I figured it was like those Best Buy, Ross, etc. audit shops, but now I am seeing it used it ways that describe app shops where you check shelves?

What is merchandising and how does it differ from "traditional" ms-ing? Thanks in advance!!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/11/2019 11:56PM by shoptastic.

It depends. Some mystery shopping companies offer merchandising assignments. I don't do them. Most of those companies offer a flat rate fee which just doesn't cut it for me. The app shops pay diddly squat and I won't do those, either. I think a few other shoppers have made that work for them if they were already in a store doing something else, and for those who like quick pay, those app companies fit the bill. I would rather make more money and don't mind waiting a little longer.

I work for some companies that strictly offer merchandising services and pay an hourly wage. One company is Advantage Solutions. I do a lot of grocery store resets and store remodels. I am sure you have been in a store before and seen a team of people taking product off shelves, adjusting shelf height, and moving items from another part of the store to that section. That's usually a 3rd party reset team like Advantage. I also am a vendor for a company where I service the sunglasses and readers in stores for a glasses manufacturer. I go in, straighten up the displays, check for backstock and orders, and write orders when needed for my next visit. That is hourly pay and that company pays me drive time. I also work for a company that pays me a generous hourly wage to do audits, product retrievals, and a variety of other tasks. This company pays me mileage, drive time, and administrative time for printing out documents, reading instructions, etc. and if I have to ship something, I get paid for my time driving to Staples and FedEx or wherever else I need to go.

I've done merchandising for many years as well. In the past, I've worked as an employee for several merch companies and liked it a lot. Now I prefer IC work. Today, I went to two dept stores in the mall and straightened a certain brand of luggage for the Client, took before and after pictures. One store had no associates around, so I just did my work and left. The other store had a floor associate, with whom I have interacted in the past, so I could check off a few more areas on my worksheet. Yesterday, I went to a large office supply store, and did merch work for a brand name of printers. I had to see if each could print out a demo, and if not, why not. I had to make sure certain displays were up. Again, pictures, pictures, pictures. Last week, I did 2 stores, near each other and one nicely bonused, where I had to put out the NetSpend cards. Two weeks ago, I went to 6 grocery stores of the same chain, and checked the temperature on the produce sales floor and in the back produce cooler, for a certain bagged salad Client...with pictures to prove that the temp I reported was such. 10 minutes and $12 per store. These are all IC work. In the past, I've done the reset work JAS talks about, doing various types of resets...toys, cosmetics, convenience store coolers (Brrrr!! Those were cold!!). I also worked as an employee merchandiser putting all those coupon machines in the grocery/drug/dollar stores for 5 years. Those types of jobs were as an employee, not IC work. There are pros and cons to each type. It's a nice niche.

@JASFLALMT wrote:

I work for some companies that strictly offer merchandising services and pay an hourly wage. One company is Advantage Solutions. I do a lot of grocery store resets and store remodels. I am sure you have been in a store before and seen a team of people taking product off shelves, adjusting shelf height, and moving items from another part of the store to that section.

That makes sense. How many hours straight of that work is required for the job? Would it be an all-day/night affair, such as a Best Buy audit?

It depends. When I do merchandising work such as resets, it's usually 6-8 hours with a few breaks and lunch. I prefer to work without breaks myself. There is such a thing as night resets but I generally won't do them unless they pay extra. I don't like electronic store resets and remodels, but again, I will do them on occasion. I haven't done a lot of reset work lately. A few weeks ago we completed resets in the frozen food sections at some health food stores. We started at 7 a.m. and were done by 1 p.m. each day. It was a 3-day job at different stores in my area for the same chain. I probably won't do anymore reset work until spring, when one of my favorite local grocery stores will undoubtedly have some resets and remodels. I really like it when they build new stores and I get to go in and design departments. I get to be very creative with that kind of work and direct a team on how I want things to be done after getting approval from the store manager, and then a great sense of satisfaction when I go back and shop there and see what a great job we did.

I am involved in a project with the company that pays me mileage, drive time, and administrative time in addition to the regular hourly fee doing audits every quarter for a well-known food, health and beauty manufacturer. It's super easy. I pick a store close to home and go there, open an app, and scan items using my smart phone, entering the date code and taking a photo of it, and documenting any defects with pics (pump lock tops open on hand lotion bottles, drips or leaks, expired food products, air bubbles in the mayo, etc.). I never actually have to interact with store employees while doing them, I just do my thing and after 2 hours (usually 60-70 items) I submit the work on the app and leave. I do 7 stores per quarter (2 grocery stores, 2 mass retailers, 3 drug store retailers) and bill for it when done. I love that project.

I would never touch a Best Buy audit. They just don't pay enough.

Thanks for the info in this thread. I currently work grocery store resets for a national company as my main gig but am trying to pick up more IC and contract work so I'm not reliant on a PT job, maybe even involve my wife so we can support our family. How do you advertise your skills and experience to get more work in your area as a contractor?