone or have a partnership or to buy an already existing organization has to
be clearly outlined. Apart from this the merchandise that would be sold should
also be evaluated.
Objectives
These are the long, short and the
mid term goals the retailer hopes to attain. The goals may be based on profits
that may include ROI, sales which include market share, and the customer and
the stakeholders’ satisfaction. Te objectives need to be well defined keeping
in mind the mission of the organization and should see that the strategies get
translated into results. Identification of customers
Even though the strategy of a
particular retailer may be executable and the mission of the organization looks
inspiring, but if a wrong target market is chosen, it may prove a failure. It
is essential for the retailer to understand the needs of the customer. A
retailer has three options which he may choose according to his objective, he
can try selling different product categories to a broad spectrum of customers
which is known as mass marketing or work on one particular segment which is
market segment or have two or more segments which is commonly called as
selective segments. Overall Strategy
The overall strategy is broadly
classified into controllable and uncontrollable factors. The location of the
store, merchandise decision, communication, objectives come under controllable
factor since the firms has a element of autonomy n deciding about them. In case
of uncontrollable factors, the factors that a retailer must try and adapt like
the technological changes, legal imperatives, cultural factors, economic
situation get categorized. This step is one of the most essential steps in
retail strategy because this stage demonstrates the firm’s ability to adapt to
different changing conditions. Specific Activities
This deals with the tactical
decisions and the day-to-day operations of the firm. The firm’s responsiveness
to the environmental factors with the help of the marketing mix elements is the
actual functioning of the firm’s activities.
Control
In the final phase of strategy
formulation is the review of the firm’s performance of a period of time. The
firm’s strategies and the tactics have to be evaluated to find the
effectiveness and if it fall in place wit the organizational objectives and the
with the firm’s mission. In case if the firm finds that some of the tactics are
time consuming and not much of benefit could be figured out the organization
should ensure that such tactics have to be modified or be dropped from the firm’s
future course of action. Tags : MARKETING MANAGEMENT - Retailers And Wholesalers
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