Good availability is about making sure your shelves are 95% stocked or higher with the products your customers want.
First, make sure you are aware of what your core range is and work out a system to use to identify this. Next, aim to have minimum stock levels for these items so customers aren’t tempted to shop elsewhere.
Avoid wastage by having a process in place that ensures the oldest products sell first and assign someone to rotate the stock. Then use your EPoS data to work out which items sell the slowest to avoid overstocking.
Finally, set up a schedule of when you need to place orders and when you are expecting deliveries, and have a contingency plan in place if this doesn’t come through. Follow up with suppliers and symbol groups to make sure things are in order.
Secrets of success
The IAA selects a Category Star each year that is showing the best thinking, processes and results. Find out what made those that were previously recognised by the IAA stand out to the judges, and what you can apply in your own store by taking a look at the previous Category Stars.
- 2021-22 – Bassett’s Londis Abbotsbury Road, Weymouth
- 2020-21 – Londis Caterways, Horsham
- 2019 – One Stop @ The Prior Way, Derby
Top ideas to improve
Each year the IAA visits and mentors’ retailers that have previously taken part in the programme to help them make simple but impactful changes to improve their profits. Find out what they learned, the results they’ve seen, and what you can replicate in your store!
- 2021-22 – The Corner Stores (Costcutter), Bury St Edmunds
- 2020-21 – Day-Today Express Chapelhall
- 2019 – Spar Errol
Take part in the IAA
Take part in the IAA today by completing our online checklist and you can:
- See how your store compares to others and find ways to improve
- Be in with a chance of making the Top 100 and being recognised for your efforts
- Gain access to free marketing tools to help attract more customers to your store
- Invitation to the IAA Learning & Development Festival – to help you take your store to the next level
- Be in with a chance of being selected to be mentored by the IAA in 2023
Supported by the industry to help you
The IAA is supported and funded by industry brands who recognise that retailers want access to free, unbiased support to help them increase profits and improve their stores without big investment.
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