We all know that the cosmetics counter is the foundation of any department store. You only need to look at the figures. Cosmetic and toiletries retail is estimated to be worth £4bn annually to the British retail industry, with over 30,000 employees working in this area across 1,000 businesses.
In such a highly-competitive area of retail, it’s imperative that you get your cosmetics merchandising campaigns not only right, but right first time. We’ve compiled a list of six top tips to ensure you go beyond ‘skin deep’ cosmetics roll-outs and increase your performance to hit your KPIs.
1. Inventory management is key
As the old adage states, failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Naturally, the flip-side of this is obvious: If you plan well, you will succeed.
Investing time and resources to carefully label and identify stock prior to your roll-out will mean that you aren’t slowed down during the installation process.
2. The devil is in the detail
Planograms that have a high level of detail are an important component of any successful installation. Intricate projects such as cosmetics roll-outs require drilling down to the tiniest detail to ensure that nothing is left to chance on the shop floor.
3. Always look for experienced agencies
Beauty and cosmetics campaigns are notoriously difficult. From the sheer volume of the units and products involved to the incredible intricacy of the most dynamic and on-trend displays, you can’t entrust this job to inexperienced agencies.
By checking that your agency has the right credentials, including experience and a lot of hard-earned wisdom, you can set ambitious targets and look to deliver a great return on your investment.
4. What you see is what you get
Visibility and transparency are the order of the day here. Once the roll-out is underway, you need to ensure that you have access to the work that is being done by your agency. Choose an agency that can deliver detailed reporting, through photographic evidence and in real-time. This guarantees high standards are met, while allowing for any problems to be quickly identified and changes implemented where necessary.
5. Practice makes perfect
No two roll-outs are the same, so it pays to make sure thorough time trials and training are conducted for each campaign. Modelling the process allows you to identify trouble spots, while giving you the chance to optimise the process without negatively impacting your costs.
6. Beyond your roll-out
While the focus of your agency should be on delivering the most efficient roll-out possible, if you are completing a project in a high volume of stores, consider using this as an opportunity to carry out any other related projects. For example, you can maximise the impact of your agency’s presence in-store by carrying out display and stock refreshes, or use it as a chance to compile estate data in a store survey. A great retail agency will be able to advise you on the best way to optimise its services.
Momentum Instore is proud of the quality of its work in specialist cosmetics installations and related services. If you would like to learn more about the work we have done on behalf of some of the UK’s biggest retailers and the biggest names in cosmetics, please visit our website Case Studies or give us a call.
