The organisation of brands in the home furnishings sector is mainly based on a structure with franchised or affiliated shops. They are organised as independent sales outlets associated with a central purchasing office. The needs of the central purchasing office require it to provide precise information on listings to its affiliates and to obtain regular and rigorous information on the activity of each sales outlet. We offer a range of tools to ensure efficient shop management.
Brand's organization in this activity relies mainly on a franchised or affiliated type of structure. The retailing organized in independent points of sale requires a double approach in terms of management "processes". The central's requirements consist in providing precise information on referrals to its affiliates and in obtaining regular precise information on each point of sale's activity in return.
The management of a store specialized in home furnishings requires very detailed inventory management. The best-selling articles must be immediately identified to optimize the restocking process. Similarly, articles with low turnover should not be forgotten in the store. Exceptional discounts must be put in place to free up sales space. Physical survey must be facilitated. Today, mobility tools are essential to track the real stock and measure the unknown markdown, which can sometimes represent a considerable loss of revenue.
The choice of suppliers and purchasing conditions must be managed by the stock management system. Buying at the right time is only possible thanks to high-performance IT systems that analyse flows, consumptions, and histories and help the retailer plan his supplies.
Communication with the central office is also essential. New articles and price updates must be sent down to each store in almost real time. In-store sales volumes for each article are essential information for central offices to feed their marketing thinking, better target referencing and to negociate with suppliers. EDI or XML exchanges contribute to the automation of these flows.
In the point of sale, the cash register system must be very quick. In a garden centre in the spring, the queues at the checkout can be long. Cash payment on mobile terminals should make it possible to better distribute flows. Taking orders on the shelves is also very important; sometimes a down payment is even authorized immediately to avoid that this customer who cannot leave with the unavailable product does not wait at the checkout and finally abandons his purchase.
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