Aftermarket

In-store brand marketing is a tactile form of media

Thanks to all of you who attended the Tucker Rocky Summer Dealer Event! We had record attendance overall and a huge buzz of activity. I put on five sessions in three days for dealers speaking on my favorite topic: merchandising! As a result of the participation in my sessions, it’s crystal clear you all have a desire to learn about merchandising and its direct relation to better PG&A profits.

Basically, merchandising is marketing (in other words, in-store marketing), and your store is a form of tactile media. Put the two together and combine them with traditional outside marketing, and you get a strong link to grow your store’s sales.

The main topic of my sessions was centered on product branding and how good in-store marketing and branding can bring you more profits in PG&A sales. As some of us know, PG&A is a great source of sales growth now and going forward, as well as a more steady revenue stream if properly functioning. It takes more than just smart buys or big margins for a store to be profitable. It really takes …

  • A desire to want to sell the merchandise,
  • A timeline from beginning to closeout,
  • A store plan of how to merchandise,
  • A plan to promote the products to your customers,
  • Staff product training and participation,
  • Possibly an incentive plan for PG&A sales staff,
  • Great merchandising and strong brand displays that wow the customers,
  • The use of branding (logos, graphic, fixtures and point of purchase materials) to tell the brand’s or product’s story, and
  • An exit strategy for the end-of-season’s leftover goods.

Brands influence all people. Your stores sell a brand or many brands that your customers love, like Dunlop, GO-Pro, Firstgear, Arai and many more (yes, I am biased on these brands). So don’t hide those top-selling products in bland displays. Make a statement!

Showcase your brands and use the brands’ fixtures, signs, graphics, logos and any other point of purchase materials to make a wow display. It will pay! Not every customer is up to date on your inventory. It is in your hands to get the in-store marketing messages and brand displays expressed to your customers about the products your selling. Making a big show of your brands can have a strong influence on customers. Don’t shy away from using branding by thinking it will clutter your store. If done tastefully and balanced, it will be great!

For more on this topic and much more, I hope to see you at the next Profit Xcelerator Conference and Expo in Las Vegas Sept. 25-27. I have been graciously asked to be a speaker on Monday, Sept. 26! I look forward to meeting you. Please bring your store’s showroom photos and merchandising questions. I will be on hand throughout the event to speak with dealers.

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3 Comments

  1. Jennifer I like your artical it is right on! As a fixture mfg. I have had many clients that were selling helmets off the floor on top of boxes. Once they purchased a few nice tower displays from us they were amazed at how the sales increased. If a product is not presented properly people are just not attracted to it enough to hold their interest and make a purchase.
    Regards- Mike

  2. Thank you! retailers that cater to a hobbie like the powersports industry too often underestimate that you more than likely need to learn and utilize retail practices including great merchandising. We are an industry ripe for another growth curve when we change our priorities and goals.

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