Product range - a set of their species, varieties and varieties, combined or combined according to a certain characteristic. The main grouping features of goods are production, raw materials and consumer. The assortment should have the most attractive effect on buyers.

Formation of the range of goods - the process of selecting and establishing a range of goods that meets the demand of buyers and ensures high profitability of a trading enterprise. The most important principle in the formation of the range of goods is to ensure its compliance with the nature of the demand of the population served by the customers of the enterprise. It should provide for the comprehensive satisfaction of customer demand within the selected market segment. In this regard, the range of goods offered to customers should have sufficient breadth and depth. In this case, the breadth of the range is determined by the number commodity groups, subgroups and names of goods included in the nomenclature, and depth - the number of varieties of goods for each item.

Nomenclature, or product range , is the totality of products manufactured by the enterprise. It includes various types of goods. The type of goods is divided into assortment groups (types) in accordance with functional features, quality, price. Each group consists of assortment items (varieties or brands), which form the lowest level of classification.

A wide range allows you to diversify products; target different consumer requirements and encourage one-stop shopping. At the same time, it requires investment of resources and knowledge in various categories products. A deep assortment can meet the needs of different customer segments for one product; maximize the use of space in outlets; prevent the emergence of competitors; offer a range of prices and encourage dealer support. However, it also adds to the costs of maintaining inventory, product modifications, and order fulfillment. In addition, certain difficulties may arise in differentiating between two similar assortment positions. A comparable assortment is usually easier to manage than a disparate one. It allows the company to specialize in marketing and production, create a strong image and ensure stable relationships in the distribution channels. However, excessive concentration can make an enterprise vulnerable to threats from external environment, fluctuations in sales, slowdown in growth potential due to the fact that all the emphasis is on a limited range of products.

Nomenclature literally means a list of names. Thus, the product range is a list of the names of the products manufactured by the enterprise. As for the commodity nomenclature, this is a list of groups of goods offered by a particular seller. The seller, on the other hand, can offer buyers the products of one or many manufacturers, involving the product range of each of them in full or in part. The nomenclature as an economic category has an enlarged character. It can be, for example, men's, women's or children's shoes, bedroom or dining sets, televisions or tape recorders, caramel or chocolate. In essence, these are assortment groups, and the product range is a list of assortment groups of products or goods.

The product range literally means the selection of items, the totality of their names according to some criteria. From this point of view, the assortment can be simple or complex, narrow or wide. Such a classification provides for the allocation of groups of homogeneous products or goods on the basis of type, variety, brand, etc.

Assortment characteristics of product groups are formed, within which objects have a certain similarity. And you can also distinguish between a range of products (soap is produced by an enterprise) and a range of goods (what is offered to consumers by a given seller).

1. Assortment groups by location of goods:

In a relationship industrial enterprises installed production range products, in relation to trade enterprises - a trade assortment of goods. The first of them reflects the specialization of the enterprise and serves as the basis for the conclusion of supply contracts. In the second case, there are grounds to judge the scale of the opportunity commercial enterprise meet the needs of the population and distinguish between specialized and universal trading enterprises.

Trade assortment- a list of goods formed by the organization, taking into account demand, material and technical base and specialization of the store.

2. Assortment groups by breadth of coverage of goods:

Group assortment goods shows a list of enlarged product groups that make up the nomenclature of goods. So, in a grocery store, gastronomic and groceries, and in the sporting goods store - summer and winter sports equipment.

Species assortment goods reflects the presence in the group of goods of a number of types. For example, dairy products may contain kefir, cream, cottage cheese, etc. Men's shoes include such concepts as boots, boots, shoes, sandals.

Intraspecific assortment goods represents a variety of products, dividing the view into parts. Yes, cottage cheese can be varying degrees fat content, samovars - of different capacities, shoes - of different styles, fabrics - of different colors, etc. An intraspecific assortment of goods can have a different depth of development and detail. In this sense, we can talk about the degree of complexity of the assortment. For example, medicines used for a certain human disease can be presented as topical or internal use, in the form of tablets or liquids, have different packaging, packaging, etc.

Simple– a set of goods presented not large quantity groups of species and names that satisfy a limited number of consumers.

Difficult- a set of goods is represented by a significant number of groups, types of varieties of items that satisfy a variety of needs.

deployed- a set of goods that includes a significant number of groups, subgroups, varieties of names, but differing in individual characteristics.

Related- a set of goods that performs auxiliary functions and does not belong to the main ones.

Mixed- a set of goods of different groups, characterized by a wide variety of functional purposes.

3. Types of assortments according to the degree of consumer satisfaction:

Rational assortment- a set of goods that most fully satisfies the really justified needs, which provide the maximum quality of life at this stage.

Optimal- a set of goods that satisfies real needs with the maximum useful effect for consumers at minimal cost.

4. varieties of assortment according to the nature of needs:

Real- a valid set of goods located in the seller's store.

predictable- a set of goods that can satisfy the expected needs.

Training- a set of goods for studying and achieving educational goals.

Classification features of the range of goods:

Product range - a group of closely related products

· or due to the similarity of their functioning (sporting goods, food, cars),

· or due to the fact that they are sold to the same groups of customers (children's goods),

· or they are sold through the same types of outlets (supermarkets, department stores),

· or they are sold within the same price range (discount store).

This definition lists all the principles of formation product range. From this point of view, the Revlon company has an assortment of cosmetics, the General Motors company has an assortment of cars, the Samson meat processing plant has an assortment of sausages and meat products, and the railway has an assortment of transportation services, both freight and passenger.

The product range has two main parameters- width and depth.

Width product range - the number of product groups offered on the market. Thus, General Motors manufactures and markets trucks, cars and motorcycles. These are the three main product groups of this company.

Depth of the product range - the number of positions of each assortment group. The General Motors company has the following positions in the passenger car group: the Chevrolet brand is focused on the market of people with average incomes, and is produced in mass volume. The Pontiac brand stands out on the basis of age segmentation, it is focused on young people, people under 35 years old. The Buick brand is designed for the high-income segment. There are a number of brands, but these three represent the basis of the General Motors range. Various combinations of the product range parameters shown here - width and depth - give four options, each of which can be used in certain market conditions.

Basic product range options based on different width and depth combinations.

1. The range is narrow and small . The company produces one or two assortment groups, and within each group - a small number of items. A classic example of a narrow and small assortment is the Coca-Cola company until the early 70s, when it produced one assortment group, basically it still produces it, and within this assortment group there was the only Coca-Cola drink.

2. The range is narrow and deep. Basically here too one or two assortment groups, but each of them has a significant number of positions. The same Coca-Cola company at the present time. Now it produces a large number of varieties of soft drinks. These drinks are distinguished both on the basis of segmentation by tastes and preferences, and on the basis of age segmentation, etc.

3. The range is wide and small. Here many assortment groups are produced, but each of them has a small number of positions.

4. From a marketing point of view, the best option to achieve your marketing goals is deep and wide range . An example here is Proctor & Gamble, which has several product groups: detergents, bar soap, deodorants, creams, hydrogels, toothpaste, baby diapers, and in each group there are many positions. So, toothpastes are produced about one and a half dozen items. But it should be noted that it has both advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages of a wide range:

· allows product diversification those. focus on the different needs of people, to offer satisfaction of different needs. In this way, more and more products can be sold within the served market, offering a more comprehensive satisfaction of product needs.

Formation of the assortment of goods is the process of selecting and establishing a range of goods that meets the demand of customers and ensures high profitability of a trading enterprise /17, p. 145/.

The most important principle in the formation of the range of goods is to ensure its compliance with the nature of the demand of the population served by the customers of the enterprise. It should provide for the comprehensive satisfaction of customer demand within the selected market segment. In this regard, the range of goods offered to customers should have sufficient breadth and depth. At the same time, the breadth of the assortment is determined by the number of product groups, subgroups and items of goods included in the nomenclature, and the depth is determined by the number of varieties of goods for each item /17, p. 145/.

A wide range allows:

Diversify products.

Focus on different consumer requirements.

Encourage shopping in one place.

At the same time, a wide range requires the investment of resources and knowledge in various product categories.

Deep assortment can:

Satisfy the needs of different customer segments for one product;

Maximize the use of space in retail outlets; prevent the emergence of competitors;

Offer a range of prices and encourage dealer support.

However, a deep assortment also adds to the costs of maintaining inventory, product modifications, and order fulfillment. In addition, certain difficulties may arise in differentiating between two similar assortment positions. A comparable assortment is usually easier to manage than a disparate one. It allows the company to specialize in the field of management and production, create a strong image and ensure stable relationships in the distribution channels.

However, excessive concentration can make an enterprise vulnerable to threats from the external environment, fluctuations in sales, slowing down growth potential due to the fact that all the emphasis is on a limited range of products.

The product range literally means the selection of items, the totality of their names according to some criteria. From this point of view, the assortment can be simple or complex, narrow or wide. Such a classification provides for the allocation of groups of homogeneous products or goods on the basis of type, variety, brand, etc. /17, p. 146/.

The process of forming an assortment of goods is carried out in the following four stages:

The list of main groups and subgroups of goods sold in the store is determined;

The distribution of individual groups and subgroups of thomas is carried out in the context of consumer complexes and micro-complexes;

The number of types and varieties of goods within individual consumer complexes and micro-complexes is determined;

A specific assortment list of goods for this store is being developed, which is offered for sale to the customer contingents served /17, p.138/

The formation of the assortment is preceded by the development of an assortment concept by the enterprise. It is a directed construction of an optimal assortment structure, a product offer, while taking into account the consumer requirements of certain groups and the need to provide the most effective use an enterprise of raw, technological and other resources in order to produce products with low costs /8, p.210/.

The assortment concept is expressed as a system of indicators characterizing, if possible, optimal development production range of this type of goods. These include: a variety of types and varieties of goods, the frequency of updating the assortment, the level of price ratio for goods of this type, etc.

The purpose of the assortment concept is to orient the enterprise towards the production of goods that correspond to the structure and diversity of customer demand.

Target orientation and the art of planning are manifested in the embodiment of the real possibilities of the enterprise in a certain combination of products that satisfy the need of the buyer and allow making a profit.

A typical assortment planning and implementation cycle includes a preliminary assessment of the concept, followed by the development of specifications based on customer requirements, the creation of samples, testing the possibility of their mass production, market test / 8, p. 211 /.

Assortment policy, this is the definition of the set of product groups most preferred for successful work on the market and providing economic efficiency activities of the enterprise as a whole. The objectives of the assortment policy include:

Satisfying consumer needs is one of the management principles that corresponds to the task of deep segmentation and differentiation of the market and ensures close communication with consumers;

Optimum use of technological knowledge and experience of the enterprise;

Optimization financial results enterprises - the formation of the assortment is based on the expected profitability and profit margin, which is more common in the practice of enterprises, but can be justified in case of severe financial position, lack of alternatives, etc.;

Winning new customers by expanding the scope of the existing production program. This approach is quite conservative, as it is designed for short-term results and involves the sale of goods by finding new markets;

Compliance with the principle of synergy, which implies the expansion of areas of production and services of the enterprise, interconnected by a certain technology, a single qualification of personnel and other logical dependence /17, p.123/.

In a saturated market, manufacturers and retailers strive to meet a variety of needs. When demand exceeds supply, commercial efforts are required to create consumer preferences, which is achieved, among other means, by increasing the breadth of the assortment. Breadth acts as one of the criteria for the competitiveness of firms.

What is the attitude of the consumer to the breadth of the range? On the one hand, the wider the range, the more varied needs can be met. On the other hand, with an ultra-high breadth of assortment, it is difficult for the consumer to navigate in this variety, which makes it difficult to choose desired product. The assortment breadth coefficient (Ksh) is determined by the formula:

Ksh \u003d Shd / Shb x 100%, (1)

where, Shd - real latitude;

Shb - base latitude

At the same time, an increase in the completeness of the assortment requires trade workers to know the commonality and differences in the consumer properties of goods. different types, varieties and names to inform consumers about them. It is the responsibility of the manufacturer and/or supplier to communicate such information to the seller.

It should be noted that an excessive increase in the completeness of the assortment can also make it difficult for the consumer to choose, so the completeness should be rational. Assortment stability is the ability of a set of products to satisfy the demand for the same products. A feature of such goods is the presence of a steady demand for them /30, p. 25/.

One of the ways to improve the assortment can be its renewal. However, renewal is not always associated with improving the quality of goods and the greatest satisfaction of needs. New products may have minor differences from products previously produced and withdrawn from sale, for example, changes in packaging, labeling, weight, price, brand. Moreover, sometimes cheaper raw materials and simplified technologies are used in the production of new goods, which is associated with a decrease in quality. Therefore, improvement and renewal cannot be considered the same directions for the formation of the assortment /12, p.36/.

Harmonization of the assortment - quantitative and qualitative changes in the state of a set of goods, reflecting the degree of proximity of the real assortment to the optimal or best foreign and domestic analogues, most fully corresponding to the goals of the organization.

In the Russian consumer market, this direction of assortment formation is relatively new and is expressed in the desire of a number of “elite” stores to form an assortment on the model of well-known foreign firms.

In addition, this direction is typical for large firms, corporations, joint-stock companies having subsidiaries in different regions. As an example, we can cite the harmonized assortment of such companies as Russian Bistro, GUM, etc. The choice of one direction or another requires knowledge of the factors influencing the formation of the assortment /12, p. 36/.

Thus, the success of the formation of an assortment of goods directly depends on the sale of goods. First of all, it is determined by their compliance with the demand of the population, the dynamics of which is constantly increasing under the influence of the growing demands of buyers, fashion, market conditions, etc., so the reaction to changes in demand must be very fast. Under such conditions, it is difficult to obtain reliable information about demand, and the probability of errors in its assessment is high.

What is category management and how to implement it? What are the categories? How to balance the assortment and increase the financial return from its management? The answers to these and other equally important retail store questions are given by the new edition of the bestseller on assortment management, the only practical guide in Russia for building a system of categorical product management.

The book is intended for category managers, merchandisers, buyers, commercial directors, managers and directors of trade enterprises - all those who are responsible for working with the assortment in a retail company.

As a bonus, an electronic application has been added to the book, which includes the most popular formulas, tables and documents needed in daily work category managers, as well as detailed information on such popular types of analysis as ABC- and XYZ-analysis, turnover, demand forecasting. The application is available via the link

http://goo.gl/wYUflG

http://goo.gl/wYUflG

Assortment width - is the total number of different product categories included in the assortment. For example, a grocery store might have products in categories such as " milk», « meat", « cheese», « fish», « children food», « diet food», « salads», « household chemicals», « household products», « pet food», « magazines and postcards», « souvenirs and gifts". The wider the assortment, the more likely it is that the buyer's needs will be satisfied, and the wider the range of buyers we will be able to attract.

On the one hand, the wider the range, the more varied needs can be met. A wide range allows you to set different trade margins (from minimum to maximum), while maintaining total profit shop. The number rises impulse purchases, the number of different segments of buyers is increasing. On the other hand, with an ultra-high breadth of assortment, it is difficult for the consumer to navigate in such a variety, which makes it difficult to choose the right product. Manage too a wide range also not easy - it leads to huge logistical costs and in most cases to an excess of frozen products in stock working capital. With a very wide assortment, the turnover is lower, accounting policy complicated by the need for frequent inventories.

An example from personal practice. I thought about assortment optimization many years ago when I was in charge of a separate division of a large trading holding. Conducting an inventory of stocks, I realized that too large areas of the warehouse were involved, we keep a lot of excess goods ... But it is necessary to increase sales, and expanding the assortment seemed to be the shortest way, because many people follow the path of expanding the assortment. But this does not always lead to a direct increase in income and competitiveness.

For example, there was a time when our assortment included collections of ceramic wall tiles in seven different colors and sizes of 20 x 20, 35? 23, 25? 40, 20? 15, 20? 30, 30? 40, 15? 15 and 10? 10 centimeters (plus a mosaic). We wanted to attract more customers this way. Imagine our surprise when it turned out that with such a variety of goods, people are simply not able to make a choice and, as a result, postpone the purchase or take the most popular sizes and colors. We have reduced the assortment and left four colors and three popular sizes in each collection. And this assortment turned out to be more competitive and profitable. Then we did this not only with a group of ceramic tiles, but with all positions.

Excessively wide choice acts as a lack of choice. Therefore, breadth cannot be the only indicator of a properly selected assortment and the main competitive advantage.

Assortment depth- the total number of product items within each product category in the assortment. The deeper the category is represented, the more accurately we will be able to guess the needs of our buyer, the more choice we will provide him. If we are dealing with a specialized store, for example "Computers", then the buyer rightly believes that the assortment in such a store will not be very wide, but deep enough, that is, there will only be computers, but a variety of brands, models and options. The deeper the assortment, the higher the specialization of the store.

As a rule, a deep assortment is easier to manage, but it attracts a rather limited number of buyers. But these customers are willing to pay a higher price in anticipation of a special choice, they are more loyal to the store where their most subtle needs are satisfied.

How to understand whether a store should have a wide or deep assortment?

Let's take such a popular category as "cheese". Imagine that you have entered a store where the assortment seems wide to you - there are many goods and food and food groups. But among the cheeses you see only two types - cheese "Russian" and cheese "Viola" processed. Can such an assortment be called deep? No, most likely, such an assortment of the store as a whole will seem insufficient to you, despite its breadth. The depth is precisely determined by the presence within the category of such a proposal of species, varieties of goods, by which one can judge the balance of the assortment.

Example 1 If we look in a grocery store and see categories such as meat, milk, wine, cheese, etc., can we conclude that the assortment in the store is wide? Probably not. But if we see other categories of goods in the store - diet food, pet food, magazines, postcards, etc., then we will perceive such an assortment as wide.

Exploring the assortment further, we will come to the "Cheese" section. And if we see one grade of hard, soft and processed, can we perceive such an assortment as deep? No, most likely, we will conclude that the store does not have a deep enough or poor assortment of cheeses. But if cheeses of different varieties are presented, as well as with mold, lactose-free, sausage, low-fat, green, etc., then such a range will seem deep, or complete (Fig. 3.9).

Rice. 3.9

Example 2 Examining the assortment of a cosmetics and perfumery store, we will conclude that the assortment is not wide enough if we see only creams, shampoos and body care products. But if the assortment also includes gift sets, jewelry, professional care products, etc., then the assortment will seem wide to us. In this example, the category "Hand creams" is presented in depth - there are many varieties of cream. If we were limited to only three or four varieties (with aloe, moisturizing and with glycerin), then such a range of creams would not be deep (Fig. 3.10).

The ratio of these two parameters - the width and depth of the range - determines the format of the store. Discounters and supermarkets are characterized by a policy of maintaining a wide but shallow assortment. For specialized stores, on the contrary, the assortment is narrow, but deep.

Rice. 3.10

Rice. 3.11. Store formats

Small-format stores with a small area (stalls, trade pavilions) do not have the opportunity to trade in a wide range. And no one expects depth from them.

Hypermarkets, on the other hand, have significant floor space and can have a deep assortment in many (but not all) categories.

Knowing the format gives us an idea where, in which direction to develop our assortment - in width or in depth. Should we introduce new product categories or deepen existing ones? Where to invest money?

Whatever development strategy we choose, one thing is important: the range must be balanced.

Assortment balance- this is a combination of the optimal number of categories for the buyer (width) and types of goods within the category (depth). We emphasize again - for the buyer. In a large hypermarket, the customer expects the assortment to be as wide as possible, but his expectations related to the depth of the assortment are different. No one expects that among such an extensive offer of goods there will be all kinds of exotic fruits (papaya, mango, rambutan), less common types of meat (horse meat, rabbit), atypical clothing sizes (40-42 and 54-56). For these products or sizes, the buyer will have to go to specialized stores - where prices are higher, the range is not so wide, but there is an opportunity to satisfy even the rarest requests.

However, if the assortment is not balanced, that is, does not meet the expectations of the buyer, then this assortment is felt as incomplete. Therefore, we will draw a parallel between two concepts - completeness and balance.

If the completeness of the assortment does not correspond to the concept of this store, then the needs of customers are not fully satisfied - the assortment is perceived either as “too narrow - there is nothing”, or as “it is impossible to choose - there are so many!”.

The methodology of category management allows with a high degree of probability balance assortment in such a way that it meets the expectations of the buyer as much as possible. We will talk about assortment balancing in detail in the section “Assortment balancing by depth”. You can also see examples of a balanced assortment there.

For one "trip" to the supermarket, the average "normal" consumer purchases goods of 10-12 categories. The average consumer is not inclined to spend more than 35 minutes on one visit ... Subtract the time for passing through trading floor(5-7 minutes), time spent at the checkout (5-7 minutes), as well as minutes spent looking at products that will not be bought later. No more than 15-18 minutes remain, or one and a half minutes for each category. How many options will be considered during this time? 5-6 - no more. And this is because 3–4 of them are recognizable brands, which require 6–7 seconds to identify. One or two "novelties" (i.e., new offerings not previously considered by that consumer) will each receive 20-30 seconds of consumer attention.

Range- this is a fairly large set, united by some common feature (raw materials, purpose, manufacturer, etc.), differing from each other in other ways. There are industrial and commercial, simple and complex, combined and mixed, expanded and enlarged assortment of goods.

Industrial range is a set of goods produced by a separate or separate company.

Trade assortment - a set of goods sold in trading network. - this is a set of all ( and ) engaged in the sale of goods. The trade assortment includes a set of goods produced by both domestic and foreign manufacturers. It is more diverse than the industrial range.

The assortment of goods presented at a trading enterprise determines its type (department store, supermarket) and form trade service. In addition, in stores of the same type, but different retail space, the assortment will differ in the number of groups and types of goods. In this case, trading enterprises will be subdivided into universal and specialized, stores with a combined and mixed assortment.

Given the complexity, a simple and complex assortment of goods is distinguished.

Those types of goods that are classified according to no more than three criteria will be simple assortment of goods(vegetables, table salt, laundry soap, etc.).

Those types of goods that are classified into varieties according to more than three characteristics, in the aggregate will be complex assortment of goods(shoes, clothes, etc.).

Enlarged assortment is determined by the ratio of individual product groups. A group of goods should be combined according to a number of criteria: method of production, purpose, design features, etc. Expanded assortment determined by the types of goods presented.

Combined range- This is a set of several groups of goods for different purposes, which are connected by a common demand and satisfy individual needs. For example, the store "Men's clothing" sells a combined assortment.

Mixed assortment- a set of non-food and food products different groups. The mixed assortment is presented, as a rule, the largest number groups and types of goods.

Main characteristics of the product range

The main indicators of the assortment are structure, completeness, depth, stability, novelty.

Assortment structure

Assortment structure- this is the percentage ratio of certain sets of products to their total number.

Assortment structure indicators are often expressed as a percentage. For example, the percentage of shirts, suits and other products determines the specific structure of the assortment in the Men's Clothing store.

Range breadth

Range breadth is determined by the number of product groups and is estimated by the latitude coefficient:

K sh \u003d G f / G n

• where Г f is the number of product groups at the time of determination, units; Гн is the total number of product groups, units.

Completeness of the range

Completeness of the range- this is the correspondence of the actual availability of types of goods to the developed assortment list, the existing demand.

The completeness of the assortment is expressed through the coefficient of completeness K p of the assortment, which is determined by the formula:

K p \u003d V f / V n

• where B f - the actual number of types of goods at the time of the survey (check), units; B n - the number of species provided for by the assortment list, supply contract, standards, etc., units.

Assortment depth

Assortment depth is determined by the number of varieties of goods for each item. The assortment depth coefficient is estimated by the formula:

K g \u003d R f / R n

• where R f - the actual number of varieties of goods at the time of verification, units; R n - the number of varieties provided for by the assortment list, the terms of the contract, price lists, etc., units.

Range stability

Sustainability(stability) characterizes the constant availability of goods of the corresponding type (variety) on sale. The stability coefficient K y is determined by the formula:

K y \u003d 1 - (P "f1 + P" f2 + ... + P "fn / P n× n)

• where P" f1, P" f2,..., P" fn - the actual number of varieties (types) of goods, from those provided by the assortment list and not available for sale at the time of individual checks, units; P n - the number of varieties (types) of goods provided by the assortment list, units; n is the number of checks.

The assortment stability coefficient is usually determined for a specific period (month, quarter, year). It has been established that the optimal assortment stability coefficient should be expressed by the following values: for department stores - 0.80; for specialized stores - 0.75.

The novelty of the range

Novelty characterizes the emergence of new varieties of goods for a certain period of time and is estimated by the coefficient of novelty To about:

K o \u003d R o / R f

• where R o - the number of new varieties of goods that appeared at the time of verification, units; Р f is the average number of varieties, units.

The coefficient of novelty characterizes the degree of renewal of the assortment, the emergence of new products.