Category management is an assortment management process in which each product category is treated as an independent business unit. Category Management Goals are to maximally satisfy the needs of customers and at the same time increase the efficiency of interaction between supplier and seller. This process is necessary to link various blocks of supply chains in product promotion, where each product category acts as an independent and main business unit around which the entire work scheme is built trading company aimed at ensuring maximum financial and economic performance.

The implementation of a category management program is not always correctly understood by managers at various levels in retail and manufacturing enterprises. The fact is that the introduction of category management in trading or production organization often involves changes in the entire structure of purchases and sales. This strategy is aimed primarily at the implementation of those programs and tasks that are pursued by distribution companies and retail chains, satisfying the needs of the end customer, therefore the main tool in an enterprise or organization becomes not production or just a sales service, but category manager(assortment committee). At the same time, the company’s work is organized in such a way that all decisions made by category management permeate all the structures of the enterprise and are implemented in such a way as to resolve pressing issues first and in the shortest possible time, optimize all necessary supply chains and obtain maximum financial results.

In this case, category management becomes the basis for the management of a trading company: all divisions and business processes of the company are aimed at achieving these goals. Thus, the category manager bears the maximum burden of responsibility for making decisions and obtaining the maximum economic effect.

The category manager is responsible for the entire chain - from the procurement process to the sale of goods. At the same time, the work of each department is assessed not separately, but its effectiveness in relation to the activities of the entire supply chain.

The main tasks that category management solves:

Analysis of the market for goods and services in terms of supply and demand, with the development of products that best satisfy the possible demand of the end customer;

Optimization of warehouse stocks and product flows based on the production and sale of products in high demand optimal price On the market;

A clear division of all product groups into categories (for example, “TVs” in the group of household appliances or “groceries” (more narrowly – “cereals”, “pasta”) in the group of dry food products, etc.);

Studying the consumer demand of the population for each product category;

Optimization of financial management in each product category;

Monitoring of all necessary marketing information;

Development of a clear assortment policy;

Determining the correct positioning of the product on the market and pricing policy;

Optimization of the entire distribution chain;

Competent personnel policy;

Analysis of the influence of different product groups on each other;

Taking into account the different interests of the manufacturer and retailer.

The main indicators of the product range are its breadth (number of product categories) and depth (number of product items in each category). There are various contradictions that a category manager has to resolve. For example, expanding the assortment or its breadth simultaneously leads to the diversification of goods aimed at different segments of the population and stimulates shopping in one trading place, but significantly increases the cost of production of various product groups, capital investments in production and the size of warehouse space.

Increasing the depth of a product category leads to the satisfaction of the maximum possible number of consumer groups in one product category (from everyday products and mass demand to premium goods). This method is less expensive, although it also requires additional storage space. But it allows for maximum competitiveness of the product in its market share. The difficulty here may lie in clear differentiation by quality and price niches various types products and their correct positioning.

Any enterprise and company should first solve several problems in order to determine ways for its further development:

Formulate the primary goals - satisfying the largest number of consumers, maximizing the use of knowledge-intensive and highly efficient technologies, obtaining the maximum economic effect in the shortest possible time, gaining a new market share by expanding the range, etc.;

Identify the market share that the trading and manufacturing company expects to occupy;

Plan necessary plan sales, turnover, gross and net profit;

Carry out clear positioning and, if necessary, branding of products (although a brand can only be formed in the mind of the buyer as it is recognized in the market);

Analyze the current operating scheme of the enterprise in order to further optimize all previous or new business processes, and, if necessary, eliminate unnecessary processes that hinder development;

Conduct qualified certification of employees for their possible use in the process of implementing the category management procedure.

Each enterprise must develop criteria for assessing the consumer properties of a product of a certain category, by which the entire category will be assessed in the future. For example: the presence of packaging and barcode, design, taste, expiration date, warranty period, absence of preservatives, high-tech, additional properties or qualities (say, a set of functions in electronics), novelty of the solution, presence of a similar product on the market, product positioning and etc. For any product category, depending on the goals and objectives, several dozen evaluation criteria can be developed with a scoring scale and the final total result. If necessary, various focus groups can be used to evaluate the proposed product.

Nowadays, not only a well-known brand is in demand among buyers, but also the presence of a large number of consumer properties and functions of the product, which allow it to maximally satisfy the increased needs of customers.

The goals of category management are on the one hand, in maximizing customer needs, and on the other, in increasing the efficiency of cooperation between the manufacturer (supplier) and retail chains. Therefore, a category manager is a specialist highly qualified. He is responsible for the entire range of work on the acquisition and promotion of goods of a certain, clearly formed assortment group, establishes business relationships with suppliers or retail operators, looks for ways to optimize supply and logistics costs, organizes and supervises promotional events.

The concept of “category” is interpreted differently by retailers and manufacturers: for the manufacturer it is important to increase sales of its own products, for the retailer it is to build consumer loyalty to the store and increase sales of categories in general. Category management is not within the retailer or manufacturer, but between the manufacturer and the retail outlet. Sometimes the manufacturer’s assortment does not really fit in with the needs of the consumer, and the “profitability vectors” of the manufacturer and the seller generally turn out to be directed almost in opposite directions.

The formation of categories is the main point in category management, based on the concept of a strategic business unit (SBU). Thus, each product group can be represented as a SBU, but often a SBU is formed from several product groups. Sometimes one product group is divided into subgroups. When forming and transforming categories, the behavioral aspects of buyers are analyzed, who subconsciously divide products into groups.

Despite the increasing competition in the market, it must be admitted that it has not yet reached a critical level and not all manufacturers, along with trading companies, are aware of the fact that meeting the requirements of retail chains is in their interests. Each product category should become a kind of mini-model of the company with separate goals and objectives, interconnected with the goals and objectives of the trading company as a whole, identified by consumers with its assortment.

Category management builds the work of a trading company in such a way that the work is aimed at maximizing the satisfaction of consumer requirements of customers, i.e., it is based on providing customers with maximum priorities, which are expressed in an improved assortment, attractive prices, constant availability of goods in the required quantity, optimization of delivery processes products and their purchase, increasing the effectiveness of BTL activities to stimulate product sales. The business processes of the retailer and supplier are constantly being improved, logistics are being improved, which leads to cost reduction and increased company income. This cannot be achieved without close interaction between the retail operator and the supplier to exchange all necessary data and jointly manage the product range and commodity flows.

You can select a row key directions category management.

Formation of an optimal assortment and construction of a competent assortment policy for a trading and manufacturing company. This area of ​​activity is responsible for the assessment and development of all product groups and subgroups included in assortment list companies. These products must strictly meet the requirements of customers and be profitable, and sometimes provide a clear positioning of the organization (these, in particular, include Korkunov, Hennesy, Carrier, Porsche, Rolex, etc.). The main goal is the most efficient use of the company's warehouse and production potential. Analytical data from marketing departments play a significant role in the formation of the optimal assortment, since customer preferences serve as the basis for assessing categories and analyzing the offer as a whole, and therefore a more justified choice of goods and their production and warehousing.

Product promotion management. The organization of the entire system of marketing activities, based primarily on trade marketing and BTL tools, is necessary to ensure the effective implementation of the promotion strategy, which has a huge impact on the entire supply chain. The use of analytical data used by category management leads to a multiple increase in the effectiveness of sales promotion campaigns.

Correct presentation of the product. In the process of studying the preferences and needs of customers, in particular, retail chains that directly study the consumer demand of the population, a trade policy is formed for the successful launch of new products. Manufacturing companies focus their efforts primarily on reducing the number of errors in the release of new products and the associated losses. The second goal is to respond more quickly to changes in demand and adjust production plans. The range of products that the company will operate should include only those products that have significant value for the consumer.

1 . Definition of categories. Category – distinct and manageable groups of products that customers perceive as interrelated and interchangeable in meeting their needs. Based on data about the needs, wishes and priorities of customers, using sales ratings and focus groups, category segmentation is developed, and the names that form each individual product category are determined. The main consumer properties of products that satisfy the same customer needs are identified, and the key ones are identified. The latter become the criteria for segmentation (plasma TVs, baked goods, bedrooms, etc.). As a result, it is formed assortment classifier, the top level of which, depending on the breadth of the assortment, is a product line, and the next level is product categories, which, in the case of a significant depth of assortment and expediency from the point of view of purchasing behavior, are divided into subcategories, groups and subgroups, brands and articles. For each category, all data on consumer behavior is recorded.

2. Determining the role of the category in the company’s assortment policy. Through internal marketing in a trading and manufacturing company and the study of various groups of buyers, competitors and retail chains with different positioning in relation to customers, a comparative analysis of all categories is carried out, the results of which can be used as the basis for a plan for purchasing, production and distribution of warehouse space.

3. Assessing the potential of the category. Allows you to determine the capabilities of each category and its components in terms of sales volumes, gross and marginal profit, product turnover ratio.

4. Category evaluation criteria. Designed to set goals for each product category and its components and to enable rapid measurement of results.

6. Category tactics. Determination of a specific category assortment, prices, promotion, placement, delivery plan and transportation of goods depending on the location of retail chains and their formats. For each retail network and for each store format in this chain, based on the developed strategy and research results, as well as data on sales and product turnover, a so-called assortment map is compiled. An assortment card is a list of mandatory product items indicating the quantity of products necessary for uninterrupted trade, the value of their consumer properties, as well as possible substitutes for goods in case they are withdrawn by a retail chain or in the desire to rotate products. Based on such a card, taking into account the balances in warehouses, the category manager plans relations with the manufacturer.

7. Execution of the plan by category.

8. Control and adjustment of the plan. Involves constant monitoring of the category's performance results.

Who is the consumer - his age, economic status, place of residence, etc.;

What exactly is the consumer buying - a product, brand, color, taste or something else;

What is the typical way to make a purchase - without leaving home (by phone or Internet), outside the home, on the corner, at a specific retail outlet, etc.;

What stimulates the consumer - the product itself, promotion, price or anything else;

How often do you make purchases - daily, weekly or monthly?

Development– based on the information obtained at the first stage, a map of consumer characteristics of products is compiled, a category classifier is built, and a more in-depth analysis of how each category and its components behaves is carried out. There are many questions to answer at this stage.

1. What are the purchasing characteristics of products and categories?

2. Does the assortment map meet consumer needs?

4. What is the current layout configuration and its planogram?

5. Are subcategories, groups and subgroups rationally placed?

7. What other items are purchased along with products from this category?

8. Do promotions get better response when promoted in conjunction with other categories?

The essence of this stage is the accumulation of the initial body of knowledge obtained during the analysis. To create a complete category management database, the analysis must be carried out at various levels (category, chain, set of stores, individual store). Based on the information received, categories are assessed and classified according to their role in the operation of the retail network.

Monitoring– monitoring means regular measurement of performance results by category. At this stage, measurable goals are set and criteria for assessing their achievement are determined. In the future, this will help to fairly evaluate the work of the category manager and check how adequately the category plan is being implemented at all levels: category, chain, region, store.

Modeling– this step allows you to understand how individual categories will behave and what the results will be at all levels in the event of changes in various variables: company strategy, tactics, category roles and their boundaries. In this way, the category manager gains an understanding of how the entire system works and receives alternative assortment plans.

Proper construction of the category management process provides the following advantages.

Work productivity. By basing category management on optimal tools, processes and information systems, you can create a plan by category in a much shorter time.

Viability of the system. Category managers master the tools, processes, and information to rigorously develop and manage categories and model how they can improve.

Accuracy of decisions made. Data collection, storage and analysis technologies are being developed to provide reliable, clear, real-time data to category managers, who can then simulate real-world situations with real-world data.

Reliability of the information received. Automate the process of evaluating results using appropriate applications and data integration in the ERP system. In this case, the results are easy to verify and are reliable at all levels.

Income. Profit is one of the main indicators by which top management judges the success of any process. Properly organized and implemented category management will reduce costs, increase sales, profits, margins, asset turnover rate, market share, increase the level of consumer satisfaction, and improve storage conditions for goods.

First. Expensive goods and products represented by a strong brand (from the consumer’s point of view) should not be allowed to mix with consumer goods, i.e. falling into the same category of goods that are regarded by the buyer as interrelated and interchangeable in meeting their needs. Therefore, luxury products and products with a high level of brand recognition require the creation of separate categories.

And second. It is impossible to organize the process correctly without interaction between the manufacturer/supplier and the retail operator.

A category manager is responsible for managing the store's assortment in order to increase store sales. The specialist participates in the processes of purchasing, storage, merchandising, sales promotion and product sales. For this reason, a professional needs to know marketing, purchasing, logistics, sales and other processes of trade and economics.

What is a category manager? The manager has this name because the assortment is managed according to the division of products into categories (groups of similar products). This division allows you to more competently manage inventory and significantly increase the sales volume of a trading enterprise.

Places of work

History of the profession

Category management originated in the United States in the early 90s of the last century thanks to Brian F. Harris. He suggested managing product categories as separate business units. This theory began to gain popularity due to its high effectiveness.

Responsibilities of a Category Manager

In the main job responsibilities A category manager includes managing one or more product categories, or more precisely:

• formation of an assortment (studying the demand and assortment of competitors, calculating the profitability of goods);
• procurement and inventory accounting (placing orders and working with suppliers, monitoring the expiration dates of goods);
• participation in pricing (calculation of markups, forecasting sales speed);
• sales promotion (launching advertising and promotions, organizing sales).

Requirements for a category manager

• higher (or incomplete higher) education;
• knowledge of the market for the product being promoted (for example, in the field of toys you need to know the main categories of toys, trademarks, manufacturers and suppliers);
• good knowledge of PC (office programs, 1C);
• Experience in purchasing or as a category manager is often required.

Desirable requirements for an employee are approximately the following:

• knowledge of spoken and written English;
• knowledge of marketing, financial accounting, merchandising;
• Experience in sales or product promotion.

Resume sample

How to become a category manager

To master the profession of a category manager, you need to obtain higher education in management, economics or marketing. It is also necessary to understand how modern commercial enterprises operate. How the processes of purchasing, warehouse accounting, placement on shop windows and shelves take place, how sales are held, how stores make money and how they lose money.

To become a serious specialist you need professional knowledge some area of ​​goods (perhaps your favorite area). This could be sporting goods, auto cosmetics, toys, shoes, Appliances, dishes, cushioned furniture etc.

Category manager salary

The salary of a category manager ranges from 30 to 120 thousand rubles per month. Typically, the higher the company’s sales turnover, the more serious the position and the higher the specialist’s salary. The average salary of a category manager is about 60 thousand rubles per month.

• 3 principles of category management in retail
• How to determine the category boundary
• How to find out the importance of a product for a store
• Category management: what is it all about?
• How to identify category development potential

To work with any category of goods, I suggest using category management. Today, this is a proven tool that allows a convenience store to survive, differentiate from competitors and maximize sales figures not only for the category, but for the entire assortment as a whole.

The best way to implement this technique in a store is to hire a category manager. In essence, this is the commercial director of the category, who determines the strategy for its development and tactical measures, analyzes and adjusts its work. If you are not yet ready to do this, you can contact product suppliers. They are interested in effective sales of their products and, without any doubt, will agree to participate in cleaning the category from unpopular products. My article will help you understand the intricacies of category management techniques, the implementation of which can occur according to three different principles of category management.

Category management is based on a focus on the buyer

If you satisfy all the needs of the target buyer as much as possible, you can achieve the following results. In his eyes, the store’s assortment will look harmonious and balanced. In addition, he will always prefer your store to other outlets. A clear advantage is the “close to home” format itself: you don’t have to go or go anywhere specially.

• How to Analyze Assortment Using ABC Analysis and the Boston Consulting Group Matrix
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Category management helps when all processes are transparent and measurable

To achieve this, you will have to collect a large number of information and then analyze it. I will list exactly what information is required.

1. Information about your target buyer. Answer the following questions:

• who is he;
• what he buys;
• how often does he buy?
• when he buys;
• where else does he buy?
• why (for what purpose) does he buy;
• why does he buy something from you and something else from other places?

At the same stage, you should determine what your store has:

• traffic;
• average check.
• what is the level of customer satisfaction;
• what the buyer wanted to buy and what he bought.

Don’t be afraid to answer such an unpleasant question as why the buyer did not purchase the desired product from you:

• was not in the store;
• didn't find it in trading floor;
• I didn’t see the price tag on the product;
• the price seemed high;
• I didn’t like the product (the expiration date has expired, the display looks sloppy).

2. Market information. Analyze food retail in the following areas:

• trends in the market: for example, demand for environmentally friendly products is increasing, demand for domestic beer is decreasing, the direction of creating own brands is developing, etc.;
• what new products are available today;
• products of which top sellers can be found at each outlet.

Then look at your store from the outside.

3. Information about competitors. The more you study your competitors, the more effectively you can use information about them. Find out the following about your “neighbors”:

• for whom they work (who is the main buyer);
• how they work (schedule);
• what they work with (range);
• what segment they are betting on (economy, medium, premium);
• who is hired - local residents, guests from neighboring regions / republics / countries;
• what problems are solved (theft of customers / employees, renewal / obtaining a license for retail trade alcoholic products, possible liquidation of the enterprise due to stricter legislation, etc.).

4. Information on your trading activities. More specifically, data on the work category:

• turnover in pieces and rubles;
• profit;
• specific indicators of turnover and profit per sq.m;
• inventory turnover.

Category structuring

The classic category structuring model includes 8 sequential steps . To take these steps, first ask yourself the following questions.

1. What category are we talking about? How is it structured?
2. How important is this category for retail?
3. What is the main potential of the category for retailers?
4. What category goals must be achieved?
5. How exactly do you intend to promote the category?
6. What actions must be taken to implement the strategy?
7. What's the action plan? What are the priorities?

Category management: step-by-step category structuring

Step #1. We indicate the boundaries of the category. Look at the category through the eyes of your target buyer and create a classifier .

Step #2. We define the role of the category. This is necessary for further steps to properly allocate your store's resources. I propose to determine the category using the ECR methodology (English: efficient consumer response - “effective response to consumer requests”). It also helps reduce costs in the supply chain. According to this methodology, there are only four main category roles .

When working with a specific category, you should answer a number of questions:

• how important the category is to your target buyer;
• how important the category is for your store;
• How important is the category for your competitors, is there an opportunity to differentiate from them;
• what market share does this category occupy and what is its dynamics (growing or stagnating).

If you want to position the same category as a target and thus stand out among all your competitors, then you will need to offer customers a unique assortment. Then in this category your store will be determined as the best.

• How to open a children's store from scratch and lead it to success in 5 steps

So, depending on the role, we distribute our resources in the future. If the category is targeted, you should have the widest and deepest assortment, wide display, extra seats sales to the main display, aggressively low prices compared to competitors and high promotional activity.

Step #3. We evaluate the category. At this step, we identify the potential for category development using different available types of analyzes (ABC, cluster, balance analysis, productivity, etc.).

Step #4. We define the goals of the category. After we have assessed the category and identified its potential, we define goals (specific, measurable). So, for example, if today the average bill for a category is 54 rubles, then our goal may be to increase it to 75 rubles. in 6 months. And so on for everyone key indicators category performance efficiency (turnover, profit, margin, share of sales, number of purchases).

Step #5. Choosing a category development strategy. This step must be taken in order to understand exactly how to further develop the category you have chosen. .

Step #6. We determine tactics for further actions to develop the category. We do this according to four marketing parameters:

• range;
• price;
• Promotions;
• display.

Suppose we have chosen the “Profit Increasing” strategy for our category - then we will include in the assortment:

• high-yield goods from local producers;
• products of high importance for the family;
• products with a high probability of impulse demand;
• exclusive products.

We will reduce low-margin products, start running promotions, and to increase impulse purchases, we will place these products in a high-frequency zone (next to the top ten most popular products) or near a high-traffic zone.

• “Mystery shopping”: how to use it to improve staff performance

Step-by-step analysis of assortment efficiency

Determining segment coverage. I will dwell in more detail on how to determine the percentage of turnover (segment coverage) - within the framework of the market place for each segment of the product category. This is the most important, one might say, fateful step in the process of analyzing the effectiveness of the assortment.

There are many products in the market in each segment. We must determine whether we will introduce all products into our range or only a part - those that cover 85% of the market or 70%.

Target segment coverage is the number of SKUs that will provide X% coverage of the segment. Next, in accordance with the target coverage indicator in our assortment, we determine the product rotation zone.

Let's assume that we have chosen a target coverage of 85%. For each segment (product group), we conduct an ABC analysis and determine the rotation zone (everything below 85%). It is in this part that we will carefully look at how much we need this assortment. This does not mean that such products should not be sold at all - additional arguments are needed for their presence in the store. It is necessary to analyze the product according to the following indicators:

• customer loyalty;
• additional value (some regular customers like it, the supplier makes a discount/runs promotions, etc.);
• exclusivity;
• replaceability;
• new

In addition, it is useful to look at the productivity of each product group (segment) in the category . As you can see, segments A and B have a high productivity index - in turnover and profit they occupy a larger share with a smaller assortment. It makes sense to expand them.

Step #7. Implementation of an action plan. As you can see, our assortment is more effective - changes can be implemented!

Examples of category management

Tatyana Grushkina, store manager “24 Plus”, Nizhny Novgorod

Our store has four main departments: dairy products and sausages, groceries, alcohol, and sweets. Other products are not presented in such large volumes. When the store opened 7 years ago, there were practically no competitors nearby. But then a chain store appeared not far from us, and although the number of customers almost did not decrease, we began to notice a decrease in the average check amount. Either goods that were previously purchased from us turned out to be cheaper in the new store, or competitors had a better selection.

The owner of our store has an economic education. He is actively involved in business and often implements interesting ideas. This time he decided to simultaneously level up the trading performance and change the motivation system for the sellers and the manager (me).

First, he appointed people responsible for each department - their task was to increase the number of purchases. A bonus was paid for this. The workers received special instructions. Here are a few examples.

Many sellers worked from the very opening, knew the customers by sight, and remembered who preferred what. Now, if they saw a person taking cottage cheese, they would offer him to buy sour cream: “Cottage cheese with sour cream is so delicious!” (The instructions suggested saying exactly this phrase.) When the buyer purchased coffee, the sellers always advised him to take chocolate.

But our sellers didn’t stop there. They began offering related products from other departments, helping to increase sales to their comrades. In order to prevent the accumulation of product residues in the grocery department before the end of the season, we packaged sugar not in 1 kg, but in 3 kg. We designed posters “During the spinning season, make sure you have enough sugar!” and on the price tag they wrote: “Save! When purchasing 3 kg of sugar - 10 rubles discount.”

But what seems most interesting to me is the move that the cashiers came up with. Inexpensive items were moved to the checkout counter and offered as change. Chocolates, packaged cookies, seasonings - with analysis, not at random. It’s stupid to offer a seasoning for cognac and ice cream, but it’s very smart to offer it for fresh meat.

Elena Zalesskaya, Head of HR department at Fashion Bureau, Moscow

Category management is a relatively new concept in management retail sales. Just about 25 years ago, manufacturers and retailers realized that their combined efforts in category management, coupled with an understanding of the buyer profile, could provide a new impetus to increase sales.

One of the main tasks is to understand how and why a buyer makes a purchasing decision. It is on understanding the “decision tree” that the entire category management strategy is built. The category manager is called upon to manage this process.

A category manager is a specialist who combines the functions of a buyer, seller and logistician and has knowledge of marketing and merchandising. Today, few retailers can boast of such a staff position as a category manager, and therefore manufacturers often offer their category management services.

Most manufacturing companies have a so-called minimum assortment (Must Have List) for each sales channel. This range (hereinafter referred to as MHL) is determined based on several parameters:

• marginality (the higher it is, the higher the prospect of ending up in MHL);
• contribution to total sales (this indicator should be above the average);
• new or strategic SKU;
• SKUs receiving ATL support.

At the same time, stores have similar sales development goals. This is where the interests of the parties intersect in managing the entire category.

A manufacturer, starting a particular category management project, sets the task not only and not so much to increase sales of its product, but, oddly enough, the sales of its competitors, thereby increasing the entire “category” product basket.

In one supermarket chain, a tea category producer has revised its entire range, focusing on Special attention buyer decision tree. This is how the algorithm of buyer actions inside the store was determined. Based on this algorithm, as well as based on the results of cross-category analysis, the matrix of all tea producers was revised. Low-turnover SKUs were removed from the assortment, tea was grouped by flavors and packaging, and the main sales location was established next to the complementary category “cookies and sweets.”

Since then, sales in the tea category have grown by 15%, increasing profitability per square meter on shelf.

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The user has the right to refuse to receive the above information by notifying in writing to the email address Insales -.

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3.2. Compensation for damage does not terminate the obligations of the violating Party to properly fulfill its obligations under the Agreement.

4.Other provisions

4.1. All notices, requests, demands and other correspondence under this Agreement, including those including confidential information, must be in writing and delivered personally or through a courier, or sent to e-mail to the addresses specified in the license agreement for computer programs dated December 1, 2016, the accession agreement to the license agreement for computer programs and in this Agreement or other addresses that may subsequently be specified in writing by the Party.

4.2. If one or more provisions (conditions) of this Agreement are or become invalid, then this cannot serve as a reason for termination of the other provisions (conditions).

4.3. This Agreement and the relationship between the User and Insales arising in connection with the application of the Agreement are subject to the law of the Russian Federation.

4.3. The User has the right to send all suggestions or questions regarding this Agreement to the Insales User Support Service or to the postal address: 107078, Moscow, st. Novoryazanskaya, 18, building 11-12 BC “Stendhal” LLC “Insales Rus”.

Publication date: 12/01/2016

Full name in Russian:

Limited Liability Company "Insales Rus"

Abbreviated name in Russian:

LLC "Insales Rus"

Name in English:

InSales Rus Limited Liability Company (InSales Rus LLC)

Legal address:

125319, Moscow, st. Akademika Ilyushina, 4, building 1, office 11

Mailing address:

107078, Moscow, st. Novoryazanskaya, 18, building 11-12, BC “Stendhal”

INN: 7714843760 Checkpoint: 771401001

Bank details:

Modern practice of planning, forming and managing an assortment is that an enterprise must promptly offer a certain set of goods in accordance with its profile in order to most fully meet the requirements of certain categories of buyers. This new approach in product policy it is called category management (Category Management).

The prerequisites for the emergence of the concept of category management appeared in the mid-1980s, when the retail food chain Schnucks from St. Louis (USA), beginning to lose ground in the competition, took advantage of the new computer program"Apollo", which determines the optimal size of shelf space for each product in a certain category. The developer of the program, university professor Brian Harris, proposed an interesting idea - to distribute priority places on shelves based on the importance of goods for the consumer. Acting on Apollo's instructions, Schnucks has given more space to bestsellers in its sections. baby food, which boosted sales and increased turnover in this category by 20%. All this led to the emergence of a truly revolutionary idea: a store can increase sales by approaching the assortment not as separate products collected together, but as a collection of certain categories or product groups.

Category management is an independent type of professionally carried out activity in managing the product range, aimed at its development in accordance with the volume and structure of demand, with the most effective use financial, material, information and labor resources.

Category management as an independent type of activity presupposes the presence of an object and a subject of management. Control object in category management - this is the assortment of the enterprise, individual product categories, connections and relationships between them. Subject of management in category management - an official, division or structure that exercises managerial influence on a product category and makes decisions on this issue.

The key goal of category management is to maximally satisfy the needs of all target consumer groups while simultaneously increasing the efficiency of interaction between the manufacturer (supplier) and the retailer. The management goal is differentiated and specified in the form of functions and tasks, the implementation of which helps to optimize the assortment structure and rational organization the entire trade and technological process.

• development management trade assortment;
• formation of product categories in the assortment structure;
• optimization of the product category structure;
• formation of management business models corresponding to the category management strategy;
• Creation automated system management of trade assortment.

The product assortment in the category management system is a set of varieties of goods, combined according to a certain principle into product categories while maintaining the main characteristics of the assortment, such as width, depth, balance, rationality, stability, novelty, etc.

Much attention is paid to the assortment structure, which is aimed at achieving correspondence between the structural and assortment supply of the enterprise’s goods and the demand for them. The structure of the assortment presupposes its optimal diversity and compliance with certain characteristics (types of computers, sets of dishes, appropriate price gradations, etc.) with a view to certain groups (segments) of consumers. The problem of selecting specific products, their individual series, determining the relationship between old and new products, single and serial production is decided in the process of assortment formation. When forming an assortment, problems also arise related to prices, quality, guarantees, service, as well as the positioning of specific products in a given market segment.

Planning and assortment formation is an integral part of marketing. Even well-thought-out sales and advertising plans will not be able to neutralize the consequences of mistakes made at these stages. Therefore, effective assortment management is one of the conditions for successful operation.

The main characteristics of category management are:

• decentralized (polycentric) management system, which involves the creation of several centers of responsibility;
• the object of management is product categories, the full management process from determining the assortment, planning purchases to monitoring and analyzing sales and category effectiveness;
• pricing is based on costs, competitors and customer demand, the profitability of individual products and product groups is planned and analyzed;
• the category manager is responsible for the entire category: from purchasing planning to stock control;
• The criteria for the quality of work are the profitability of the category, the achievement of planned performance indicators (financial and qualitative).

Public opinion associates the emergence of category management itself with the Procter & Gamble company, which in the early 1990s. for the first time, she combined products into categories not according to the principle of production, but according to their common properties for the consumer. For clarity, let's give an example: despite different qualities and production methods, a toothbrush and toothpaste belong to the same category of goods, since the buyer combines these items in his mind as intended for oral hygiene, whereas, for example, shower gel and gel for washing dishes, on the contrary, will be classified into different categories. This approach underlies the ECR - Efficient Consumer Response program, which has become Starting point to develop the concept of category management.

The introduction of the ECR program is a successful solution to the main problems. The goal of the Customer Response Program was to identify ways to create the environment and tools that would make manufacturers and retailers work together more effectively and meaningfully in adding value to the products and services they offer to customers.

Thus, ECR was intended to be applied in two areas: on the one hand, in the supply area (to optimize joint activities in the field of logistics and supply chain), and on the other, in order to increase demand (as an additional joint marketing effort in the area of ​​sales promotion). The main principles of cooperation between manufacturer and retailer within the framework of ECR ​​are the following:

• the principle of organizational capabilities (alignment of trade and production organizational structures by creating multifunctional teams united common goal);
• the principle of performance analysis (joint analysis of relevant data to assess the existing and potential levels of program implementation);
• the principle of partnership (partnership in the implementation of set goals in accordance with the adopted mutually beneficial strategy);
• principle information technologies(development and application of joint methods and procedures to facilitate information exchange).

To maintain active interaction in both areas, as well as to optimize complex business processes, it was assumed that certain tools and technologies would be used, which are reflected in the general system of ECR ​​relations as two additional blocks: assistants and integrators (Fig. 5.6).

As can be seen from this diagram, activities in the field of supply are aimed, first of all, at organizing logistics and information technology cooperation between the manufacturer and trade. Economic efficiency is achieved through standardization of cargo units, timely replenishment of stocks, two-way tracking of the supply process, while demand-side activities, on the contrary, focus on cooperation in purchasing, sales and various marketing activities.

The focus is on the consumer, as well as the additional value of the product created based on his needs. The main strategies for success in this area are:

Rice. 5.6.

• creation of an economically viable assortment (Efficient Assortment);
• effective introduction of the product to the market (Efficient Product Introduction);
• effective sales promotion (Efficient Promotions).

Category management is one of the elements of the ECR system and represents a fairly new approach to management. The innovativeness of the idea was that the formation of both the entire assortment and the assortment of individual product categories is subordinated to the company's strategy and is based on the requests and needs of customers. A category is a separate unit of assortment management. The purchasing process is not limited to assortment compilation and stock control. All business processes of product management are covered: from developing a store concept to an action plan to stimulate sales on the sales floor.

Category management is the management of an independent business within a company, built on the optimization of all operations related to a specific product group. Therefore, in the modern view, a category manager is more of an entrepreneur than a functional manager. According to the ECR concept, the category management system belongs to the field of demand management, so it would be most effective to consider the approaches and methods used in it using the example of the work of a retail trade enterprise. The process of product assortment management within category management can be divided into several stages.

1. Assortment structuring. To effectively manage the assortment, it is necessary to conduct its primary analysis using concepts such as product classifier and assortment matrix.

Commodity classifier– division of all goods into levels: classes (for example, foodstuffs), product groups (dairy products) and product categories (kefir, yogurt, milk). Moreover, at each level they are combined either into a class, or into a category, or into a position according to common features or properties.

Assortment matrix - this is a complete list of all product items approved for sale in a specific store for a certain period of time, taking into account the requirements of the company’s assortment policy and the characteristics of the format and location point of sale. An assortment matrix is ​​a document that appears after work has been done to identify classes, groups, categories, subcategories and other levels of the classifier in the assortment.

The assortment is considered balanced if the ratio of the number of categories (assortment width) and types of goods within each of them (assortment depth) is optimal for the buyer.

2. Formation (selection) of categories. The next subgroup of goods is the product category. The category is the most stable subgroup; sales and profit analysis is carried out on its basis. Replacement of suppliers, collections, brands, introduction of new product items and withdrawal of old ones - all this is not reflected in the assortment category. Product category– a set of goods that the buyer perceives as similar to each other, or united by common use. As a rule, the buyer operates in categories in his mind.

• 1) highlight the first two levels of the product classifier – class and groups of goods;
• 2) determine target groups store customers;
• 3) study their basic needs and understand the logic that guides them when choosing a product.

Category management involves both the traditional division of goods into categories, which is close to the merchandising division: goods are combined into categories based on their common method of production (milk, televisions, boots, etc.), and a more creative approach: based on the sharing of goods (bathhouse – towel, birch broom, essential oils). This division is often found in stores selling fashionable clothes, furniture or souvenirs, i.e. where the buyer’s choice criterion is style or lifestyle.

3. Defining the category structure. The category is divided into subcategories in accordance with the purchasing decision tree, i.e. based on the logic of gradual product selection. Let's give an example of such a tree (Fig. 5.7).

Depending on the consumer's personality, the sequence of logical "branches" of the tree may change, but the subcategories themselves will remain the same. Each level is formed based on certain characteristics of the product:

Rice. 5.7.

its properties, brands (collections, series), price segments (styles), accounting units. The resulting diagram of the category structure is shown in Fig. 5.8.

The product has the following characteristics: end user, shape and style, color, composition, size and age, texture and material, smells and tastes, etc. At the level of brands and collections, trademark product, country of production, collection and series.

Each product clearly belongs to a specific price segment and style. At the last level of accounting units, products are differentiated by size, packaging shapes, and volume measures.

• 4. Balancing the assortment by width. To achieve a harmonious assortment, the total number of categories (width of the assortment) and their relationship with each other must obey certain rules. In category management, all categories must be related to the specific role they play. There are only five roles:
• 1) basic categories (40–60% of the total), the main task of which is high turnover

Rice. 5.8.

and attracting a flow of buyers; categories of this type should be characterized by a large selection, low markup, competitive prices, and prices for goods related to them are formed based on the competitive environment;

• 2) priority categories (20% of the total), the main task of which is to generate profit; as a rule, these are the most important categories in the assortment, since they determine the specialization of the entire store; they are characterized by great trade margin, but taking into account the competitive environment;
• 3) periodic (seasonal) categories (up to 20% of the total), the task of which is to update the assortment and retain the buyer; due to fairly frequent rotation, the turnover of goods in these categories is inconsistent; a seasonal approach to pricing is used;
• 4) convenient categories (5–10% of the total), the main purpose of which is to ensure a constant customer flow, stimulate additional purchases, and convenience for the buyer; As a rule, this category includes related or auxiliary products that are characterized by low turnover, but the level of markup for which ranges from average to quite high;
• 5) unique categories (1–3% of the total), the main task of which is to create an image and increase the memorability of the store; uniqueness can manifest itself not only in the product itself (rare or new brand), but also in the presence of such a position in the assortment of this type of store; the product may not be profitable, but be a certain “highlight” of the assortment; This category of goods is characterized by the highest possible markup.

To determine the role of a category, use cross-category analysis– a method based on mathematics and expert assessment. Such an analysis allows you not only to compare data on profit and turnover for all categories, but also to see the development path of each of them. To conduct cross-category analysis you need:

• 1) for each category, take data on turnover and marginal profit (at least three months);
• 2) determine the average values ​​and boundaries of the data, as well as the average values ​​in the interval from the overall average to the maximum (minimum) level;
• 3) draw a graph (but the axes X - indications of turnover, along the axis at- profit); the role of the category will be determined by the location of the indicators on the graph (Fig. 5.9).

The figure shows that the indicators of priority categories will be in the upper right part of the field (turnover and profit above average). The basic categories will occupy its middle, but above the average turnover. Convenient categories are located, as a rule, in the lower left square, which means the following: indicators are below average in both profit and turnover. Unique categories in cross-category analysis also occupy the lower left corner, but here an expert assessment of the product and the competitive environment plays an important role.

Indicators for seasonal/periodic categories will, on average, gravitate towards the middle of the field, but for qualitative assessment they need to be considered in sales dynamics. The last two types of categories are optional for each product group.

6. Balancing the assortment by depth. Within each category, products must also be selected taking into account the overall planned goals (depth of assortment). In this case, the recommended percentages no, the content of categories primarily depends on the strategic goals of the store and its positioning. When focusing on turnover, the basis of goods in all categories will be inexpensive products. In stores with target audience with an income above average, the basis of the basic and priority categories will be made up of well-known quality brands and expensive goods. If the store positions itself as intended for specialists (athletes,

Rice. 5.9.

fishermen, for overweight people, etc.), then almost all categories will be based on special products that retain target buyers.

In an average store selling consumer goods, a balanced assortment can be represented schematically as follows (Fig. 5.10).

The deepest (maximum subcategories and product positions) should be priority categories, which is explained by their critical role, as well as their small number. Products within the basic categories should also have significant depth, since they determine the specialization of the entire store. Seasonal goods during the season they can have significant depth; during the off-season period, the number of product items can be reduced to a minimum. Convenient categories may be presented in limited quantities. Unique products may also not have deep content. However, if they still make a profit, then the depth of the category can be built according to the principle of profitability, i.e. strive for the maximum.

By implementing category management, retailers achieve successful sales by category, increase profitability by reducing the number of illiquid and low-turnover positions, optimize inventory, increase consumer satisfaction,

Rice. 5.10.

since structuring and working with the category is carried out taking into account the psychology and needs of buyers.

• Kandalintsev V. Financial weight of the category // Trade News. 2003. No. 12. P. 34.
• Snegireva V. Retail store. Assortment management by product categories. St. Petersburg: Peter, 2007. pp. 82–83.
• Korsten D., Petzl Y. ECR. Effective communication with the consumer. (Integration of logistics chains.) M.: KIA Center, 2006. P. 82.
• Snegireva V. Retail store. Assortment management by product categories. St. Petersburg: Peter, 2007. P. 198.