3500 Holly Ln. N Suite 10,
Plymouth, MN 55447
(800) 328-3967
Case Study: Lawn and Garden and Pet Supply Manufacturer Project
“Lawrence Merchandising has date and time specific services covered!”
Careful planning for date/time-specific team resets and maintenance calls yields great results for client, retailer and MSO.
A leading producer of products for lawn, garden and pet supplies selected Lawrence Merchandising to execute their reset and maintenance programs in select home improvement stores due to our ability to leverage nationwide coverage to schedule reset teams with specific date, day and time requirements. Lawrence was able to accommodate specific timetables while measuring rep capabilities to assign those best suited to complete all service directives, including heavy lifting and use of ladders. Our scheduling flexibility and W2 employment of reps ensures longevity and enables us to assign the same service representatives to ongoing maintenance services, thus building product and service knowledge while establishing rapport with the retailers.
Our Role:
Lawrence Merchandising was hired for the 2009 resets and maintenance programs servicing a variety of seasonal products including pottery, chemicals, grass seed, fertilizer, etc. Our task was to reset product to an updated planogram (POG), re-tag merchandise, maintain ongoing stock levels through replenishment when low and verify POG and tag/label compliance for subsequent service calls. Due to the success of our timely initial reset and follow-up maintenance program that enhanced the product presentation at retail, Lawrence Merchandising was selected for the same service program for the 2010 season.
The Challenge:
The resets were date specific and the times for the resets varied significantly. Each service required multiple reps, up to eight hours per rep, and up to three days of work to complete. The product serviced was heavy and there were accessibility issues within the retailer. Due to the project requirements, a specific rep base was needed to accommodate the physicality of the directives.
The Solution:
Having a large base of experienced reps was a key factor to the success of this program. Lawrence Merchandising has a rep attribute system to review our service rep’s capabilities to assign those best suited for resets and the physicality involved. Our flexible scheduling enables us to assign teams to date and time-specific projects. Lawrence service reps have a wide range of knowledge and experience. They take ownership in the services they are assigned and consistently go above and beyond to provide support to retailers and their customers while servicing our client’s products.
The Result:
They came back for more! The great success of our 2009 and 2010 services have resulted in a significantly increased initiative for 2011, securing the ongoing partnership between Lawrence Merchandising and the client. The client has achieved above average POG compliance as a result of our services and has experienced higher stock levels and enhanced presentation at retail, all leading to increased sales. The client has expressed great satisfaction with Lawrence Merchandising’s performance and reported additional examples of how a particular rep made a significant difference in the quality of service provided. Lawrence also received feedback from one of the stores who were greatly impressed by a rep who had taken the initiative to educate store personnel and customers with the client’s product attributes!
