Problem:
APS senior management wanted to:
1) increase the retail segment of its business, and
2) develop for its member dealers a total in-store design, marketing, and merchandising program.
Opportunity:
Automotive In-Store Marketing’s approach was:
1) to conduct extensive field research - several independent jobber customers of Big A were surveyed to get their opinions regarding various store issues,
2) four typical stores were analyzed, based on size and the mix of retail versus jobber sales, with the intention of developing four completely redesigned and re-merchandised prototypes,
3) member dealers were invited to purchase the merchandising system components, and
4) the real challenge was in how to redesign and reorganize each store with a format that was retail customer friendly without sacrificing its core jobber business.
Solution:
Automotive In-Store Marketing:
1) devised a modular approach that enabled any size store to utilize all aspects and features of the company’s merchandising system,
2) created several inter-related elements, including: product grouping and departmentalization, new graphics and signage, cross-trade graphics marketing support for installers, reorganization and strengthening of the parts counter, guidelines for merchandising the “front” more effectively, and a separate “power aisle” strategy,
3) developed of a new truck accessories special order center,
4) created of an in-store dedicated learning center for the shadetree mechanic,
5) created a new BIG A logo that would be further enhanced and phased in over time, and
6) created a new positioning statement slogan for the company: “BIG A – Where Help Finds You!”.
Result:
Among the results: up to 127% more “front side” merchandising linear footage was created within the original space for some product categories. Noted Frank G. Weyforth, President of Marketing Resources of America (MRA), in a letter about the test store to Steve Alexander: “We literally had six months work to do in six weeks; you delivered your part of the project on time and with a tremendous amount of creativity under some incredibly difficult time constraints.”
|
Printer Friendly Version
Order Hi-Res Printed Version
