Faculty of Evening and Correspondence Studies

COURSE WORK

in the discipline "Marketing in industries and fields of activity"

Marketing activities of a wholesale trade enterprise

annotation

IN course work The theoretical and practical foundations of the marketing activities of a wholesale trading enterprise are considered using the example of LLC "TD "Unit".

The first section reflects the theoretical aspects of the marketing activities of a wholesale trade enterprise, the work analyzes in detail the concept of the concept of marketing activities of a wholesale trade enterprise, and examines marketing decisions in wholesale trade.

The second section examines the practical aspects of the activity of the research object - LLC "TD "Unit", presents an economic and analysis of the marketing activities of the enterprise in market conditions, as well as practical aspects of making marketing decisions in LLC "Unit".

The third section formulates recommendations for improving the marketing activities of Unit LLC, including general recommendations for improving the activities of the marketing department, and develops marketing strategies for TD Unit LLC to retain and increase market share.

The work was printed on 45 pages, including 2 appendices, using 25 sources, contains 5 tables and 4 figures.

Introduction

2. 1 Organizational and economic characteristics of LLC “TD “Unit”

Conclusion

Appendix A Comparative characteristics of strategic marketing of a wholesale and retail trade enterprise

Appendix B Assortment of LLC "TD "Unit"

Introduction

Wholesale trade plays an important role in the development of the circulation of consumer goods. By transforming the production assortment into a trade one, determining the structure and direction of commodity flows, acting in the market as an intermediary between industry and the retail trade level, wholesale enterprises and organizations thereby contribute to the harmonization of the country’s single consumer market.

The changes taking place in the Russian economy required managers of wholesale enterprises to search for new ways to increase profits, develop and optimize activities. Many modern wholesale enterprises have a whole range of problems: the needs of the end consumer are poorly taken into account, or are taken into account with significant time delays; there are no long-term plans for the sale of goods based on the study of the effective demand of end consumers and its changes due to various factors; There is no systematic analysis to identify new trade services that wholesalers can provide. All this leads either to an underestimation of the market volume - and, as a consequence, to losses from lost profits, or to overstocking - and to losses from a decrease in the turnover rate or from expiration. These problems are caused by the lack of clear ideas about what the marketing service can and should do, how the work and organization of such a service will affect the formation of final financial results, what opportunities will open up for the wholesale enterprise and what dangers it can avoid. In fact, this is the result of the lack of wholesale enterprises marketing strategies.

IN last years Many managers of wholesale enterprises have come to the conclusion that an indispensable condition for solving the above-mentioned and other problems is the use of new methods for increasing the efficiency of commercial activities and obtaining sustainable competitive advantages and rapid adaptation to environmental changes, the transition to the formation of a trade assortment focused on the studied needs of specific consumer groups, which necessitated the organization of marketing work in trade in general and in wholesale trade in particular, since it is within the competence of this type of activity that issues of formation a range of goods and trade services that meets the needs of consumers and business partners.

Marketing problems in the field of wholesale trade today are rarely studied by domestic specialists in marketing theory, while they are of significant interest to practitioners working in this area. This issue deserves detailed consideration for a number of reasons. Firstly, wholesale trade itself has a number of features that give the forms of implementation of basic marketing principles in it unique features that are seriously different from retail trade or production. Secondly, the wholesale enterprise carries out a wider range of marketing functions, in comparison with other market participants, as an intermediary, providing information about consumer preferences and market conditions not only to itself, but also to its suppliers and clients. Thirdly, in Russia, in the field of wholesale trade, the prevailing attitude to marketing is that it is primarily a trade and sales activity or even an advertising activity, leaving issues of a strategic nature outside of attention, which cannot but affect its results.

Thus, the relevance of the research topic “Marketing activities of a wholesale trading enterprise” is due to:

The impossibility of further effective development wholesale trade enterprises only extensively and the need to find new ways to develop enterprises;

Increasing competition and gradual saturation of the wholesale services market, including from emerging and developing retail chains;

The need to identify the features of marketing in wholesale trade;

The need to determine the order of formation and selection of effective marketing strategies for wholesale enterprises.

The purpose of this study is to determine the features of the marketing activities of a wholesale trading enterprise.

Object of study: LLC "TD "Unit" - a wholesale trading enterprise.

Subject of research: marketing activities of the wholesale trading enterprise LLC "TD "Unit".

The purpose, object and subject of the study determined its objectives:

1. Consider the theoretical aspects of the marketing activities of a wholesale trading enterprise.

2. Analyze the features of the marketing activities of a wholesale trading enterprise using the example of LLC “TD “Unit”.

3. Develop measures to improve the efficiency of marketing activities in LLC “TD “Unit”.

The methodological basis of the study was a dialectical approach to the study of specific phenomena, events, facts based on the application of basic theoretical principles in the field of marketing activities in trade.

The information base for the study was the work of domestic and foreign scientists and specialists in the field of marketing and management.

1 Theoretical aspects of marketing activities of a wholesale trade enterprise

1. 1 Concept of the concept of marketing activities of a wholesale trade enterprise

All economic and commercial operations of a trading enterprise can be divided into two large groups - wholesale and retail trade. Wholesale sales of goods, as a rule, are carried out to wholesale consumers, who redistribute (resell) a set of produced or repurchased goods, bring them to the retail distribution network, which then sells them to direct consumers (individuals and legal entities). Consequently, wholesale enterprises must be understood as commercial organizations that ensure the normal and uninterrupted work of professional market participants, providing services to enterprises in the field of production and circulation; carrying out activities necessary to meet the needs of industrial and retail trading enterprises, both related and not related to the physical movement of goods and aimed at making a profit. The variety of forms of wholesale enterprises is illustrated in Diagram 1.

Figure 1 - Types of wholesale trade enterprises

The marketing function as such is most pronounced among independent wholesale trading enterprises. For example, at exchanges and wholesale markets it is practically absent, at dealers and regional distributors of large manufacturers, marketing activities are centralized in the manufacturing company itself, and all wholesale and selling structures carry out the strategy that is defined in the central marketing service.

For independent wholesale enterprises that acquire ownership of goods for the purpose of further resale, the basis for assessing the profitability of wholesale operations is trade margin, the size of which reflects the share of the wholesaler’s profit in the price of the product. The peculiarity of this group of wholesalers is that they are completely free to make decisions regarding the choice of products, their suppliers and buyers. Based on this, such an enterprise faces the need to develop its own marketing policy, and, consequently, study the competitive environment and consumers, position itself in the market, determine sales priorities, etc.

The dominant marketing activity in trade is commercial work, which makes it possible to consider it as an important component of the marketing system. The genesis of marketing functions in trade is largely determined by the nature of the industry. Essentially we are talking about marketing functions in the provision of services to professional market participants when carrying out commercial activities. All wholesale enterprises, to one degree or another, are engaged in studying demand, moving, storing and distributing goods, forming an assortment and pricing, selling and promoting sales. To a certain extent, the implementation of these and other procedures served as the basis for the formation of modern marketing management functions for a wholesale enterprise. Speaking about the most significant functions of marketing management for a wholesale enterprise, we can highlight the following:

Marketing research;

Marketing planning;

Organization of marketing activities;

Marketing control.

There is no doubt that, while performing marketing functions, wholesale trade adds additional utility to the product by sorting, packaging, transforming the production assortment into a commercial one, providing the product at the right time and in the right place, i.e., ensuring a real rapprochement between the buyer (consumer) and the product. The commercial component is a decisive factor in operating in a market with intense competition, which is typical for wholesale trading enterprises.

The sphere of wholesale trade as a specific marketing environment has a number of features that fundamentally distinguish it from other sectors of the economy.

1. A special subject appears on the wholesale market - the wholesale consumer. Being a reseller of goods offered by a wholesale company, he actually acts not so much as its partner or competitor, but rather as an intermediary client promoting the product to the final consumer.

The wholesale consumer is fundamentally different from the final consumer. If the latter purchases a product in order to use it for its intended purpose, to satisfy some of his own needs with its help, to realize consumer values, then for a wholesale consumer who buys a product for the purpose of resale, everything is much more complicated.

The consumer behavior of a wholesale consumer is expressed in the search, evaluation and use of the services of a wholesaler to provide the main product, related goods and services, services, consultations on its sale and use, etc., that is, in the end, the wholesale consumer receives not so much a product, how much business, the possibility of making a profit. If the utility of a product for the end consumer is its ability to satisfy any need in accordance with the purpose of the product, then the utility of the product for the wholesale consumer is to generate income during the resale process.

In our opinion, a wholesale consumer has a number of characteristics, the main of which are:

Less degree of independence. Since the ultimate goal of a wholesale consumer is business success, he is forced to “look around” both at the consumer market and at suppliers (taking into account the preferences of end consumers and delivery conditions);

Tendency to specialize in certain products (product groups);

Predominance of meaning economic characteristics goods over consumer ones. For a wholesale consumer, the profitability of operations with a product is much more important, and the quality of the product, its safety, ease of use, etc. are of interest to him only in connection with the need to satisfy the needs of customers;

Availability of own costs associated with wholesale consumption and running a business. These costs are not limited to the purchase price. To these are added other types of costs associated with the maintenance of warehousing, transportation, administrative costs, etc. It is possible to carry out activities only if you have certain financial resources that allow you not only to make purchases, but also to conduct a trading business with all its mandatory attributes, including marketing activities.

2. A significant part of the wholesale market entities (especially small and medium-sized wholesale traders) act in the market in two roles at once, being both sellers and wholesale consumers. On the one hand, they sell goods in retail network, on the other hand, they themselves carry out wholesale purchases, so their strategy is divided into two sets of measures - organizing sales and optimizing procurement.

When developing a marketing strategy, employees of a wholesale enterprise actually combine work in two directions, corresponding to different needs that need to be researched and satisfied - wholesale consumers (their direct clients) and final consumers, whose needs depend on the specific product that the wholesale company deals with. In the process of activity, contradictions are revealed between the latter, preventing the wholesale company from combining their interests and putting it in front of the need to choose the priority of one side.

Firstly, the demand of end consumers is primary, therefore, it cannot be ignored. The idea of ​​wholesale buyers about it may differ significantly not only from the opinion of the wholesale seller, but also from the truth, which, naturally, requires adjustment. Another thing is that by focusing its strategy on final demand - putting the needs of end consumers first - the wholesaler takes on greater responsibility. He will have to make efforts to train, “educate” his wholesale consumers, and inform them about the preferences of end consumers. Each wholesale buyer does not always have sufficient marketing information, so the larger wholesaler must, in some sense, “help” him. At the same time, within the framework of marketing research of a large wholesaler, the totality of its wholesale customers is a good source of information that should definitely be used, since it is “closer” to the end consumer.

Secondly, in a certain situation, the wholesale seller and the wholesale consumer become competitors with each other for the further sales market, and, therefore, the seller is forced to immediately determine whether the priority of his strategy is to organize work through other wholesalers, or, if possible, he is ready to work with by any buyers, up to retail sales. If he focuses only on large-scale wholesale sales, he determines the strategy based on the specifics of working with a very specific contingent of wholesale consumers. If he is a part-time worker, then the difference in pricing and product policies for large wholesale and other methods of sales will be so fundamental that it is generally problematic to talk about a single strategy.

Thirdly, when developing product priorities and analyzing different products, the wholesaler sometimes finds himself in a situation where, for the same product, the performance indicators for him and his wholesale consumer turn out to be fundamentally different.

3. One of the most important features marketing in wholesale trade is its two-way nature, which provides the trading enterprise and its counterparties with information about the needs, motivations, preferences and demand of customers. Wholesale companies provide marketing information not only to themselves, but also to producers and consumers, including retailers. Due to the fact that the sphere of wholesale trade is located between manufacturers and end consumers, through it the influence of the consumer, his requests and needs on the manufacturer, which determines the volume of production and the assortment of manufactured goods, is carried out. Situations arise when part of the manufacturer’s marketing functions are performed by wholesalers for him, leaving him the opportunity to focus on the volumes and structure of their purchases or simply informing him about consumer requests.

Naturally, manufacturers have less opportunity to study demand and influence it than wholesalers located closer to the buyer. The manufacturer cannot monitor sales dynamics in detail and in a timely manner and quickly respond to changes in market conditions (primarily, the sales structure - for which product groups growth is slowing down, for which there is insufficient satisfaction of demand, etc.).

At the same time, wholesale consumers, especially sellers, often working in a narrow niche, do not have a complete understanding of the market situation and cannot adequately take into account all developing processes in their own strategic marketing. A wholesale consumer cannot always carry out all the necessary marketing actions, a significant part of which is generally possible only at a level no lower than a large wholesaler.

Thus, the successful strategy of a large wholesaler is “useful” to its wholesale consumers (and does not infringe on their interests, as it might seem at first glance due to the fact that they allegedly “share” the total wholesale margin among themselves). This once again confirms the fact that, under normal conditions, a large wholesaler and its wholesale consumers are not competitors, but rationally distribute the amount of work among themselves, achieving success only under the condition of organized interaction.

4. Another feature of marketing in trade arises from the fact that a wholesale trade enterprise as a marketing intermediary is present in almost all distribution channels. In addition, unlike other market entities, for a wholesale enterprise, the conditions of sale are of decisive importance: convenience, accessibility, organization, qualifications and friendliness of sales personnel, reliability, etc.

The internal marketing environment of a wholesale trade enterprise contains potential that determines the possibilities for the effective functioning of a trading enterprise in competitive conditions. Therefore, constant analysis of the internal environment should be aimed at identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the enterprise.

The features of wholesale trade have a decisive influence on the work of the marketing service of a wholesale enterprise, and their strategic consequences affect almost all components of the wholesaler’s marketing activities and give them significant differences from retail trade enterprises. Appendix A provides a comparative description of the marketing of a wholesale and retail enterprise.

According to Table A. 1 of Appendix A, the components of the marketing activities of wholesalers differ significantly from those of retailers, which certainly affects the development and implementation of the marketing strategy of wholesalers. Strategic marketing of a wholesale enterprise solves a larger volume of problems than in retail trade. Therefore, the strategy of a wholesale enterprise should be determined systematically, using modern scientific and practical approaches to marketing activities.

Focus on the consumer is the most important priority in the activities of a modern trading enterprise. It is due to the increasing complexity of the economic, technological and competitive environment. For wholesale trade, consumers are professional market participants - retail and wholesale trade enterprises.

Another priority for wholesale trade is to reduce distribution costs and increase profitability, which also plays an important role in marketing. This is facilitated by a focus on creating effective system sales and marketing, commercialization of trade activities, improvement of the organization and technology of trade processes and logistics. In these conditions, the priority becomes identifying the demand for goods of a wholesale enterprise better than that of competitors, adapting to the needs of specific market segments.

In modern conditions, new marketing priorities have emerged for Russian wholesale enterprises:

Diversification of your product profile;

Personalized solutions to consumer problems;

Search for new market segments;

Strengthening social responsibility;

Development of intra-company culture, etc.

The priority of the wholesale enterprise becomes the search for competitive distinctive features.

So, completing the analysis of the concept of marketing in the field of wholesale trade, we can draw the following conclusions. Firstly, the wholesale trade sector is a very specific marketing environment, the features of which are characterized by: the presence of special subjects - wholesale consumers, whose specific needs need to be satisfied; the constant dilemma of the wholesaler: which level of demand to focus his strategy on (wholesale or final consumers), the search for a compromise in taking into account the interests of these market entities; the special role of the wholesaler as an unwitting marketing consultant to manufacturers and retailers; the important place of wholesalers in the territorial redistribution of resources and social distribution and exchange. Secondly, the features of wholesale trade have a decisive influence on the work of the marketing service of a wholesale enterprise, and their strategic consequences affect almost all components of the wholesaler’s marketing activities and give them significant differences from retail trade enterprises.

1. 2 Marketing decisions in wholesale trade

The position of a wholesale company or a manufacturing enterprise engaged in wholesale trade significantly depends on the chosen marketing strategy, marketing policy and the nature of marketing decisions, determined on the basis of the assigned marketing objectives. Typical tasks (functions) of wholesale trade marketing are presented in Table 1.

Table 1 - Marketing objectives in the wholesale trade system

Marketing strategies in the field of sales activities of an enterprise are developed in the case of expanding sales in the old market, entering new markets, when designing new sales channels, for example, when the old sales system has ceased to be effective.

In sales activities, an enterprise inevitably encounters competing firms, and sometimes specifically provides for competition between its own sales channels (horizontal or vertical types). A competitive strategy or a cooperation strategy is developed in relation to external competitors. When choosing a rivalry strategy, the enterprise determines the type of competition (price, non-price) and predicts the behavior of competitors.

The implementation of marketing strategies in sales activities requires a long time and significant financial costs, since, as a rule, investment investments in sales are required.

Marketing research conducted by a wholesale enterprise usually covers the three most important areas:

Research of professional subjects of the sales market: competitors, retail chains, other buyers of goods, for example, restaurant food systems, cafes, small wholesalers working in wholesale and retail markets, etc.;

Research of consumers - the population in order to obtain information from them about goods that are in demand and about the level of dissatisfaction with different brands;

Market research of suppliers to solve your own procurement problems.

Other studies may be conducted based on the strategic goals of companies.

The organization of marketing research depends on the qualifications and availability of marketers. In case of their absence, third-party researchers can be involved or a ready-made report compiled by a marketing firm based on previously conducted research can be purchased.

At the initiative of the supplier-manufacturer, it is possible to conduct various experimental studies to assess the consumer qualities of the product.

Segmentation of the sales market is a mandatory function of marketing for a wholesale enterprise. For example, to select target segments of professional buyers and to know the purchasing preferences of different segments of the population and their reaction to the supplied product.

The professional sales market is segmented according to criteria such as purchase volumes, breadth of assortment, business reputation, solvency, pricing policy, etc.

If the consumer is the population, then various systems of indicators are used, choosing from them those that best characterize the consumer segment (social, demographic, economic, behavioral and other indicators).

Purchasing marketing serves to gain competitive advantages already at the stage of working with suppliers through the acquisition of goods that can satisfy the needs of end customers. In this case, the following tasks are solved:

Purchase goods that are in demand among consumers;

The purchasing process must provide economic benefits for the wholesaler

(by receiving discounts, deferred payment);

In case of substandard goods, the wholesaler must be able to replace it.

The procurement process consists of a number of sequential steps:

a) determining the needs for a specific product, a specific brand, establishing its quantity;

b) determining the needs for the assortment that it is advisable to buy from one supplier;

c) determining the criteria that form the initial basis for evaluating suppliers and negotiating with them (economic, marketing, technical, logistics requirements);

d) search and analysis of suppliers using market research methods;

e) selection of suppliers and organization of negotiations with them;

f) placing trial orders;

g) evaluation of results;

h) conclusion of long-term contractual agreements.

We can formulate the basic requirements for suppliers that are common among wholesale trade enterprises:

Popularity / fame of the brand;

Reliability;

Availability;

Interest in working together;

Understanding the role of marketing in promoting your products;

Minimum delivery times;

Take on a share of the risk, for example, associated with transportation.

When selecting suppliers, the wholesale company decides the following question:

settle on one supplier (the principle of order concentration) or choose several suppliers (the principle of dispersing orders).

The advantage of concentrating orders with one supplier allows you to get larger discounts due to a larger order size. This is also facilitated by close cooperation, including the implementation of joint projects for the production of new goods. A wholesale company can provide information about new demand trends, new products entering the market from other manufacturers.

However, working with a single supplier increases the wholesaler's risk and limits his ability to quickly adapt to the requirements of the retail network. To reduce this type of risk, a wholesale company works with several suppliers simultaneously. If suppliers are interested in working with a wholesaler, this can be used to obtain additional benefits by seeking concessions from them.

Marketing and logistics of a wholesale company consists of developing a transport and warehouse scheme that would take into account the requirements of procurement marketing and sales marketing. Like other enterprise structures focused on a marketing approach in their work, logistics services must take into account the specific behavior and requirements of retail trade enterprises that they place on their suppliers - wholesalers. This is, first of all, the size of the consignment of goods and the speed of delivery.

Often such requirements lead to the fact that a wholesale company is forced to locate retail warehouses closest to the stores. On the other hand, the wholesaler’s own purchases of large quantities of goods from manufacturers forces him to solve the following problem: have a central distribution warehouse or, bypassing it, distribute goods to regional warehouses.

Marketing decisions in the sales system are aimed at supporting the sale of the planned volume of goods in local and regional markets.

Marketing information that fuels sales helps reduce the risk of sales activities.

As can be seen from Table 1, sales marketing decisions cover the entire marketing mix.

Assortment decision: when making assortment decisions, it is necessary to take into account the degree of proximity between goods of different product groups, the capabilities of the enterprise (financial, personnel, warehouse, etc.), customer requirements, and the presence of competitors. From a financial point of view, the formation of the assortment takes into account the turnover of goods, the size of turnover and the profit received. The range is expanded for several reasons, including:

For some products in the main range, it is necessary to have complementary products (complementary products);

The activities of a wholesale company with this assortment are unprofitable (low turnover);

Other marketing tasks are being solved: new products are being promoted, the company is switching to larger retail segments, etc.

Pricing decision: In the vast majority of cases, when stores enter into a transaction with a wholesale company, the main factor is price, product quality and payment terms. Therefore, the wholesale price should be profitable for the store, taking into account the nature of demand for this product and the price offers of competitors.

Decision on distribution channels: Options for decisions on methods and channels of distribution are made in the same way as the manufacturer. A big advantage of the sales structure of a wholesale company is the ability to deliver goods to the retail network in small quantities in a short time. In addition, sales should be aimed at finding new customers and developing new markets.

Deciding on the location of the storage location for inventory: a wholesale company decides on organizing a system of warehouses or one centralized warehouse, or possibly a combination of both. The starting points are the ratio between the costs of providing production activities warehouses and improving wholesaler customer service.

The decision of a wholesale company in the field of communications: the communication policy of most wholesalers is aimed primarily at the professional sales market. The most commonly used communication methods are business advertising, personal selling, and sales promotion. Large wholesale companies also conduct PR campaigns.

Business advertising is the placement in selected channels of a business offer about the possibility of supplying goods at specific prices. Sometimes discounts and transportation conditions are also published. Advertising channels are chosen that are used by professionals: collection catalogues, specialized magazines, some popular newspapers and magazines.

Personal selling is carried out at all hierarchical levels of sales employees: director, managers and sales agents. Sometimes personal communications are also carried out by the managers of the wholesale company. For successful work Sales department employees must have representative advertising in the form of business cards, souvenirs, branded folders, pens, etc.

The professional behavior of the seller contributes to successful negotiations, and his authority influences the formation of the image of the entire wholesale company.

Sales promotion in wholesale trade is carried out in three directions:

a) stimulation of consumers;

b) stimulation of intermediaries;

c) stimulating our own sales staff.

Stimulation of consumers is carried out in order to attract

buyers to make a purchase of this particular product. The buyer is put under emotional pressure through intense advertising. Specific techniques and incentives depend on the type of buyer and type of product. The most common incentives are:

Distribution of samples for display or testing. This can be done in the form of distribution, mailing, distribution in a store, or attached to any product. For some foods, tasting is effective;

Coupons give you the right to purchase a product at a certain discount. Coupons can be sent by mail, included with your first purchase, or included in an advertisement. Coupons may be included in the packaging. They are effective for stimulating a product that is in a growth or maturity phase;

Quantity discount, when several packages of packaged goods or a set of different goods (set) are sold at a reduced price;

A premium is an item sold at a discount or included free with another item as an incentive;

Credit coupons are a type of bonus that you receive when purchasing

product to receive a discount on your next purchase:

Free service (for example, home delivery);

Discount or free delivery of goods upon presentation of a specified number of packages (lids, etc.) as evidence of previous purchases;

Bonuses for purchasing goods for a certain amount. In this case, one of the attractive products available in the store is usually used as a bonus;

The use of packaging that can be used for other purposes after the product is consumed - for example, a can of instant coffee in the form of a coffee pot, which is quite suitable for preparing this drink;

Money back guarantee if the product for some reason does not fit or is not to your liking. The usual condition for this is the return of the goods intact. No explanation is required for the reasons for refusing the goods, and the procedure for receiving money is extremely simplified;

Acceptance of obsolete goods as a down payment for a new one when selling in installments;

Lotteries of coupons attached to the purchased product. The prize(s) often include very expensive things - cars, fur coats, especially high-quality consumer electronics, etc.

The meaning of sales promotion activities is not only to increase sales and, accordingly, increase the amount of profit. An increase in sales means a reduction in warehouse costs, and this circumstance must be taken into account when determining the amount of the discount arising as a result of a particular event. In practice foreign companies The usual size of such a discount is about 2.5%.

The main means of stimulating intermediaries are:

Providing discounts on prices for volumes (cumulative, non-cumulative discounts);

Providing discounts for including a new product in the purchased range;

Discount-discount;

Providing distribution (dealer) discounts;

Providing presentation materials with advertising of the manufacturer's trademark;

Organization of professional meetings and specialized exhibitions;

Competitions, lotteries, games for dealers and other intermediaries in order to encourage an increase in purchase volumes;

Service organization;

Organization of training;

Consumer discounts (reduction of manufacturer prices to reduce prices throughout the chain of intermediaries);

Stimulating buyers of industrial goods:

Supply of spare parts;

Installation, adjustment;

Training;

Repair of equipment;

Warranty and post-warranty service;

Reception of worn-out equipment.

Main stages of developing an incentive program:

Goal setting;

Determination of stimulation intensity;

Determining the conditions for the manufacturer’s participation in the incentive program;

Determining channels for disseminating information about the incentive program;

Establishing the duration of the incentive program;

Timing for incentive activities;

Drawing up a consolidated budget for the implementation of the incentive program;

Evaluation of incentive results.

Before starting a full-scale incentive program, you should first test the chosen method.

Stimulating your own sales staff is also important, since the success of sales activities largely depends on how interested the sales department employees are in the results of their work. To do this, the enterprise must have an incentive system for sales personnel. In the very general view the incentive system has a financial and non-financial basis. Financial incentive methods involve a combination of a constant part of the salary with a bonus, commission form of remuneration for specific results. Non-financial methods include material (free lunches, payment for transport, etc.) and non-material (cups, certificates, etc.) incentives, which can apply to both an individual employee and any group.

Service policy plays big role, when the product is technically complex and requires a large amount of after-sales service. IN Lately the role of the service has increased greatly and it is powerful marketing factor in a competitive market. Large enterprises, both manufacturers and intermediaries, create a network service centers located as close to consumers as possible.

The manufacturer organizes service according to two options:

a) full service by creating our own (branded) service centers;

b) the manufacturer undertakes only to supply spare parts to an independent service company.

From a marketing perspective, the organization's task is service is to increase the value of the product. It is assumed that service is included as an important attribute of the product for the buyer, including its intangible, intangible component (attention, friendliness). Communication in the field of service is characterized by the individualization of personal communication, great flexibility, and transparency of the production process (for example, the installation of a washing machine or electric stove occurs in front of the buyer).

Focus on the constantly changing needs of consumers leads to the need for interactive relationships between seller and buyer, and in this case, service plays an invaluable role. Service center specialists, periodically meeting with customers, know their product and consumer opinion about it well. This can serve as a basis for developing interaction marketing principles.

Organization of merchandising. Merchandising is any activity of a manufacturer or wholesale company at a retail location that maximizes turnover. Basic merchandising procedures:

a) placement of goods on the sales floor;

b) control over the timely replenishment of inventory and, especially, the presence of goods in the required quantity on the sales floor;

c) assessment of the fairness of the price of the product indicated on the price tag.

Placing goods on the sales floor involves determining the location

goods on the sales floor, according to the height and length of the sales shelf. Specific recommendations depend on the type of product, which for merchandising purposes can be divided into four main groups:

Fast-selling goods that provide the store with good turnover (meat, milk, etc.). The average price for such goods is known to the buyer, so if the price is attractive to him, then he can become a regular customer of the store;

Standard goods (cereals, sugar, drinks), which the buyer always expects to buy in the store and if they are not available, he will go to another store;

Products of impulse demand must be visible and attract attention. Placed on separate, bright counters, as well as at cash registers;

Special-purpose goods for which the buyer comes only to a specific store. A store that has these products is remembered by customers.

A merchandiser, a representative of a manufacturer or wholesale company, naturally monitors his goods, seeking from the administration the fulfillment of the pre-agreed conditions for placing the goods on the sales floor. Some manufacturers publish recommendations for displaying their products in special magazines intended for distribution among stores.

A marketing audit of the sales system should maintain the sales system in a highly effective state through periodic revision of marketing decisions, especially with regard to the sales methods used, sales channels, the degree of their balance, the qualifications of sales personnel, and the content of complaints from partners. Of particular importance is the financial audit of sales: the state of accounts receivable and payable, the level of bad debts, turnover of inventory and working capital in general, assessment of the possibility of theft, loss of goods, etc.

So, wholesale trading enterprises must solve a number of marketing problems, the main of which relate to the development of marketing strategies (formation of a market share, its retention and further increase; formation of sales channels; formation of a competitive advantage); conducting marketing research of competitors; consumers; commodity producers and other suppliers; segmenting the sales market by intermediary buyers and end consumers; procurement marketing in terms of determining the relationship between demand for goods and the nature of procurement, analysis and evaluation of suppliers, formation of procurement; marketing and logistics (analysis of interactions between buyer and wholesaler to find a mutually beneficial solution, development of a competitive advantage); marketing sales decisions, including selection of the target market, formation of a product range and range of services, pricing, sales promotion, etc.; merchandising organizations; marketing audit of the sales system in terms of working with the retail trade network to review complaints and resolve conflict situations.

2 Analysis of marketing activities in LLC “TD “Unit”

2. 1 Organizational and economic characteristics of LLC “TD “Unit”

LLC "TD "Unit" is one of the large wholesale trading companies in Volgograd, specializing in the comprehensive supply of power cables and wires, lighting equipment, electrical installation products, insulating materials, electrical equipment, electricity meters and much more.

LLC “TD “Unit” was registered in 2000. OGRN: 1055638888885.

Trading house "Unit" is an independent trade and intermediary organization that purchases and sells goods on its own behalf and at its own expense. Trading houses are multifunctional organizations. Along with the acquisition and subsequent sale of goods, they carry out production activities such as processing, packaging, packing, sorting of goods sold, etc. They work on a wide range of goods.

The Unit trading house is being built as a single legal entity or in the form of a contractual association, i.e., bound by agreements on joint activities of a community of trade, production, warehouse, transport and other organizations.

The advantages of trading houses as subjects of trading activities include:

Prompt response to changes in market conditions;

Performing important additional functions in connection with the sale of goods;

Combining small and medium-sized wholesale organizations, achieved on this basis, reducing distribution costs, the cost of marketing research and advertising events.

According to its organizational and legal form, the Unit Trading House is a Limited Liability Company, the authorized capital of which is divided into shares owned by its participants. This organizational and legal form has a number of advantages compared to others, which include:

The greatest “secrecy” of information. The law does not establish the need to publish documents about its activities;

Conducting business activities is carried out on behalf of the company, and not on behalf of the founder;

The founders are not liable for the obligations of the Company. In case of problems, the founders of the LLC will lose only the authorized capital of the company;

A participant can simply leave the LLC at any time without searching for a buyer for his share. In this case, the LLC is obliged to pay him

the actual value of his share or give in kind property of the same value;

The charter of an LLC may contain a ban on the assignment of shares to non-members of the company, which provides a high degree of protection against raider takeover of the company, etc.

LLC TD Unit uses a linear control system, which is reflected in Figure 2.

Figure 2 - Organizational management structure of TD Unit LLC

As follows from Figure 2, the company is headed by the General Director, whose functional responsibilities include:

Analysis of the effectiveness of the commercial activities of the Trading House;

Participation in the development of a product range, brand creation;

General management of the sales and supply activities of the trading house;

Coordination of the work of all services;

Formation of sales and marketing strategy;

Organization of the sales process and management of the activities of sales and marketing specialists;

Responsibility for drawing up and executing marketing and sales plans;

Development and implementation of measures to expand the sales market, etc.

The main objectives of TD Unit LLC are the formation of a product portfolio and the main sales market. And its organizational structure is primarily focused on solving these problems. The company has not only a wholesale sales department, but also a marketing department, which employs highly qualified sales and brand marketing specialists. The General Director of the Trading House is directly involved in strategic issues of marketing and sales organization. For this reason, sales and marketing specialists report directly to him and work closely together.

The structure of the organization has a planning and economic department, the responsibilities of which include:

Development and preparation of draft annual, quarterly and long-term plans for the Company’s economic activities, as well as justifications and calculations for them;

Bringing plan indicators, cost estimates in accordance with the approved budget of income and expenses to general director Trading house, and to all structural divisions, including branches and sales offices;

Conducting economic analysis economic activity Society and timely development of measures for the efficient use of financial resources, reducing the cost of goods and services related to the sales process, increasing profitability, increasing the profit of the trading house, etc.

A disadvantage in the organizational structure is the lack of a logistics department. Naturally, without ensuring efficient logistics, sales of even the best product may fail. Therefore, already at the first stage it was necessary to attract a logistics specialist to the staff of the Trading House, who not only knows how to manage movers and maintain warehouse records, but also knows effective technologies in the field of warehouse zoning, inventory management, cost-effective practices for processing and delivering goods.

The assessment of the economic activities of LLC "TD "Unit" is carried out on the basis of personnel documentation and financial statements organizations for 2009-2011.

Table 2 shows the dynamics of the composition and structure of personnel of LLC TD Unit for 2009-2011.

Table 2 - Composition and structure of personnel by category in LLC "TD "Unit"

As follows from Table 2, in dynamics the number of employees increased from 68 people in 2009 to 97 in 2011, which is due to the formation in 2010 of a marketing department, which was previously absent from the structure of the organization. The need to create a marketing department was due to changes in the sales organization. If previously each seller was responsible for sales of the entire assortment, then, starting in 2010, “working groups” of 4-5 managers were formed in the sales department, each of which became responsible for a specific assortment group of goods. This reorganization increased sales efficiency due to better knowledge of the main product and its accompanying product groups. The task of the marketing department in these conditions was to determine marketing objectives, on the basis of which recommendations were developed for improving sales for each assortment group of goods, for the use of certain marketing tools. Characteristics of the main economic indicators of LLC TD Unit are presented in Table 3.

Table 3 - Basic economic indicators activities of LLC "TD "Unit"

As follows from Table 3, in dynamics at TD Unit LLC there is an increase in revenue by 291.04%, while the cost of goods increased by only 270.61%, which led to an increase in the organization’s gross profit by 126,228 thousand rubles. Unfortunately, the increase in commercial and administrative expenses - by 57.15 and 270.39%, respectively, reduced the effect obtained from revenue growth, as a result, the organization’s profit from the sale of goods increased by only 32,092 thousand rubles.

Let us note that throughout the entire period the organization paid interest on the organization’s borrowed obligations (including on commodity and commercial loans), the growth rate of which was 439.04%, and only in 2011 did it itself receive interest for providing a commodity loan for the most to its large customers in the amount of 836 rubles.

Also, throughout the entire period under study, the organization received other income, including: proceeds from the sale of fixed assets and other assets; fines, penalties, penalties for violation of contract terms; amounts of revaluation of assets; other receipts - as they are formed (identified); and made other expenses, for example expenses associated with the sale, disposal and other write-off of fixed assets and other assets other than Money and goods; expenses associated with payment for services provided by credit institutions, etc. At the same time, other income of the Trading House in dynamics increased by 98.03%, and other expenses - by 136.96%.

As a result of this, the organization's net profit decreased by 318 thousand rubles. (the rate of decline was 72.37%).

The composition and structure of fixed assets of TD Unit LLC are presented in Table 4.

Table 4 - Composition and structure of fixed assets of LLC "TD "Unit"

As follows from Table 4, in the structure of fixed assets of a trading house, the majority is occupied by active fixed assets, the share of which decreased by 9.5%, while the share of the passive part increased by 11.8%, and a decrease in the share of other types of fixed assets is also observed - by 2.3%. This dynamics is due to the fact that in 2010 the trading house bought ownership of the building in which it is currently located and invested in access roads, loading and unloading platforms, fences, stands, and display cases.

So, since 2010, a marketing department has been functioning in the organizational structure of the company, which can be characterized as a positive fact. At the same time, the organization does not have a logistics department, whose responsibilities are distributed between the warehouse manager, the head of the economic planning department and the marketing department. Due to the reorganization of the sales process, the number of employees increased from 68 to 97 people. The organization has seen an increase in revenue by 1,856,188 thousand rubles, but taking into account all financial transactions of the trading house, net profit decreased by 27.63%, which negatively characterizes economic activity organizations. In the structure of fixed assets of a trading house, significant changes are observed towards an increase in the share of their passive part due to the acquisition of a building and the construction of structures.

2. 2. General characteristics of the activities of the marketing department of LLC “TD “Unit”

The marketing department of TD Unit LLC, as mentioned above, was formed in 2010. The purpose of creating the marketing department is to create and stimulate demand. In accordance with the goal, the marketing department was assigned the following tasks:

Formation of the company's pricing policy;

Formation of commodity and assortment policy;

Formation of sales policy;

Formation of service policy.

During 2010-2011, the marketing department established itself as an effective division. Thus, thanks to the marketing department, the sales process was reorganized, as mentioned above. There have also been positive changes in the company's service policy. The marketing department developed and implemented various promotions, for example, “a specialist for an hour”, which increased the popularity of the trading house among the population of Volgograd, since the client had the opportunity not only to purchase products from TD Unit LLC, but also by ordering a specialist for an hour , acquired the opportunity to install purchased electrical equipment free of charge as part of the promotion. This promotion is very popular, and during periods of its implementation, sales volume increases significantly.

To stimulate sales, the marketing department developed a system of discounts and benefits for regular customers and VIP customers. But the problem here is that the trading house did not assess the consumer and, accordingly, assign him to any group that allows the use of a system of discounts and benefits. Criteria for inclusion in the preferential group were also not developed. Therefore, sales managers use them at their own discretion, which sometimes leads to conflicts with clients who believe that the discount system should apply to them and they are unfairly “deprived.” As a result, such clients often go to competitors.

Pricing at TD Unit LLC is carried out without taking into account marketing opportunities and is carried out by the company’s accounting department. The price is set as the sum of the purchase price of the product and the maximum trade margin for a given product group. Thus, the pricing process does not take into account the pricing policy of competitors, due to which the price of many goods in the trading house is higher than in other similar organizations, which has a negative impact on attracting consumers.

The disadvantage of the marketing department, in our opinion, is that it acts strictly within the framework of the assigned tasks, ignoring other marketing opportunities to increase the efficiency of the organization as a whole, such as conducting marketing research (research of the professional sales market: competitors, small wholesale and retail chains; consumer research; supplier market research), which would allow, for example, to change suppliers, if possible, to reduce transportation and procurement costs; develop principles of sales, pricing, service and other policies, taking into account the activities of competitors and consumers, etc.

There is no procurement marketing at TD Unit LLC, which negatively affects sales volumes, since often the warehouse does not have any product in the quantity required by the consumer, especially in the company’s remote sales offices. In addition, the trading house’s assortment includes a lot of branded products, and, as you know, its price includes not only the price of the product itself, but also the cost of the brand, which does not allow reducing the price of the product. At the same time, there are cheaper analogues of these products from other manufacturers, including domestic and Chinese ones, the quality, technological characteristics and design of which are in no way inferior to branded ones. The introduction of such goods into the assortment would allow the trading house to offer consumers goods in different price categories, which would certainly attract small wholesalers and the population of Volgograd.

It is also necessary to pay attention to the lack of supply marketing in the trading house. Thus, the organization experiences a chaotic movement of goods between branches, warehouses are either overloaded with goods that have already lost profitability, or, on the contrary, are empty, and as a result, not only the possibility of a successful transaction is lost, but the company’s image as a reliable partner is also destroyed.

So, the marketing department does not function fully at TD Unit LLC, since it operates within the framework of tasks strictly defined by management:

formation of pricing, product and assortment, sales and service policies. As part of these tasks, the marketing department reorganized the sales process according to product groups, in the company’s service policy, the marketing department developed and implemented various promotions, for example, “specialist for an hour.” A system of discounts and benefits was developed for regular and VIP customers, but the development of criteria for assessing the consumer and the assessment itself to assign him to any group was not carried out. Pricing at TD Unit LLC is carried out without taking into account marketing opportunities. Also, TD Unit LLC does not conduct marketing research on the sales market: competitors, small wholesale and retail networks; consumers and suppliers; there is no procurement marketing and supply marketing, which negatively characterizes the activities of marketers.

2. 3 Analysis of marketing decisions of LLC “TD “Unit”

As mentioned above, TD Unit LLC carries out activities in the complex supply of electrical equipment.

The product range of TD Unit LLC includes more than 10,000 items. Today the company is a dealer, distributor, partner, representative of the interests of not only domestic manufacturers, but also manufacturers of European countries (through their Russian dealers) in the Volgograd region.

There are no plans to expand the product range in the future, since, in the opinion of the company’s management, in the field of electrical equipment the range is presented in full, and expanding the range to include goods of a different specialization will require additional financial investments both in personnel training and in the development of sales markets, supplier search.

According to specialists from the marketing department, you should pay attention to the fact that European products, in terms of price characteristics, are among the most expensive products, and a significant portion of their price tag is the brand value. In addition, the price of products from foreign countries includes the trade margin of Russian dealers. In this regard, marketers believe that it is necessary to place the main emphasis in assortment policy on domestic products that are not inferior in quality to European standards, but are 2-3 times cheaper. In addition, in the last six years there has been a particularly active Russian market Chinese electrical equipment is supplied. These are modern products with quite good technical and design characteristics. The representation and range of products from China is expanding every year. Most of these products, manufactured under licenses or carbon copies of Western companies, are usually located in the lower and middle price segments, which are also cheaper than their European counterparts.

It should be noted that the company lacks supply logistics, as a result of which there is a chaotic movement of goods between branches, warehouses are overloaded with goods that have already lost profitability, or vice versa - empty and as a result, not only the possibility of a successful transaction is lost, but also the image of the company as a reliable partner is destroyed .

Currently, consumers of the goods of TD Unit LLC are specialists from various fields: construction and installation organizations, design institutes, enterprises of the energy complex and housing and communal services, distributors of electrical and lighting products. Attracting new customers is one of the tasks of both managers of the company's product sales department and specialists of the company's marketing department. But, if sales managers are specifically looking for new customers, then the marketer is thinking through a strategy for attracting them and gradually transferring them to the class of regular customers. It should be noted that the consumer market for the products of LLC TD Unit is quite stable, the number of regular customers is growing, the percentage of new customers is also increasing, as can be seen in the graph (Fig. 3).

Figure 3 - Dynamics of consumers of products of LLC "TD "Unit"

LLC “TD “Unit” provides pre-sale service to customers (clients), which includes consulting clients about certain properties of the product and its areas of application; about new products in the electrical market and domestic analogues of European products, etc. This also includes informing customers about promotions in effect at the time of purchase and the benefits of ongoing cooperation. At this stage, contracts for the supply of products are concluded, which specify the methods and terms of delivery. Let us note the growth of concluded contracts after the company began to provide free delivery of goods (only to large wholesale customers) to their destination (Fig. 4).

Figure 4 - Dynamics of concluding contracts with the provision of free delivery of products of LLC TD Unit, %

Thus, if in 2009 33% of clients used the service of free delivery of products, and 14 - pick-up, then in 2010 and 2011 the number of the former increased to 51 and 70%, respectively, and the number of the latter decreased to 9 and 5% of clients, which indicates on the popularity of this service, and allows us to conclude that it has a positive impact on the growth of the company’s popularity and its image, which, accordingly, increases its competitiveness.

In order to ensure the competitiveness of the organization, work is carried out both to improve the quality of the product offered and to develop new types of pre-sale and after-sale services, etc. Here you should pay attention not only to product quality, but also to price.

Improving the quality of service is ensured through personnel training, development of new promotions and other sales promotion tools, etc. activities.

The specifics of the organization’s activities and a large range of products make it possible to develop prices according to the following principle: orientation towards competitors, but taking into account the basic principles of pricing arising from the “magic triangle” - the price must cover costs and bring sufficient profit, must be accepted by the consumer and withstand the strategies of competitors .

Having received information about competitors' prices, the company decided to set prices at an average level. At the same time, when working with regular customers, the company uses a flexible system of discounts - cumulative discounts for volume. Exclusive price offers are also possible to attract consumers and turn them into regular customers. The use of a discount system became possible due to the advantage of TD Unit LLC over its competitors due to the smaller number of personnel and smaller premises, which require lower rental and maintenance costs.

Thus, TD Unit LLC uses the following tactics in marketing pricing: a wide range of discounts is established on goods; the price for exclusive groups, which have no analogues in Volgograd, is set at the highest possible level (taking into account the interests of customer customers) in order to increase the organization’s profit. An analysis of the pricing policy of TD Unit LLC showed that this pricing tactics of the company (providing discounts on common groups of goods at the maximum price level for exclusive groups that have no analogues) justifies itself, and, in our opinion, no changes in the pricing policy are required .

So, marketing decisions in the field of product and assortment policy (attracting domestic analogues of European products, expanding the range with Chinese-made products) are not made by the management, since in its opinion the company has a full range of electrical products. Absence from the company procurement logistics leads to chaotic movement of goods between branches, warehouses are overloaded with goods that have already lost profitability, or vice versa - empty, and as a result, not only the possibility of a successful transaction is lost, but the company’s image as a reliable partner is also destroyed. The sales policy of TD Unit LLC is carried out in the following areas: searching for acceptable product niches for the products offered; providing pre-sales and after-sales services to buyers (clients); ensuring the competitiveness of the organization itself. The pricing policy of TD Unit LLC is based on the principle of the magic triangle: the price must cover costs and bring sufficient profit, must be accepted by the consumer and withstand the strategies of competitors. A flexible system of discounts - cumulative discounts for volume, exclusive price offers - allows you to attract consumers and turn them into regular customers.

3 Improving the marketing activities of LLC “TD “Unit”

3. 1 General recommendations for improving the activities of the marketing department of LLC “TD “Unit”

An analysis of the activities of the marketing department of TD Unit LLC allowed us to identify a number of problems. The marketing department does not function fully at TD Unit LLC, as it operates within the framework of tasks strictly defined by management: the formation of pricing, product and assortment, sales and service policies. As part of these tasks, the marketing department reorganized the sales process by product groups; in the company’s service policy, the marketing department developed and implemented various promotions, for example, “specialist for an hour.” A system of discounts and benefits was developed for regular and VIP customers, but the development of criteria for assessing the consumer and the assessment itself to assign him to any group was not carried out. Pricing at TD Unit LLC is carried out without taking into account marketing opportunities. Also, TD Unit LLC does not conduct marketing research on the sales market: competitors, small wholesale and retail networks; consumers and suppliers; there is no procurement marketing and supply marketing, which negatively characterizes the activities of marketers.

In order to eliminate the above-mentioned problems and shortcomings in the activities of the marketing department, it can be recommended to define the responsibilities and tasks of the marketing department more specifically, taking into account the specifics of the company’s business processes and marketing as a practical science that contributes to the strategic development of the company. It is necessary to present the functions of a marketer in the job description as follows:

Analysis of the level and trends of demand, % of consumer supply of our products for each group (assortment) separately;

Analysis, identification and forecasting of fundamental trends in the regional market;

Determination of market segments for the main groups of commercial products, their shares and positions in each market segment;

Analysis of the effectiveness of offset operations and search for ways to optimize these chains;

Market analysis of the main types of electrical products and forecast of possible trends;

Analysis of the reasons for unsatisfied demand for the enterprise’s products and development of proposals to reduce its size;

Creation and operational maintenance of “Consumers” and “Competitors” databases;

Determination of sales saturation points by product groups and/or individual consumers;

Development and formation of short-, medium- and long-term forecasts for product sales by type and/or market segments and/or quarters;

Development of proposals for the development of new market segments and proposals for diversification;

Development of proposals for the development of new types of goods that meet consumer needs;

Selection of the most promising regions for the purpose of creating branches in them, participation in the development of the procedure for relations with branches and in their creation (participation in the development standard contract, which determines the order of relationships with them);

Development of concept proposals pricing strategy, including searching for suppliers with more advantageous offers, development of new supply channels, reduction of transportation costs, a system of discounts as part of sales promotion programs, etc.;

Development of proposals for the main and alternative sales plan (in case of unforeseen circumstances, for example, seasonal changes in market conditions, etc.);

Development of proposals for the concept of a strategy for achieving sales goals and organizational measures for its implementation. Detailed tactics and scheduling WHO?, WHAT?, WHEN? WHERE? does it and FOR WHAT? bears personal responsibility;

Development of proposals for the creation/adjustment of corporate identity elements, their correct use in the design of internal and external premises of the enterprise, as well as in all advertising media;

Development of proposals for the formation/adjustment of a positive image of the enterprise in the minds of consumers and a unified corporate culture, direct participation in their practical implementation using advertising media;

Development of proposals on the procedure for information interaction between the marketing service and other structural divisions of the enterprise;

Development of proposals for the formation of a marketing plan for the current period;

Development of proposals for improving the organizational structure of the company in order to effectively solve problems in accordance with the adopted marketing plan;

Systematization, analysis and control of the marketing plan.

So, to improve the activities of the marketing department

3. 2 Development of marketing strategies at LLC “TD “Unit” to retain and increase market share

Due to identified inaccuracies in the marketer’s reports, we conducted an analysis marketing environment LLC "TD "Unit" using the SWOT analysis method, the results of which are based on a group discussion of the company's managers and are presented in Table 5.

The purpose of SWOT analysis is to provide a structured description of the situation regarding which a decision needs to be made. After identifying the main critical factors and key success factors, based on the analysis, the main goals are formed and strategies for the further development of the company are developed.

The conclusions drawn from it are descriptive in nature without recommendations or prioritization.

SWOT analysis helps answer the following questions:

Does the company use internal strengths or differentiating advantages in its strategy?

If a company does not have a differentiating advantage, what are its potential strengths that could become one?

Are the company's weaknesses its competitive vulnerabilities and/or do they prevent it from taking advantage of certain favorable circumstances?

What weaknesses require adjustment based on strategic considerations?

What opportunities give a company a real chance of success by leveraging its skills and access to resources?

What threats should company management be most concerned about and what strategic actions must be taken to ensure a good defense?

Based on the SWOT analysis of the marketing environment of TD Unit LLC, the company’s capabilities were identified, which it can use to maintain the company’s stability in the market, increase competitiveness and further strategic development.

Table 5 - SWOT analysis of LLC "TD "Unit"

Based on the data in Table 5, the capabilities of TD Unit LLC, which can be used to develop the further strategic development of the company, include:

Improving the quality of services;

Reducing prices for goods offered;

Gaining market share from competitors through individual working conditions with each client; complete set of facilities with electrical equipment; operational level of service; free delivery of products; active product promotion through effective advertising campaigns and sales promotion;

Image growth;

Research of market subjects: competitors, suppliers, consumers.

So, a SWOT analysis of the marketing environment of TD Unit LLC revealed the following opportunities for maintaining the company’s stability in the market, increasing competitiveness and further strategic development: improving the quality of services; reduction in prices for goods offered; gaining market share from competitors through individual working conditions with each client; complete set of facilities with electrical equipment; operational level of service; free delivery of products; active product promotion through effective advertising campaigns and sales promotion; image growth; research of market subjects: competitors, suppliers, consumers.

Conclusion

The sphere of wholesale trade is a very specific marketing environment, the features of which are characterized by: the presence of special subjects - wholesale consumers, whose specific needs must be satisfied; the constant dilemma of the wholesaler: which level of demand to focus his strategy on (wholesale or final consumers), the search for a compromise in taking into account the interests of these market entities; the special role of the wholesaler as an unwitting marketing consultant to manufacturers and retailers; the important place of wholesalers in the territorial redistribution of resources and social distribution and exchange. Secondly, the features of wholesale trade have a decisive influence on the work of the marketing service of a wholesale enterprise, and their strategic consequences affect almost all components of the wholesaler’s marketing activities and give them significant differences from retail trade enterprises.

Wholesale trading enterprises must solve a number of marketing tasks, the main of which relate to the development of marketing strategies (formation of a market share, its retention and further increase; formation of sales channels; formation of a competitive advantage); conducting marketing research of competitors; consumers; commodity producers and other suppliers; segmenting the sales market by intermediary buyers and end consumers; procurement marketing in terms of determining the relationship between demand for goods and the nature of procurement, analysis and evaluation of suppliers, formation of procurement; marketing and logistics (analysis of interactions between buyer and wholesaler to find a mutually beneficial solution, development of a competitive advantage); marketing sales decisions, including selection of the target market, formation of a product range and range of services, pricing, sales promotion, etc.; merchandising organizations; marketing audit of the sales system in terms of working with the retail trade network to review complaints and resolve conflict situations.

The object of this study is LLC Trading House Unit, specializing in complex supplies of power cables and wires, lighting equipment, electrical installation products, insulating materials, electrical equipment, electricity meters and much more. Since 2010, a marketing department has been functioning in the organizational structure of the company, which can be characterized as a positive fact. At the same time, the organization does not have a logistics department, the responsibilities of which are distributed between the head of the warehouse, the head of the planning and economic department and the marketing department. Due to the reorganization of the sales process, the number of employees increased from 68 to 97 people. The organization has seen an increase in revenue by 1,856,188 thousand rubles, but taking into account all financial transactions of the trading house, net profit decreased by 27.63%, which negatively characterizes the economic activity of the organization. In the structure of fixed assets of a trading house, significant changes are observed towards an increase in the share of their passive part due to the acquisition of a building and the construction of structures.

The marketing department does not function fully at TD Unit LLC, since it operates within the framework of strictly defined tasks by management: the formation of pricing, product and assortment, sales and service policies. As part of these tasks, the marketing department reorganized the sales process by product groups; in the company’s service policy, the marketing department developed and implemented various promotions, for example, “specialist for an hour.” A system of discounts and benefits was developed for regular and VIP customers, but the development of criteria for assessing the consumer and the assessment itself to assign him to any group was not carried out. Pricing at TD Unit LLC is carried out without taking into account marketing opportunities. Also, TD Unit LLC does not conduct marketing research on the sales market: competitors, small wholesale and retail networks; consumers and suppliers; there is no procurement marketing and supply marketing, which negatively characterizes the activities of marketers.

Marketing decisions in the field of product and assortment policy (attracting domestic analogues of European products, expanding the range with Chinese-made products) are not made by the management, since in its opinion the company has a full range of electrical products. The absence of purchasing logistics in a company leads to chaotic movement of goods between branches; warehouses are overloaded with goods that have already lost profitability, or vice versa - empty, and as a result, not only the possibility of a successful transaction is lost, but the company’s image as a reliable partner is also destroyed. The sales policy of TD Unit LLC is carried out in the following areas: searching for acceptable product niches for the products offered; providing pre-sales and after-sales services to buyers (clients); ensuring the competitiveness of the organization itself. The pricing policy of TD Unit LLC is based on the principle of the magic triangle: the price must cover costs and bring sufficient profit, must be accepted by the consumer and withstand the strategies of competitors. A flexible system of discounts - cumulative discounts for volume, exclusive price offers - allows you to attract consumers and turn them into regular customers.

To improve the activities of the marketing department of TD Unit LLC, we recommend specifying the functions and responsibilities of a marketer in the job description.

A SWOT analysis of the marketing environment of TD Unit LLC revealed the following opportunities for maintaining the company's stability in the market, increasing competitiveness and further strategic development: improving the quality of services; reduction in prices for goods offered; gaining market share from competitors through individual working conditions with each client; complete set of facilities with electrical equipment; operational level of service; free delivery of products; active product promotion through effective advertising campaigns and sales promotion; image growth; research of market subjects: competitors, suppliers, consumers.

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Appendix A (reference)

Comparative characteristics of strategic marketing of a wholesale and retail trade enterprise

Table A. 1 - Comparative characteristics of strategic marketing of a wholesale and retail trade enterprise

Appendix B (for reference)

Assortment of LLC "TD "Unit"

Table B. 1 - Assortment of LLC "TD "Unit"

The position of a wholesale company or a manufacturing enterprise engaged in wholesale trade depends significantly on the chosen marketing strategy, marketing policy and the nature of marketing decisions.

The tasks (functions) of wholesale trade marketing are presented in Table 1.

Table 1. Marketing objectives in the wholesale trade system

Marketing Strategies in the field of sales activities, enterprises are developed in the case of expanding sales in the old market, entering new markets, when designing new sales channels, for example, when the old sales system has ceased to be effective.

In sales activities, an enterprise inevitably encounters competing firms, and sometimes specifically provides for competition between its own sales channels (horizontal or vertical types).

A competitive strategy or a cooperation strategy is developed in relation to external competitors. When choosing a rivalry strategy, the enterprise determines the type of competition (price, non-price) and predicts the behavior of competitors.

The scope of competitive rivalry can extend to the world market, the market of a specific country, within one city, in one or several segments. Finally, there may be a struggle to own a niche.

The implementation of marketing strategies in sales activities requires a long time and significant financial costs, since, as a rule, investment investments in sales are required. In tab. Figure 2 shows the sales strategy plan for the enterprise when it enters the Russian market.

Marketing research conducted by a wholesale company covers three most important areas:

Research of professional subjects of the sales market: competitors, retail chains, other buyers of goods, for example, restaurant food systems, cafes, small wholesalers working in wholesale and retail markets, etc.;

Research of consumers - the population in order to obtain information from them about goods that are in demand and about the level of dissatisfaction with different brands;

Market research of suppliers to solve your own procurement problems.

Table 2. An example of a sales strategy plan for an enterprise when entering the Russian market

Other studies may be conducted based on the strategic goals of companies.

The organization of marketing research depends on the qualifications and availability of marketers. In case of their absence, third-party researchers can be involved or a ready-made report compiled by a marketing firm based on previously conducted research can be purchased.

At the initiative of the supplier-manufacturer, it is possible to conduct various experimental studies to assess the consumer qualities of the product.

Segmentation of the sales market is a mandatory function of marketing for a wholesale enterprise. For example, to select target segments of professional buyers and to know the purchasing preferences of different segments of the population and their reaction to the supplied product.

The professional sales market is segmented according to criteria such as: volume of purchases, breadth of assortment, business reputation, solvency, pricing policy, etc.

If the consumer is the population, then various systems of indicators are used, choosing from them those that best characterize the consumer segment (social, demographic, economic, behavioral and other indicators).

Purchasing marketing serves to gain competitive advantages already at the stage of working with suppliers through the acquisition of goods that can satisfy the needs of end customers.

In this case, the following tasks are solved:

Purchase goods that are in demand among consumers;

The procurement process must provide economic benefits for the wholesaler (through discounts, deferred payment);

In case of substandard goods, the wholesaler must be able to replace it.

The manufacturing enterprise makes purchases of raw materials, parts of component parts, also taking into account the required quality of the goods produced.

The procurement process consists of a number of sequential steps:

a) determining the needs for a specific product, a specific brand, establishing its quantity;

b) determining the needs for the assortment that it is advisable to buy from one supplier;

c) determining the criteria that form the initial basis for evaluating suppliers and negotiating with them (economic, marketing, technical, logistics requirements);

d) search and analysis of suppliers using market research methods;

e) selection of suppliers and organization of negotiations with them;

f) placing trial orders;

g) evaluation of results;

h) conclusion of long-term contractual agreements.

We can formulate the basic requirements for suppliers:

Popularity (brand awareness;

Reliability;

Availability;

Interest in working together;

Understanding the role of marketing in promoting your products;

Minimum delivery times;

Take on a share of the risk, for example, associated with transportation.

When selecting suppliers, a wholesale company decides whether to choose one supplier (the principle of order concentration) or select several suppliers (the principle of dispersing orders).

The advantage of concentrating orders with one supplier allows you to get larger discounts due to a larger order size. This is also facilitated by close cooperation, including the implementation of joint projects for the production of new goods. A wholesale company can provide information about new demand trends, new products entering the market from other manufacturers.

However, working with a single supplier increases the wholesaler's risk and limits his ability to quickly adapt to the requirements of the retail network.

To reduce this type of risk, a wholesale company works with several suppliers simultaneously. If suppliers are interested in working with a wholesaler, this can be used to obtain additional benefits by seeking concessions from them.

Marketing-logistics wholesale company is to develop a transport and warehouse scheme that would take into account the requirements of purchasing marketing and sales marketing. Like other enterprise structures focused on a marketing approach in their work, logistics services must take into account the specific behavior and requirements of retail trade enterprises that they place on their wholesale suppliers. This is, first of all, the size of the consignment of goods and the speed of delivery.

Often such requirements lead to the fact that a wholesale company is forced to locate retail warehouses closest to the stores. On the other hand, the wholesaler’s own purchases of large quantities of goods from manufacturers forces him to solve the following problem: have a central distribution warehouse or, bypassing it, distribute goods to regional warehouses.

Marketing solutions in the sales system have the goal of providing support in the sale of the planned volume of goods in local and regional markets.

Marketing information that fuels sales helps reduce the risk of sales activities.

Product mix decision

When making decisions on the assortment, it is necessary to take into account the degree of proximity between goods of different product groups, the capabilities of the enterprise (financial, personnel, warehouse, etc.), customer requirements, and the presence of competitors.

From a financial point of view, the formation of the assortment takes into account the turnover of goods, the size of turnover and the profit received.

The range is expanded for several reasons, including:

For some products in the main range, it is necessary to have complementary products (complementary products);

The activities of a wholesale company with this assortment are unprofitable (low turnover);

Other marketing tasks are being solved: new products are being promoted, the company is switching to larger retail segments, etc.

Pricing decision.

In the vast majority of cases, when stores enter into a transaction with a wholesale company, the main factor is price, product quality and payment terms. In tab. Figure 3 shows data from surveys conducted among St. Petersburg wholesalers, and also, for comparison, the results of a survey of retail enterprises in France.

Table 3

Therefore, the wholesale price should be profitable for the store, taking into account the nature of demand for this product and the price offers of competitors.

Decision on distribution channels.

Decisions about methods and distribution channels are made in the same way as the manufacturer.

A big advantage of the sales structure of a wholesale company is the ability to deliver goods to the retail network in small quantities in a short time. In addition, sales should be aimed at finding new customers and developing new markets.

Deciding on the location of inventory storage location

A wholesale company decides on organizing a system of warehouses or one centralized warehouse, or possibly a combination of both.

The starting points are the relationship between the costs of ensuring the production activities of warehouses and improving customer service for the wholesaler. In Fig. Figure 1 shows an example of the placement of warehouses for a Russian wholesale company.

Rice. 1.

From a marketing perspective, the role of wholesale trade is to maximally satisfy the needs of retail enterprises by supplying them with the necessary goods in certain volumes and on time. Usually located in large settlements (cities), wholesale companies also know the needs of end customers well. Therefore, they, independently or with the help of the product manufacturer, are able to organize powerful marketing support for retail trade

The position of a wholesale company or a manufacturing enterprise engaged in wholesale trade depends significantly on the chosen marketing strategy, marketing policy and the nature of marketing decisions.

Marketing strategies in the field of sales activities of an enterprise are developed in the case of expanding sales in the old market, entering new markets, when designing new sales channels, for example, when the old sales system has ceased to be effective.

In sales activities, an enterprise inevitably encounters competing firms, and sometimes specifically provides for competition between its own sales channels (horizontal or vertical types).

A competitive strategy or a cooperation strategy is developed in relation to external competitors. When choosing a rivalry strategy, the enterprise determines the type of competition (price, non-price) and predicts the behavior of competitors.

The scope of competitive rivalry can extend to the world market, the market of a specific country, within one city, in one or several segments. Finally, there may be a struggle to own a niche.

The implementation of marketing strategies in sales activities requires a long time and significant financial costs, since, as a rule, investment investments in sales are required.

Marketing research conducted by a wholesale company covers three most important areas:

research of professional subjects of the sales market: competitors, retail chains, other buyers of goods, for example, restaurant food systems, cafes, small wholesalers working in wholesale and retail markets, etc.;

research of consumers - the population in order to obtain information from them about goods that are in demand and about the level of dissatisfaction with different brands;

supplier market research to solve your own procurement problems.

Other studies may be conducted based on the strategic goals of the companies.

The organization of marketing research depends on the qualifications and availability of marketers. In case of their absence, third-party researchers can be involved or a ready-made report compiled by a marketing firm based on previously conducted research can be purchased.

At the initiative of the supplier-manufacturer, it is possible to conduct various experimental studies to assess the consumer qualities of the product.

Segmentation of the sales market is a mandatory function of marketing for a wholesale enterprise. For example, to select target segments of professional buyers and to know the purchasing preferences of different segments of the population and their reaction to the supplied product.

The professional sales market is segmented according to criteria such as: volume of purchases, breadth of assortment, business reputation, solvency, pricing policy, etc.

If the consumer is the population, then various systems of indicators are used, choosing from them those that best characterize the consumer segment (social, demographic, economic, behavioral and other indicators).

Purchasing marketing serves to gain competitive advantages already at the stage of working with suppliers through the acquisition of goods that can satisfy the needs of end customers.

In this case, the following tasks are solved:

purchase goods that are in demand among consumers;

the procurement process must provide economic benefits for the wholesaler (through discounts, deferred payment);

in case of substandard goods, the wholesaler must have the opportunity to replace it.

The manufacturing enterprise makes purchases of raw materials, parts of component parts, also taking into account the required quality of the goods produced. The procurement process consists of a number of sequential steps:

• a) determining the needs for a specific product, a specific brand, establishing its quantity;
• b) determining the needs for the assortment that it is advisable to buy from one supplier;
• c) determining the criteria that form the initial basis for evaluating suppliers and negotiating with them (economic, marketing, technical, logistics requirements);
• d) search and analysis of suppliers using market research methods;
• e) selection of suppliers and organization of negotiations with them;
• f) placing trial orders;
• g) evaluation of results;
• h) conclusion of long-term contractual agreements.

We can formulate the basic requirements for suppliers:

• * popularity (brand awareness;
• * reliability;
• * availability;
• * interest in working together;
• * understanding the role of marketing in promoting your products;
• * minimum delivery times;
• * assume a share of the risk, for example, associated with transportation.

When selecting suppliers, a wholesale company decides whether to choose one supplier (the principle of order concentration) or select several suppliers (the principle of dispersing orders).

The advantage of concentrating orders with one supplier allows you to get larger discounts due to a larger order size. This is also facilitated by close cooperation, including the implementation of joint projects for the production of new goods. A wholesale company can provide information about new demand trends, new products entering the market from other manufacturers.

However, working with a single supplier increases the wholesaler's risk and limits his ability to quickly adapt to the requirements of the retail network.

To reduce this type of risk, a wholesale company works with several suppliers simultaneously. If suppliers are interested in working with a wholesaler, this can be used to obtain additional benefits by seeking concessions from them.

Marketing and logistics of a wholesale company consists of developing a transport and warehouse scheme that would take into account the requirements of procurement marketing and sales marketing. Like other enterprise structures focused on a marketing approach in their work, logistics services must take into account the specific behavior and requirements of retail trade enterprises that they place on their wholesale suppliers. This is, first of all, the size of the consignment of goods and the speed of delivery.

Often such requirements lead to the fact that a wholesale company is forced to locate retail warehouses closest to the stores. On the other hand, the wholesaler’s own purchases of large quantities of goods from manufacturers forces him to solve the following problem: have a central distribution warehouse or, bypassing it, distribute goods to regional warehouses.

Marketing decisions in the sales system are aimed at supporting the sale of the planned volume of goods in local and regional markets.

Marketing information that fuels sales helps reduce the risk of sales activities.

Sales marketing solutions cover the entire marketing mix.

Product mix decision

When making decisions on the assortment, it is necessary to take into account the degree of proximity between goods of different product groups, the capabilities of the enterprise (financial, personnel, warehouse, etc.), customer requirements, and the presence of competitors.

From a financial point of view, the formation of the assortment takes into account the turnover of goods, the size of turnover and the profit received.

The range is expanded for several reasons, including:

For some products in the main range, it is necessary to have complementary products (complementary products);

The activity of a wholesale company with this assortment is unprofitable (low turnover);

other marketing tasks are solved: new products are promoted, the enterprise switches to larger retail segments, etc.

Pricing decision.

In the vast majority of cases, when stores enter into a transaction with a wholesale company, the main factor is price, product quality and payment terms.

Therefore, the wholesale price should be profitable for the store, taking into account the nature of demand for this product and the price offers of competitors.

Decision on distribution channels.

Decisions about methods and distribution channels are made in the same way as the manufacturer.

A big advantage of the sales structure of a wholesale company is the ability to deliver goods to the retail network in small quantities in a short time. In addition, sales should be aimed at finding new customers and developing new markets.

MARKETING IN WHOLESALE TRADE

Introduction

The essence of wholesale trade

Wholesale intermediaries

Literature.

INTRODUCTION

The modern market economy is a flexible system of adapting production to consumption based on marketing tools. Its mechanism is implemented through the functioning of certain economic institutions and, above all, an integral system of intermediation based on acts of purchase and sale of goods or services.

The domestic history of trade development shows that only in the early thirties, after the abandonment of private entrepreneurial activity in the national economy, national statistics socially recorded the categories - wholesale and retail trade, defining their conceptual content. In the previous period, there was virtually no clear economic division of trade into wholesale and retail.

Traditionally it is believed that wholesale trade - This is the sale of relatively large lots, and the division and sale of smaller lots that differ from the standard ones in size or quantity is retail.

Unlike retail, wholesale trade was almost always associated with the batching of goods, mediating the initial stage of their movement to the market. There was virtually no other sign, in particular, the movement of goods for personal or industrial consumption, the entry of goods into the trade and distribution network for further resale, etc. In Russia, the regulatory documents currently in force do not contain a specific definition of the concept of “wholesale trade”. At the same time, not a single regulatory document regulates the mandatory size of the minimum delivery lot, nor has the payment procedure been established.

It was during this period, in connection with the abandonment of the practice of private entrepreneurial activity in the country, that statistical innovations (for accounting purposes) determined the conceptual content of wholesale and retail trade turnover. The sale of goods for further resale became known as wholesale trade, and the sale of goods for personal, individual consumption became known as retail trade.

1. ESSENCE OF WHOLESALE TRADE

World practice has identified the following types of wholesale trade:

Trade through a wholesale purchasing network, which includes exchanges, fairs, auctions, and wholesale food markets. Purchases agricultural crops, raw materials and other goods subject to storage, such as grain, cotton, wool, metals, scrap metal. Constant monitoring of changes in market conditions (exchanges, exhibitions, auctions) is necessary to reduce the risk associated with price fluctuations;

Trade through direct production links. It usually connects two successive stages of the production process; it is of particular importance in the trade of ferrous metals and steel;

Wholesale trade in raw materials and supplies. This type of wholesale trade in turn includes:

wholesale trade with centralized delivery of goods. A wholesaler supplies goods to retailers and also provides them with extensive services;

Wholesale trade with receipt of goods from the supplier. The wholesaler's client, retailer or large consumer picks up the goods themselves;

Wholesale trade "Cash-and-Carry" with payment in cash before acceptance and transportation of goods by the buyer (wholesale trade using the self-service method). This type of wholesale sales is carried out to regular consumers (retailers, restaurant and canteen owners), who complete their orders in the warehouse using the self-service method. Payment for goods is made in cash (cash), the client loads and removes goods (carry) independently (pickup). For example, a retailer can independently purchase the required daily amount of vegetables and fruits from the central market on a daily basis. Restaurants carry out a similar operation, purchasing batches of vegetables, fish, meat, etc. from the markets;

Wholesale trade from racks (Rack Jobber). Large retailers provide the wholesaler with trading floors with shelving or area on shelving. The merchant, at his own expense, carries out the current filling of the shelves, as a rule, with simple goods and takes back unsold goods. In this way, it takes the burden off the retailer and complements its product range. Wholesale trade is defined as “any activity of selling goods or services to those who purchase them for resale or professional use.”

At the same time, the feasibility of having a wholesale distribution link is justified by the fact that wholesalers ensure the efficiency of the trading process. This efficiency is achieved by the fact that: firstly, a small manufacturer with limited financial resources is not able to create and maintain a direct marketing organization; secondly, even with sufficient capital, the manufacturer would rather prefer to direct funds to the development of production rather than to organizing wholesale trade; thirdly, the efficiency of wholesalers will likely be higher due to the scope of operations, a larger number of business contacts in the retail sector and the presence of special knowledge and skills; fourthly, retailers dealing with a wide range of products often prefer to purchase the entire range of goods from one wholesaler, rather than in parts from different manufacturers.

The importance of wholesale trade for the counterparties involved in transactions is that wholesale trade provides the following advantages for manufacturers:

Relieves the workload of sales organs. There is no need to issue multiple invoices, invoices, ledger entries and reminder letters. The costs associated with selling products are reduced, since instead of a large number of retail enterprises, deliveries are made only to a small number of large wholesale enterprises.

Reduces fluctuations in production capacity utilization. The wholesaler places orders several months in advance. Therefore, the manufacturing enterprise can carry out long-term planning. Thus, the utilization of production space becomes more uniform, and production becomes more rational; production costs are reduced.

Reduces the risk associated with storing products in a warehouse. The manufacturer has the ability to ship goods ordered by the wholesaler immediately after they are manufactured.

The financial benefits are that the wholesaler typically pays promptly, using a cash advance discount or promissory note. Thus, the manufacturer receives the necessary free funds to continue its production.

The presence of wholesale distribution channels provides significant benefits for retail trade:

The organization of procurement is simplified. From a large number of offers from manufacturers, the wholesaler selects the most profitable ones, combines them into one order, and thereby makes the choice easier for the retailer.

Urgency and small volume of deliveries are ensured. The retailer can stock up on goods at any time. the shortest possible time and in arbitrarily small quantities. There is no need to maintain large inventories and the risk is reduced.

Credit assistance is provided. The experience of many years of business relationships gives the wholesaler the opportunity to assess the creditworthiness of the retailer and provide him with appropriate credit assistance. Provides services for organizing sales of goods.

The licensing functions of wholesalers are as follows:

1 Sales and its promotion. Wholesalers have a sales force that helps a manufacturer reach many small customers at a relatively low cost. The wholesaler has more business contacts, and often the buyer trusts him more than some distant manufacturer.

2. Purchasing and formation of product range. The wholesaler is able to select products and create the necessary product range, thus saving the client from significant hassle.

3. Breakdown of large quantities of goods into small ones. Wholesalers provide customers with cost savings by purchasing goods by the carload and breaking large quantities into small ones.

4. Warehousing . Wholesalers store inventory, thereby helping to reduce related costs for suppliers and consumers.

5. Transportation. Wholesalers provide faster delivery of goods because they are closer to customers than manufacturers.

6. Financing. Wholesalers finance their customers by providing them with credit, and at the same time finance their suppliers by issuing orders in advance and paying bills on time.

7. Taking risks. By taking ownership of the product and bearing the costs of theft, damage, deterioration and obsolescence, wholesalers assume some of the risk.

8. Providing market information. Wholesalers provide their suppliers and customers with information about the activities of competitors, new products, price dynamics, etc.

9. Management and consulting services. A wholesaler often helps retailers improve their operations by training their salespeople, participating in store layout and display design, and organizing accounting and inventory management systems. In recent years, the growth of wholesale trade has been facilitated by several significant trends in the economy: 1) the growth of mass production in large enterprises remote from the main users of finished products; 2) increasing production volumes for future use, and not to fulfill specific orders already received; 3) an increase in the number of levels of intermediate producers and users; and 4) an increased need to adapt goods to the needs of intermediate and final users in terms of quantity, packaging, etc.

Based on the assortment, the following types of wholesale trade are distinguished:

Wholesale trade of a wide range of goods. In a wide and in-depth assortment of various product groups, the consumer finds an offer that meets his demand. For example, wholesale trade in food products;

Specialized wholesale trade. The wholesaler forms a small but in-depth assortment of goods of varying quality from one product group and thereby provides the consumer with a wide selection of goods.

2. WHOLESALE INTERMEDIARIES

Intermediaries are firms or individuals who take over or help pass on to someone else the right to a particular good or service as it moves from producer to consumer. The use of intermediaries in the sphere of circulation is beneficial, first of all, for manufacturers. In this case, they have to deal with a limited circle of stakeholders in the sale of products. In addition, wide availability of goods is ensured when they move directly to the sales market. With the help of intermediaries, it is possible to reduce the number of direct contacts between producers and consumers.

Supply and sales organizations, large wholesale warehouses, exchange structures, trading houses and stores can act as intermediaries. Among the main reasons for the use of intermediaries are the following:

Organizing the product distribution process requires the availability of certain financial resources;

Creating an optimal product distribution system presupposes the availability of appropriate knowledge and experience in the field of market conditions for your product, methods of trade and distribution.

Intermediaries, thanks to their contacts, experience and specialization, make it possible to ensure wide availability of goods and bring them to target markets.

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