Village News in the Grenoside area of Sheffield is a small but well-stocked independent store in a great location with plenty of passing and local trade. Owner Mathew allocated a large proportion of space to alcohol, and felt it was "ticking over nicely".
He explained: "For our size of shop I wasn't sure there was much the Blueprint could do for me. We had a good selection and the customers appeared to be able to buy what they had come in for. However, I decided that it was worth looking into, just to see if they could help with our presentation.
"It's been an eye-opener as to how much benefit the Blueprint has brought to our store. Not only have sales increased by 20% across the entire category but we are attracting more customers who are trading up buying more volume and trying new things each time."
The Blueprint team began by looking at what Mathew was currently stocking and comparing it to the Blueprint planogram guidelines as to the best-selling brands that an independent retailer should stock.
Mathew was able to tailor the plan to fit with his local customer base. There were some brands which were not included on the planogram that he knew he had regular demand for and therefore used the 'manager's choice' to help complement the Blueprint advice with his knowledge of his customers.
"The Blueprint works for me as it's not prescriptive in what I must and must not stock, and it has allowed me to create a nice mix of well-known brands with local favourites. The merchandising has lifted the shop's overall presentation and has had an excellent response from my customers
"Wines in particular are selling well. The country flags work well as my customers can now go to a particular section and find their chosen wine with ease, or can browse the shelf looking for a different one to try.
"Re-ordering stock is so much more simple as I can now see the products that have been sold and can replace them straight away. The layout of the merchandising also means that Gloria, my sales assistant who is responsible for the category, can re-lay the fixture exactly as the Blueprint left it and therefore maintain the high standard."
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