Store Planning and Duties of Store Planning

1. Store Planning:

Store planning enables retailers to constantly assess which stores are performing adequately
to help achieve the overall corporate objectives established during financial planning. Store
planning also becomes a key factor when considering new store openings, store closing, and
relocations.

 Planning the store building:

i) Store front- By putting up a good front ” the retailer inspires many a passer-by with
a desire to become better acquainted with his merchandise. The external features of
the store intimate to the public the nature of the activity within. For that reason the
store front should suggest the highest attainment in the particular line of business
conducted. Owing to the great variety of merchandise which it proposes to sell, the
department store cannot carry out this idea as closely as is possible in the case of the
small specialty shop. The show window is undoubtedly the most important feature of
the store front in reflecting the attractive qualities peculiar to the institution. The type,
size, general construction, and lighting of show windows must meet the requirements
of the goods to be displayed.

ii) Store entrance- An attractive window display is a good introduction, but something
more is necessary to complete the invitation to enter a store. Women do most of the
buying for the home and family, and the retail merchant should take this into
consideration in connection with his store planning. It sometimes happens that a
woman will be an interested window shopper for several blocks without being
conscious of a single store entrance. Then suddenly she decides to enter a store for
which she was not originally bound. This tends to prove the possibility of constructing
a distinctive store entrance which will subtly suggest “Come in”.

iii) Store interior- The appearance on the inside of the store should carry out the
favourable impression created by a well-considered exterior. To the majority of
people the most elaborate effect may not be so pleasing as harmonious simplicity and
cleanliness. The general colour scheme and lighting, as well as the right treatment of
 floors, walls, and ceiling are important considerations entering into the production of
an attractive setting which will properly accentuate the merchandise display.

 Location of selling departments:

i) Community preference- The object of up -to -date store planning is to provide

satisfactory service to the community at reasonable profit to the retailer. It follows
that there should be no department which does not bear its proportionate share of the
general expense and show a profit at the end of the 'year. Weakness in any one
department can often be attributed to its improper location in the store.

ii) Classification of merchandise- The store of many departments will have for sale
(1) merchandise which the prospective customer needs, (2) articles which he wants,
(3) other articles which he may be induced to want. Obviously, what is a luxury in one
community may be considered a necessity in another; therefore it is practically
impossible to list specific articles of merchandise which may be said to always belong
to one class. Again, each class may be subdivided into fast or slow moving goods,
high or lowpriced, bulky or small, masculine or feminine choices, dark or colourful,
etc.

iii) Characteristics of customers- Merchandise which the customer will buy on the
impulse of the moment, if the article happens to catch his eye, should naturally be
located on the main floor along the regular lines of traffic, where they will attract the
most attention.

iv) Grouping of related departments- The proper correlation of merchandise is a

subject receiving constantly increased attention on the part of large store retailers. If
departments are advantageously grouped, each will help the sales of the other. While
buying one article the customer is afforded a glimpse of a related article which may
suggest an additional purchase. For instance, the placing of dress findings near the
fabric department should be of mutual advantage in the way of increased sales.

 Location of nonselling departments:

i) The receiving department- Merchandise must, of course, be brought into a store
before it can be displayed in the selling departments, and the receiving room with its
checking and marking sections will necessarily be located with convenience to
incoming goods and should occupy space which would be unsuitable for selling
purposes. The receiving room must also adjoin the reserve -stock room or have
communication with it by means of convenient transportation facilities.

ii) The delivery department- The more valuable the store location the more difficulty
there is likely to be in providing ample space for the sorting, checking, loading, and
trucking necessary for the handling of merchandise after it has been sold. In congested
business districts of the largest cities it is considered that even space in the rear
basement is too valuable to be given over for this purpose, and some merchants have
established delivery departments outside the store building and in a few cases at a
considerable distance where comparatively low rent is possible.

iii) Store offices and workrooms- A store which includes a credit department may
properly allow space for this purpose on an upper floor where privacy may be insured.
Adequate elevator service and its position on the floor should make the credit
department easily found. It should also prove of advantage to place the credit offices
so that customers will necessarily pass through selling departments that might
otherwise be somewhat slighted. The “will-call” section would logically require about
the same location as the credit department, were it not for the fact that the “will-call”
section is patronized, as a rule, by a poorer class of people and in some stores is not
sufficiently profitable to warrant any space but that which is the least desirable for
selling purposes.

iv) Service departments- Reference has been made to the rapid growth of services to
store visitors which has resulted from the competitive situation in the retail field .
What means to use for the attraction of trade and the convenience of customers and
how much space should be given over to customer service depends upon the size of
the store, class of trade, and competitive influence. Information bureaus, telephone
booths, tea service, lounging chairs, and manicuring tables are among the
 conveniences frequently found on the main - floor balcony, particularly in department
stores.

2. Duties of a store planner:

 Create and maintain min/max inventories for key programs to tie back to financial
goals.
 Inform findings weekly to Cross Functional Teams to confer on merchandise
needs and inventory levels.
 Develop, run and manage weekly reports on responsibility areas and ad-hoc
allocation reporting.
 Coordinate with Director of Retail Planning on special projects.
 Assess case pack strategies to maximize size at individual store.
 Maintain company testing strategy and initiatives on product and pricing to
increase sales.
 Inform key timelines, expectation and priorities to team of allocators.
 Implement and manage store planning initiatives with functional partners.
 Assess work scope for remodel stores with Design and Construction departments.
 Synthesize minor works projects with MEO and construction departments.
 Manage remodel construction schedule and budget.
 Handle minor works construction schedule and budget.
 Generate fixture critical path orders.
 Perform pre-construction walkthrough and site surveys before starting
construction.
 Develop punch list items for construction.