How to build a retail network

Without online trading, it is already impossible to imagine retail sales in the country and the world. And this is not surprising, because developing a trading network, an entrepreneur can achieve better results than investing all his energy and money in a separate store.

Instruction manual

1

Determine which network you are planning to build - regional, national or even international. In any case, immediately take care of creating a reliable information system for centralized network management.

2

Formulate the tasks that you will have to solve in the future by organizing a retail network. There may be several tasks: - ensuring the possibility of a centralized policy;

- reduction of the managerial staff and the provision of a mobile solution of managerial tasks with a minimum staff of managers;

- increase in trade (which largely depends on a well-established logistic structure);

- optimal placement of managers at retail facilities;

- increase the effectiveness of assortment policy;

- Automation of technological processes providing a single information space. Ultimately, the solution of these problems will lead to the competitiveness of your network of trading enterprises and brand recognition.

3

Determine if your network will be single-format or multi-format (from a regular store to a hypermarket). Please note that different types of stores are characterized by a different nomenclature, which on the one hand complicates management, but on the other it attracts a much larger number of customers from all social layers.

4

Choose a network management model, evaluating all the "pros" and "cons" of each of the existing models: - investment;

- holding;

- centralized;

- tray;

- hybrid. Take a note: all the advantages of a network structure are fully realized only with centralized management. Therefore, distribute the functions between the parent trading company and branches so that it is possible to develop the initiative “from below” with absolute control “from above”.