Today, there are endless retail sectors with growing opportunities for the right brands and their products. Although it’s true that each sector may come with different challenges, the formula for success is the same. In fact, in channels like On Trade, Professional Beauty and DIY, brands need the same capability as they would if they were in more traditional sectors like Grocery or Convenience.
Whatever the sector, the end goal remains the same - make an impact and sell more! Whilst a strategy can be tailored to suit a brand’s objectives, the tools required to do this are the same regardless of channel. By choosing the right agency, brands can tap into transferrable skills and resources to help them crack their chosen sector.
Often brands in sectors like On Trade, Professional Beauty and DIY keep their teams in-house or have ambitions to elevate their sales strategy without the expertise to follow through. Here’s why they should consider outsourcing these teams...
There are 36,000 pubs in the UK... how do you guarantee your brand gets in?
Right now, challenger brands have a real opportunity to make waves in the On Trade sector but how do they do it? The only way to get distribution in the On Trade sector is through physical sales. With 36,000 pubs in the UK, the opportunity for alcohol, soft drinks and snack brands is huge! However, it can be hard to scale on their own.
Currently, there’s increasing opportunity in independent pub venues. More brands are targeting this sector because they're new entrants, for example crafts or mid-scale. To conquer this sector, brands need to work out a way to influence sales, retain existing stockists and outlets, and gain new ones…
Here are the top 5 things brands need on their wish list that an agency can help deliver:
- Recruit at speed to get high quality candidates at volume
- Data capabilities to fully segment your channel by outlet type
- Ability to implement ROI models
- Getting test and learn pilots live in less than 6 weeks
- Someone who can manage the logistics of changing teams sizes and locations at pace without distracting you from your core purpose
Does your sales team need a glow up?
When operating in sectors such as Professional beauty, brand’s need to look their best! This means getting products in prime position in the right outlets during busy selling periods. Sometimes, this calls for flexibility – the ability to bring in teams for non-permanent periods to boost sales activity when required.
Flexible employment models give brands access to teams on a part-time or seasonal basis. They get the same sales expertise and knowledge, without the commitment of a permanent team.
3 reasons to outsource your sales team:
1. Sales expertise: the right agency takes away the hassle of managing in-house teams, delivering quality teams who have expertise and knowledge across your chosen sectors, and crucially, they are trained in how to build relationships and close sales.2. Flexibility: the ability to scale up or down without the hassle of doing it yourself. Access to flexible teams such as part-time and seasonal employment models is also important if you have never made to recruit for or manage these types of teams yourself.
3. Driven by data: brands benefit from data driven decisions every time. Data can come from the agency, the brand or performance metrics. This allows field teams to make the right choice every time when it comes to outlet segmentation, stock availability and sales promotions, and more.
Don’t DIY…get an agency to help you!
When it comes to the DIY sector, brands need to know how to get products on the shelf, get key space and visibility, ensure POS is represented correct and promo compliance is in order. The strategy is not too dissimilar as big sectors such as Grocery and Convenience, but so many brands are still getting it wrong!
In the DIY sector, setting yourself up for the season is crucial to maintain visibility throughout. Brands need seasonal teams in the largest opportunity stores.
Choosing an agency with transferable skills and experience across multiple sectors is the answer. With access to flexible resource, a seasonal surge team can be activated at short notice to help get brands ready for Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter seasons.
Success in non-traditional retail channels is not too far out of reach. It may just be time to rethink your existing strategy.
Talk to us to achieve success in non-traditional retail channels and follow us on LinkedIn for more insights.
