What is merchandising?

I see this word pop up a lot in e-mails from MSCs and on this forum. But what is merchandising? It is not an actual mystery shop, right? What does it entail? What is the pay like?

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More About Merchandising

It involves things like setting and restocking displays. Right, it is not mystery shopping. From what I've seen it often takes longer than estimated by the companies because merchandisers have to sign in, talk to management, haul stock, etc. Crappy pay (about $8/hr) which is often capped at the companies projected time needed for the job.

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Or from asking here, LOL!

Merchandiser, is someone who uses a hand-held computer, assembles corrugates and standees, displays POP signs, inventories stock, returns, OOS and LS, resets, revisions, and overall maintenance of fixtures.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/17/2012 04:01AM by SunnyDays2.

LisaSTL Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It involves things like setting and restocking
> displays. Right, it is not mystery shopping. From
> what I've seen it often takes longer than
> estimated by the companies because merchandisers
> have to sign in, talk to management, haul stock,
> etc. Crappy pay (about $8/hr) which is often
> capped at the companies projected time needed for
> the job.

Totally agree w/ Lisa, which I usually do. Why because she's the Bomb! Lisa, you do not lecture or demean anyone and simply give information that you have. Props to you, babe.
Any way I think there are good paying merch gigs, likefor greeting card cos or magazines where you stock on a regular basis and get paid decently, but I do not know where to find them.
Cyn

Merchandising is a technique to representing the sell product in proper manner.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/13/2012 12:35PM by mariamini.

I got a call the other day asking me to take a merchandising shop. It was a little farther than I usually go. I told her I could not do it for the fee due to distance. She offered $2 more, I countered with $4 more. I was given the shop. Capped at 3.5 hrs. (I'm sure you know what I'm talking about). OMG! I could have spent another 2 hrs. The display was such a mess! The Asst. Manager was not in at the time but came shortly afterwards. She was nice & rather apologized for the display. LOL

LisaSTL Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It involves things like setting and restocking
> displays. Right, it is not mystery shopping. From
> what I've seen it often takes longer than
> estimated by the companies because merchandisers
> have to sign in, talk to management, haul stock,
> etc. Crappy pay (about $8/hr) which is often
> capped at the companies projected time needed for
> the job.

If you work for a real merchandising company the pay is much higher than $8 per hour. You get a regular schedule and only work the hours they allot for the job. The merchandising companies tend to overestimate the time allowed. You get paid for training, and get a regular schedule. Jobs are minimum 1 hour and up. If a job is scheduled for 4 hours and you finish in 3 you still get paid for 4. If you aren't done at 4 you leave and tell them on your report. Work is prioritized and you finish on your next visit. They will let the client and the client will allocate more time if hey want it finished.

If you are thinking the Purple portal is what merchandising is you are sorely mistaken.

~~*~~*~~*~~ kal ~~*~~*~~*~~
Everyone has a photographic memory. Some just forget to load the film.

Thanks for the 411. Yes, Certified is the only company I've ever seen merchandising jobs from and they sound absolutely horrid. I'm relieved to know they are to merchandising what their sister company is to mystery shopping, LOL!

Yep... Huge difference and sometimes you get some pretty good perks like employee discounts, freebies and sample product.

I have great store clientelle and one store does most of the work for me so all I need to do is straighten up.

Merchandising is about putting the client's product in the best light so it sells. Sometimes it means realigning product so that it looks better on a shelf or rack. Often it is verifying that the product is where it belongs, occasionally getting from the storeroom to the shelf. I have never had to do a full shelf reset, only move the newer stuff to eye level. Usually you tuck tags, straighten and pretty it up. Sometimes you check that clearance items are pulled and moved from regular stock. The store personelle does all the heavy lifting and set to plan-o-gram since they get the requirements from corporate. The merchandiser verifies it is there and set the way it is supposed to be. You take before and after photos so the client can see the store is selling what they are supposed to, signage s out and correct and items are located where they are supposed to.

~~*~~*~~*~~ kal ~~*~~*~~*~~
Everyone has a photographic memory. Some just forget to load the film.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/14/2012 01:35AM by kalfini.

There are actually a bunch of merchandising companies. The pay will vary. Certified pays the least. I've gotten $12 to $14 hr and performed 5 day assignmets working all day. They vary but there are some good companies out there.

For the ones I do you have to know how to read a planogram (map of what you are putting on the display). It's easy enough to learn.

I just did a kids' book reset. The first couple of stores took a long time. However, once I learned the planogram, I was able to get it done in no time. Some of the stores had already done the reset and I just needed to clean it up. So, sometimes it took the 45 minutes they said it would, sometimes 15 so it all seems to even out in the end. Plus, I do three or four in a route but count the mileage for each one individually. Throw in a shop and it's a decent day. The mileage alone takes care of most of the fees.

Avitoots - If I'm understanding what you're doing with that mileage, it won't survive an audit. Doesn't matter to me, but might matter to you.

Mary Davis Nowell. Based close to Fort Worth. Shopping Interstate 20 east and west, Interstate 35 north and south.

How wouldn't it survive an audit? How would the IRS know that I didn't start from home?

Avitoots - sorry I didn't pick up on your question earlier. They won't know you didn't start from home unless they do an audit. If they do an audit and see that you did four jobs that are miles away from home on a given day, they are not going to assume that you drove back home after each job before you went to the next job.

I believe if your only income is from mystery shopping you won't get audited because their possibility for financial recovery would be small. But, if you have other income in the household that the mystery shopping business is being added to/subtracted from, that might be a different story. When a loss from a side business is offsetting W2 income or other business profits, that changes the picture.

If you do four jobs in one trip and then claim mileage from home and back for each one (four trips), then you have claimed more mileage than you drove. That would be the issue for the IRS.

Mary Davis Nowell. Based close to Fort Worth. Shopping Interstate 20 east and west, Interstate 35 north and south.

You also must report the starting mileage and ending mileage for the year. If the mileage exceeds or is 100% from the mystery shopping/merchandising you may be questioned as well.

~~*~~*~~*~~ kal ~~*~~*~~*~~
Everyone has a photographic memory. Some just forget to load the film.

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