Difference between hypermarket and supermarket. V.N. Naumov. Sales Marketing What are the differences between a supermarket and a hypermarket?

Perhaps every average family visits a large grocery store at least once a week. After all, stocking up on provisions for several days in advance is much more convenient than buying a couple of items every day. Fortunately, large retail outlets offer a wide range of goods for every taste and budget. In this article we will look at the difference between a hypermarket and a supermarket.

Definitions

Hypermarket– a trading enterprise that sells food and other universal products, operating on the principle of self-service. The history of the appearance of the first stores of this type goes back to the distant 19th century. Cities began to emerge in the vast expanses of the then little-developed areas of America. The surrounding areas gradually became overgrown with numerous ranches and various small farms. It is quite obvious that from time to time their workers needed replenishment of supplies. Since the journey to the city sometimes took several hours or even a whole day, people tried to stock up on everything they needed as much as possible. The standard list usually included not only food, but also nails, ropes, tools, fabrics, etc. To meet the needs of the inhabitants of the outback, department stores began to open in large cities, much like warehouses. These were the first hypermarkets.

Hypermarket

Supermarket– a trading company specializing in the sale of a wide range of food and beverages, as well as some household items. Often it is a branch of a large network. The first supermarkets also originated in America. A huge stimulus for their development was the invention of the wheeled cart in 1937. The Soviet ancestors of supermarkets are considered to be supermarkets and department stores. The former sold manufactured goods and had a self-service system. Department stores were a collection of retail outlets located under one roof. The result of the modernization of such facilities were supermarkets, which appeared in the country only in the 90s. Today they have become widespread in all corners of Russia.

Supermarket

Comparison

Let's start with the dimensions of the stores. The area of modern hypermarkets can vary from 4 to 60 thousand square meters. Due to such an impressive size, such retail outlets usually occupy an entire building, surrounded by a spacious parking lot. In addition to the main hall, which accounts for about 80% of the premises, it can also house pharmacies, catering establishments, children's corners, etc. Compared to a hypermarket, a supermarket has rather modest dimensions. Its minimum area is on average 400 square meters, while the maximum can reach up to 2500. Such stores are located both in large shopping centers and on the lower floors of residential buildings and even in basements. They extremely rarely occupy a separate building and do not have their own parking lot.

As a rule, supermarkets are located within the city, in the busiest and most accessible areas. In a large populated area there can be several hundred of them. Since it is not always possible to erect a huge hypermarket building within the city, many retail outlets of this type are located outside the city. This does not cause much indignation among buyers who go shopping exclusively by personal transport. They visit such stores once a week or even a month in order to stock up on everything they need for a fairly long period of time. In large settlements and suburban areas there are no more than a couple of dozen of them. You can always buy everyday products, be it bread or milk, in a supermarket near your house, by walking to it. It is quite obvious that the range of goods at such points is narrower. This is another difference between a hypermarket and a supermarket. Let's consider this point in more detail.

A hypermarket implies not only huge retail space, but also a universal range of goods, including non-food items. The latter account for 35-50% of the presented positions. Clothing, shoes, household appliances, children's accessories, books, office supplies, building materials, cosmetics - and this is not a complete list of items. Many hypermarkets are aimed at people with low incomes and wholesale buyers. They are in many ways reminiscent of warehouses, the territory of which is lined with high multi-level shelving and countless boxes of goods. All this is explained by the lack of space to store the huge number of positions being sold.

As for supermarkets, the range of such stores is 3-10 times lower. About 80% of the items presented in them are food. In addition, in such retail outlets you can purchase cosmetics, household goods, printed publications, and stationery. It is quite obvious that the choice of these products is very, very limited. You won’t find so many boxes, crates and packaging in supermarkets. Here all the goods are neatly laid out on shelves and are designed primarily for the individual consumer.

We have provided a detailed answer to the question what is the difference between a hypermarket and a supermarket. Let's draw a line under our article.

Table

Hypermarket	Supermarket
The area ranges from 4 to 60 thousand square meters	Occupies an area from 400 to 2500 square meters
Located in a separate building	Can be placed in shopping centers, basements, on the lower floors of residential buildings, etc.
Has its own parking	Separate parking is often not provided
May be located in the vicinity of populated areas	Located within the city, in crowded places
Buyers arrive by their own transport	Visitors often arrive on foot
There are no more than 20 pieces in one city	The number of retail outlets can be in the hundreds
The inside looks like a warehouse	All products have been removed from their packaging and neatly placed on shelves.
Wide range of various products	Mainly food products are presented
Buyers come no more than once a week and stock up on goods for a long period of time	Visitors come often and purchase everyday goods

The first department stores appeared in France in the mid-19th century and subsequently became widespread in other countries.

Most often, department stores are located in free-standing buildings or shopping centers. The presence of a large assortment of goods in a department store allows customers to purchase all the necessary goods in one store, which simplifies and speeds up the purchasing process. For the convenience of customers, department stores use self-service and the sale of goods with an open display (see department store).

Department stores, compared to other types of stores, have higher profitability, lower turnover costs, and lower operating costs for maintaining buildings. Construction of a department store is less expensive than construction of several small stores with generally the same size of retail space.

Story

Aristide Boucicault opened the world's first department store in Paris in 1872, called "Au Bon Marché", which means "at a good price." He placed products of the same group at different ends of the store. For example, a buyer who bought needles walked through the entire department store for threads, and along the way he looked at other goods. The store had a bar. The ladies were given flowers on the way out, and the children were given balloons. The department store guaranteed replacement of defective goods, and items that went out of fashion were returned in exchange for new ones that could be purchased at a discount. Sales were held at the end of the season. To attract attention to the store, it periodically hosted art exhibitions and music concerts. Due to the large turnover, Boucicault was able to reduce the trade margin from 40% to 20% and as a result, many could afford purchases that they could not dream of before.

Department stores in different countries

Russia

Mentions in literature

The novel by writer I.P. Shtemler “Department Store” () is dedicated to describing the inner life of a large department store.
The novel by the writer E. Zola “Ladies' Happiness” (1883) shows the origins of department stores in France.

Internet marketer, editor of the site "In an accessible language"
Publication date:04/02/2018

Shopping in large stores has become part of the daily routine for most people living in cities. From smaller settlements people specially come to certain “points” where huge shopping centers are located, so the fashionable trend of centralization and increasing areas for the sale of various goods is intensifying in all regions.

The concepts of “hypermarket” and “supermarket” are similar, they sound almost the same to the ear of a Russian-speaking person, but there is a difference in these concepts. What is the difference between a hypermarket and a supermarket and how to figure out where you should go shopping? It's not that complicated...

History of large stores

The emergence of “large-scale” stores is, on the one hand, a legacy of fairs and spontaneous markets that have existed since ancient times. On the other hand, it is an absolutely post-industrial phenomenon, associated with the widespread and availability of cars. A person no longer needs to carry all purchases in his hands, at best, attracting assistants - from servants to household members. You can get in the car, come and buy everything, load it into the cart.

Oddly enough, the prototypes of modern hypermarkets existed back in the 19th century, although city residents did not use such stores, preferring to go around their favorite shops with familiar merchants and a small amount of goods. Hypermarkets were intended for farmers living in villages.

They came in carts to buy in one fell swoop:

products;
home tools;
Construction Materials;
animal feed;
fabrics.

And much more.

After which the farmers returned home, only to return to the market several weeks later. Of course, it was more convenient for them to purchase from huge warehouse-like sites. Sellers saw their benefit in the opportunity to sell goods immediately in bulk, spending as little as possible on rent.
Supermarkets came into use much later.

Their homeland is the USA, the time of birth is the end of the 30s of the last century. And the reason they arose was the invention of the wheeled cart. Since then, people did not have to hold everything they had chosen in their hands until the cash register, and then they could get into the car. Or call a taxi.

Interesting fact: the Soviet “copycat” of the supermarket was department stores

What are the differences between a supermarket and a hypermarket?

Both are large storefronts that sell various goods. What both types have in common is self-service, that is, it is assumed that the client comes, takes a cart and walks along the rows, choosing the necessary things. Perhaps this is the only obvious similarity, because then the differences between the types of stores begin.

Dimensions

"Hyper" is more than "super". The way it is. A supermarket rarely exceeds 2,500 square meters in area, while the largest hypermarkets can reach an impressive 6 hectares. This is a whole large area!

By the way, to make it easier for a person to walk around such a huge area, some modern hypermarkets, in addition to traditional carts, also offer some kind of mini-cars. You sit down and drive like you’re driving a car.

Features of the territory

Hypermarkets are too big to add anything else to them. On the other hand, since people still come to such a huge store to shop, if not for the whole day, then for several hours, then they always have their own eateries, recreation areas, and branded food courts.

A good example is the well-known IKEA. Supermarkets do well in shopping centers and are often combined with cinemas and other establishments.

Location

Too many hypermarkets in the city are unprofitable, there is unnecessary competition between them. It is preferable to place from five to twenty, depending on the size of the settlement, and most of them are closer to the border, so that people from neighboring towns and villages can easily reach them. Supermarkets are located literally at every step; in one large area there can be up to five.

Range

If you go to a supermarket, you will find products for all occasions - from meat to confectionery. You will also find essential goods, hygiene items, and detergents. Usually there is nothing else. The hypermarket offers a wider range of products, including:

food, drinks;
cosmetics;
household chemicals, household goods;
farm goods - seedlings, shovels, even lawn clippers and snow removal equipment;
Appliances;
childen's goods;
clothes and shoes.

In the hypermarket you can find almost anything - from cat food to auto parts. The principle, left over from the 19th century, continues to this day: come to one store and buy everything at once.

Product presentation

It is believed that hypermarkets are created for poor people, below the middle class, who are used to saving on purchases. The second segment of the target audience is wholesale buyers. Both do not need to offer the product face-to-face; it is important to make it cheap and allow them to buy a lot at once.

Supermarkets, although they come in different price segments, are still designed for a more “premium” category of customers. Therefore, the products offered are washed, peeled, and never sold by the box or in a “just dug out of the ground” condition. Presentation and aesthetics, the correct arrangement of positions on shelves is a whole art, which is monitored by both the supermarket itself and the brands represented in it.

Parking

The supermarket may be across the street - within walking distance. Such stores rarely “splurge” on their own parking spaces. In extreme cases, the parking lot will belong to the shopping center where the supermarket is located.

In the case of a hypermarket, it is impossible to have your own, including covered parking - very rarely people come to such retail outlets on foot, in 99% of cases the buyer will be driving, therefore, he needs to be provided with comfort.

A hypermarket and a supermarket are really very different from each other. But the main sign is the goal, to come for a small amount of products, or to buy “everything at once” for a long period of time.

In this article we will talk about what store formats there are and how they differ. In addition, you will learn what the specifics of Russian retail outlets are.

The current state of retail

Retail trade is becoming increasingly important nowadays. It connects the processes of production, distribution and consumption, forming a single complex. Trade today has undergone significant structural changes. The number of markets organized spontaneously has decreased significantly. became larger, and competition between them intensified. Currently, retail trade turnover is formed mainly by commercial organizations, as well as individual entrepreneurs who operate within the framework of stationary networks.

In an increasingly competitive environment, stores offer everything and services. Today, the state of the market is characterized by the presence of rigid structuring. In addition, new store formats are emerging. The development of trade is characterized by significant changes in the forms of service and in this regard, “Soviet” classifications no longer reflect its current state.

Classification criteria

It is more appropriate to divide retail enterprises not only by type and type, but also by format. The classification criteria in this case are as follows:

range;
square;
price;
form of trade service;
atmosphere;
location;
target group of consumers;
promotion.

Main formats of stores selling food products

In Russia today there are 5 main store formats that specialize in:

convenience store;
discounter;
warehouse store;
supermarket;
hypermarket.

Let's look at each of them briefly.

Hypermarket

Do you know the difference between a hypermarket and a supermarket? Many people cannot determine what the difference is between them. These retail store formats differ in area and assortment.

A hypermarket is a store that is larger than the size of a supermarket. Its area is at least 10 thousand square meters. m. It also differs from the expanded supermarket, which ranges from 40 to 150 thousand positions.

One or more large parking lots are organized for clients. This is explained by the fact that customers usually come to hypermarkets by car. In these stores, unlike other formats, great attention must be paid to the convenience of visitors staying in them for a long time. It is necessary to have toilets, catering outlets, playgrounds, food packaging areas, recreation areas, etc.

Supermarket and convenience store

The area of the supermarket is from 2 to 5 thousand square meters. m. This format implies a spacious room, access roads, convenient store locations, a cozy atmosphere, and beautiful interior design. The assortment ranges from 4 to 20 thousand items.

Hypermarkets and warehouse stores operate in the economy and middle segments of the market. Compared to supermarkets, they are more democratic. The economical supermarket is divided into separate categories based on price. In addition, it can be complemented by a convenience store, a new format. It is conveniently located, has extended opening hours, and sells a limited selection of everyday items.

Warehouse store

A warehouse store is often opened by wholesale companies that can purchase large quantities of goods at significant discounts from manufacturers or other suppliers. They can also be organized by companies that are distributors of certain products. Currently, the share of wholesale trade is decreasing every year. Many manufacturers work directly with retailers. The warehouse store in this case is a good “transitional” stage from wholesale to retail trade.

This format was formed back in the 1960s. At first, the clients of such stores were representatives of medium and small businesses interested in purchasing small quantities of goods at a low price. This format is determined precisely by the contingent of buyers, and not by sales volumes. This involves paying for the purchase in cash, and then the client takes the goods away himself. Cash and self-pickup allow such stores to increase the turnover of goods on goods, while reducing

Discounters

Speaking about discounters, it should be noted that they attract not only buyers with low incomes. They are visited by consumers with average and even high incomes. Thus, discounters adapt to the needs of customers.

As you remember, store formats are distinguished by area, assortment, price of goods and other criteria. As for discounters, their area ranges from 500 to 1.5 thousand square meters. m. The range of goods is quite narrow, additional services are not provided. There is no interior design provided, except for corporate network design and consumer information.

These stores are located in residential areas as it is expected that visitors may not have their own transport. A small number of discount stores aimed at car owners are located at the intersection of major highways, usually within the city.

Specifics of Russian stores

The new store formats listed above are united by the use of the following methods of organizing sales and trade: consumer self-service, the presence of a mixed assortment, and networking. At the same time, Russian enterprises that operate within their framework have a number of peculiarities. Firms operating in the hypermarket format mostly meet Western standards. However, the operating principles of Russian discounters, supermarkets, and convenience stores have their own specifics. They do not meet the standards of formats accepted abroad. This concerns mainly pricing policy.

For example, Western convenience store companies set high markups on goods. This is explained by the fact that these stores have a convenient location, which is considered as a service. The "at home" format adopted in Russia is somewhat different. Its specificity lies in the fact that this store corresponds to the purchasing power of the residents of the area where it is located.

Clothing store formats

Market, department store, pavilion are concepts that every Russian can define. The formats of small clothing stores designed for buyers with an average or low income are also familiar to us. However, today more and more new words are appearing to denote types. We invite you to consider some formats of clothing stores that have emerged relatively recently in our country.

Boutique

Boutique is a word of French origin. This is the name of a small store of expensive and fashionable goods. A boutique is a store that sells exclusive clothing and accessories. Its assortment may include clothing from several brands, but not necessarily. The boutique can also be the official outlet of famous fashion houses. In other words, it can be either multi-brand or mono-brand.

This term in the modern fashion industry also refers to a store of expensive and fashionable clothing, which is distinguished by a high level of service, exclusive design of the premises, assortment of goods, a bright corporate identity and has a specific target audience (men and women with middle and high incomes).

Showroom

Showroom is a word translated from English meaning “showroom”. This store format involves a room with a showroom in which samples of the brands’ collection are presented. Companies that do not distribute their products themselves provide only distributor addresses and information about products in their showrooms. At the showrooms of companies distributing goods, it is possible to make wholesale purchases.

In our country, many such stores organize sales of clothing samples that are presented in them. In addition, they can specially import shoes, clothing and accessories from abroad that are not sold on the Russian market. They sell these things on “demonstration sites”, which, by the way, contradicts the format of the world’s showrooms.

Concept store

More and more new store formats are gradually penetrating our country. One of them is a concept store. Translated from English, this word means "multifunctional store." These retail outlets are not yet very popular in our country, but in Europe concept stores are ubiquitous. The term itself originated in the late 1990s. It was then that a new way of organizing multi-brand boutiques was invented. The main idea was to present visitors with an expensive "lifestyle".

Items sold in concept stores are often completely dissimilar, but they are united by a certain concept (idea). This store must create a special atmosphere and space that helps convey a certain worldview to the buyer. Classic concept stores present exclusively rare and limited-edition products, but they are designed for consumers with different income levels.

Currently, these and other store formats are becoming increasingly popular. Russia is gradually learning the experience of Western countries, where trade is still better organized than in our country. Foreign store formats, the types and types of which can already be found today in the territory of the former Soviet Union, are constantly evolving. We must assume that big changes await the residents of our country in the future.

The product assortment of a retail enterprise differs in its structure from the assortment of a wholesale company, namely in that it can combine different groups of goods (food, electronics, furniture, household chemicals, watches, etc.), while, as noted, above (see Chapter 4), wholesalers have, to one degree or another, specialization.

However, the concepts of assortment formulated in the previous chapter apply fully to the retail sector.

Based on the classification of types of product range discussed above, as well as the characteristics of the product itself and the tasks set by the store owners, the following types of retail enterprises can be distinguished.

Specialty stores offering a narrow but rich assortment that can satisfy the specific needs of the buyer. The structure of the assortment can be aimed both at a wide offer of different options for one type of product (stores selling bicycles, tennis equipment, jeans, etc.), and at meeting the needs of a narrow segment of consumers (a store for newborns, a clothing store for tall people etc.).

Department stores offer a wide range of, primarily, non-food products. Located in prestigious locations in the city, department stores attract a large number of customers. In general, department stores are characterized by an average level of service with average and high prices for goods.

To increase turnover, department stores are developing food sales and also renting out part of their retail space to independent retailers.

Universal food stores (bantams, department stores, supermarkets, hypermarkets) differ in the breadth of their assortment and the area of their sales floor.

This Russian legislation does not define the rules for dividing stores into certain types, so a department store can have its own name (market, minimarket, supermarket, etc.).

However, according to the concepts of bantam, supermarket, hypermarket accepted in the West, in addition to the usual distinctive features (breadth of assortment, area of the sales floor), there are also characteristics common to them:

* the main share of the assortment

* food products and a limited range of non-food products;

* main form of service

* self-service, except for the sale of fish, meat, bakery, confectionery (cakes) products;

* developed system of additional services;

* condition for cars.

Let's take a closer look at each type of departmental grocery store.

Bentham* is a minimarket or “pocket” supermarket, with a sales area of about 90-300 m2. Bentham, unlike the usual department stores (such as “Groceries” or “Deli”), organize their trading activities following the example of supermarkets:

use self-service;

There is a parking space next to the bantam;

has a convenient operating mode for the buyer (often around the clock and seven days a week).

Supermarket - a universal self-service store with a sales area of 800-1200 m2. This name is used in domestic trade, while in the West there is a broader concept of supermarket.

A supermarket is a universal self-service store with a sales area ranging from 400 m2 to 2500 m2 (in the USA, supermarkets can have an area of up to 4000 m2).

The product range of supermarkets ranges from 5-30 thousand items and varies greatly in its structural content. However, the share of the food group of goods significantly prevails over non-food products (ratio of approximately 4:1). American supermarkets have more product names (25-30 thousand) than, for example, German ones (~ 10 thousand).

To maintain high turnover by attracting regular customers, supermarkets offer a wide range of additional services, even not always related to the main profile of the supermarket. Many Western supermarkets have culinary departments, cafeterias, pharmacy and flower kiosks, shoe repair, watch repair, and currency exchange. On average, each type of activity provides an additional turnover of 2-6%.

Russian supermarkets (department stores) are carrying out similar diversification activities in order to withstand fierce competition with the developed street trading network.

A hypermarket is a giant supermarket in terms of retail space. Hypermarkets in the USA have a sales area of about 10 thousand m2, in France - over 2500 m2. The product range can consist of 50-100 thousand items. The main principles when creating a hypermarket are:

* relatively low prices;

* extended work schedule;

* convenient transport links;

* large parking lot;

* organization of trade on the principle of self-service.

Hypermarkets are popular not only due to low prices for goods, but also because of the opportunity to make a comprehensive purchase of food products for the whole week. Many shoppers who enjoy the shopping experience enjoy the large selection that such a store has.

Large department stores have high costs associated with managing inventory, optimizing assortment, and paying for utilities.

Therefore, many of the supermarkets and hypermarkets are experiencing financial problems. To increase profitability, supermarkets create trade and production associations of several stores to implement a unified purchasing policy, refusing the services of independent wholesale firms. Some retail chains organize the production of goods under their own brand. The average profit margin for a Western high-value supermarket is 1-3%.

Convenience stores are aimed at the mass consumer, have a small retail space, and therefore sell goods, as a rule, over the counter.

Geographically, they are located as close as possible to crowded places (near the metro, transport stops, gas stations) or directly in residential areas.

A combined universal shopping complex includes different, unrelated groups of goods (for example, household appliances, furniture, food, medical goods, etc.). in this case, the structure of turnover is random - in contrast to a department store (non-food products predominate) or a supermarket (food products predominate). If a shopping complex belongs to one owner, it is sometimes called a trading house. Legally, the concept of a “trading house” is not defined in Russia, so its structure may include wholesale trade and production.

Characteristics of trading enterprises by retail price level

Discount stores have several varieties:

A). Discount stores selling a limited assortment that does not require large costs for display and pre-sale preparation. Many goods are displayed on pallets and in the containers in which they arrived from the manufacturer. The interior of such a store is extremely simple. The size of the sales area is about 300-400 m2. Price discount is 10-20%

b). "Cash and carry" is a small wholesale or retail warehouse store intended for small resellers. And also for those individual buyers who prefer to buy goods for future use, while saving significant amounts. Low prices for the goods offered are not only the result of pricing policy, but also the result of receiving significant discounts from suppliers and savings on display and service. A special feature of “cash and carry” is the combination of a warehouse and a sales area in one room, which allows better use of the volume and area of the working space.

Discount trade is the sale of goods at a discount to owners of special discount cards, which can be personal or bearer. Discount cards can be issued for individual purchases in a retail store, or for small-scale purchases from a large wholesaler by smaller firms.

The financial scheme for working with discount cards is established by the seller himself: a certain advance amount can be taken, or only the cost of manufacturing the card itself (3-5 USD) can be paid. The system of discounts when purchasing with a discount card depends on the purchase price and the amount of the advance payment. Sometimes discounts are transferred to a special savings (cumulative) account for subsequent purchases. The size of the retail discount is 3-10%, and the wholesale discount is 1-3%.

Stores selling quality goods at discounted prices survive if they are part of a trade chain consisting of at least 10 similar enterprises. The basis of the assortment is high-turnover food products that do not require special maintenance. Thanks to the combination of low prices and high turnover, the required profit is obtained from the activities of such stores.

Trade in non-new non-food products is carried out through consignment stores. The owner of the product, who handed it over to the store, receives a pre-agreed percentage of its value after sale. The price of the goods is established with the consent of the owner of the goods.

Very cheap goods (clothing) can be sold through the second-hand system.

Low prices for ordinary goods are offered by the street trading system. Street trading is carried out through the installation of stalls, containers, tents, and trays. Sometimes goods are sold from vans and carts. By maximizing trade cost savings and setting low prices, it is possible to achieve significant turnover. To attract a larger number of buyers, the street trading system is united into large small-scale wholesale and retail markets.

Fashion stores (boutiques), usually clothing, on the contrary, have high prices and count on a narrow segment of wealthy people. The turnover of such stores is relatively low, but profit is achieved by a large trade margin. Once a product is no longer fashionable, its price decreases. Special discounts are used for incentives.

Branded trade is oriented by the manufacturer only with its products under its own brand.

These stores charge lower prices than the same product that can be found in other non-branded stores. In branded stores, trade in counterfeits is excluded, since there are no supplies from independent intermediaries.

Characteristics of trading enterprises by the nature (form) of service

Above we discussed the traditional form of service, when the buyer comes to the store, directly selects the product and immediately pays for it. The main disadvantages of this form of trade are the large amount of time spent, and in some cases the lack of a product needed by the buyer or a product from a specific manufacturer. For many buyers living far from large cities, the problem of finding and purchasing many goods is generally relevant.

In this regard, other non-traditional forms of trade have become widespread, especially for goods with low turnover, which are not very attractive for ordinary trade.

Trade with ordering goods by mail

The organization of work with the buyer is as follows. Information about a particular product is communicated to the buyer in different ways. For example, catalogs are sent to important clients - free of charge or as a prize, gift or at a small cost. The buyer sends an application to purchase it through the post office. Payment is made in advance or upon receipt of the goods by mail. There may also be catalogs for ordering the necessary goods. The seller places a list of goods, and, if necessary, their photographs in newspapers and magazines, and distributes letters, leaflets, and brochures to apartment mailboxes.

Books, audio and video cassettes, simple electrical appliances, etc. are sold using postal delivery of goods.

Sales of goods by telephone are carried out using active outgoing calls and subsequent oral presentation of the goods.

If the buyer agrees, the goods can be delivered to their home or an order can be left for them in the store.

When selling goods by telephone, you should be aware of possible restrictions or outright prohibitions on making commercial calls to private individuals (for example, in Germany). Sales by telephone to an enterprise can be made in the form of oral offers with subsequent sending of the offer by fax.

Considering the limited possibilities of telephone sales (20-40 calls can be made per day), the calculation is made to create a circle of regular customers, which is determined by the pricing policy, level of service and quality of goods.

Products sold through vending machines include cigarettes, soft drinks, sandwiches, chewing gum, etc. Vending machines are installed at train stations, subways, and gas stations. Convenience for customers is that they work around the clock, which is especially important at night. The disadvantages of selling through vending machines are high maintenance costs, breakdowns, and theft. This results in prices for goods sold through vending machines being 15-20% higher than usual.

Trading through electronic channels has several varieties, but is carried out one way or another using a computer network.

This includes sales via the Internet and e-mail. Organizing trade through electronic channels is not fundamentally different from selling over the telephone (from the point of view of delivering goods and receiving money for them).

The difference is that selling by telephone involves active calls with live speech from the seller, while trading via electronic channels (computer networks) involves posting information about the product offering and waiting for incoming passive calls or written offers from the buyer.

Recently, experts have been considering the possibility of creating digital money placed on the Internet, which will speed up mutual settlements between the buyer and the seller.

A promising prospect for future trade is the idea of creating an electronic store - warehouse. The selection of goods is proposed to be done not in the sales area, but in a special room where a computer is installed. The computer program allows you to inspect the product from all sides and, if you select it, just press a button and the product is automatically moved from the warehouse to the buyer. In principle, according to this scheme, a product can be selected using a home computer.

Trade with delivery of goods to your home or office.

In this case, the emphasis is on fulfilling the needs of some buyers - to free up their time from searching for the necessary goods and receive them directly without leaving home. Payment for goods is made at home after the buyer checks them for quality and weight. The rights of buyers, stipulated in the relevant regulatory documents of the Russian Federation, allow him to return or refuse low-quality goods. The pricing policy of the supplier company may be such that delivery is free or paid in excess of the cost of the goods.

The order is carried out by telephone, for which the selling company periodically conducts an advertising campaign, primarily through the direct mail method. Forming a customer base is also possible with the help of telephone marketing.

The range of goods sold with home delivery consists of food, drinks, simple household appliances, household chemicals, and toiletries. Catering establishments can deliver ready-made meals to your home.

The marketing strategy is to create regular customers with a continuous increase in their number.

Trade with delivery can also be organized for enterprises (for their canteens, cafes, banquets, etc.).

Trading by peddling, unlike the methods discussed above, does not involve a preliminary search for buyers.

Traveling salesmen, i.e. sales agents carry the necessary goods with them and offer them to random people, for example, those working in company offices or even on the street.

This is how cosmetics, cassettes, toys, etc. are sold.

A large role in the success of sales is given to the training of sellers in the technique of presenting goods and the personality of the seller himself (travelling salesman). The sales strategy consists of either “pushing” a product (i.e., one-time contact with the buyer) or establishing long-term relationships with him, turning a casual buyer into a regular client, and even into an assistant who either selects new buyers or carries out sales himself. trade transactions under the direction of a traveling salesman. In turn, some of the new buyers also become sellers. Thus, a multi-level sales network is formed. The manufacturer of a product that is sold through a multi-level network organizes multi-level marketing support.

Currently, network sales represent an independent form of sales organization. One of its principles is that the seller must also be a consumer of this product, investing personal funds in the development of his network in order to then receive greater profits.

Catalog trading is carried out by compiling a catalog with photographs, a brief description of the goods and their prices. Catalogs are placed in different places where buyers gather, primarily in large retail establishments or special bureaus. You can also buy catalogs and use them at home. After placing an order and paying in advance, after a certain time the buyer can receive the goods in the warehouse or in the section of the store where the order was made. Catalog prices are usually higher than retail prices, but orders are also made for specific products that are not available in stores.

Catalogs are also compiled for enterprises, for example, products for the office, products for construction and repair, etc.

Mini-catalogues are published in newspapers and magazines.

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