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SAPC has sent a barcode image that will calibrate your new guns. Print them on a sheet of paper with a laser printer and scan them.

The North Group at Manila Grand Opera

We're wild, nasty and funny! Undoubtedly, we were the happiest bunch that night...Well, the others were happy too, but maybe weren't too eager to show it i guess.

Anyways, these were good times for all....Hurrah!!!

Corporate Party at Manila Grand

It's back to work guys, and it seems like yesterday but I have to say that the party is sorely missed. Nakakapagod ang ating schedule ngayon with all the paperwork and operations too.

Anyway, I haven't uploaded our own group photo during the Corporate party last Friday. Here's a picture of the event featuring our wonderful accounting ladies.

Would you care to guess who Miss Kharen Baroso is among these shielas? Write your comment below.

How To Implement and Maintain a Planogram

A planogram is a visual description, diagram or drawing of a store's layout to include placement of particular products and product categories. In order to optimize shelf layout and receive a return on investment, the planogram should be properly executed and maintained by staff. Here's how:

Difficulty: Easy

Time Required: > 30 Minutes

Here's How:

1. Plan plenty of time to setup a new planogram without interruption.
2. Gather cleaning supplies, additional shelving, peg hooks, signage, product, planograms and any other items needed to begin working. Take these items to the workspace.
3. Each new planogram should begin with a good cleaning of the shelves and fixtures. Don't forget the base.
4. Using the planogram, begin setting shelving and peg hooks in the required location. We read planograms from left to right. Shelves should be worked from bottom to top, left to right. Pegs should be worked from top to bottom, left to right.
5. If necessary, use the actual product to help determine the exact distance needed between each facing and/or each SKU.
6. Once the planogram is set, fill each space with the correct product. Additional merchandise should be kept in the stock room as overstock.
7. Create current shelf labels, signage and any other pricing needed for the newly set section.
8. Zone the finished section by bringing all items forward with labels straight and facing the customer.

Tips:

1. Perform daily store recovery to keep shelves appearing neat and full.
2. Replace any worn labels or signs immediately.
3. Reorder empty spaces as soon as possible.
4. Provide general housekeeping to keep shelves and product free from dust.

What You Need:

• Clean rag or duster
• All-purpose cleaner
• Additional shelving or peg hooks
• Merchandise
• Price Labels, Signage

What are planograms?

The planogram is a visual diagram, or drawing, that provides in detail where every product in a retail store should be placed. These schematics not only present a flow chart for the particular merchandise departments within a store layout but also show on which aisle and on what shelf an item is located. A planogram should also illustrate how many facings are allocated for each SKU.

The complexity of a planogram may vary by the size of the store, the software used to create the planogram and the need of the retailer. Planograms can be as simple as a photo of a preset section or more detailed with numbered peg holes and shelf notches showing exact placement of each item.

Creation of Planograms

Big box stores and larger retailers typically hire merchandising specialists to assist in developing planograms or they may have their own in-house planogrammers. Due to the hefty price tag of most planogram software small and independent retailers often resort to using word processors or paper and pen to optimize shelf layout.

As competition increases, we're seeing vendors and distributors becoming more aware of the importance of correctly merchandising their products. That awareness is leading to better point-of-sale displays, planograms and other marketing aids provided to retailers directly from the suppliers at no cost.

Planogram Purpose

Product placement and improved sales are just two very basic reasons a retailer should be implementing planograms in their shops. Planograms provide many other positive benefits, such as:

• Assigned selling potential to every square foot of space
• Satisfying customers with a better visual appeal
• Tighter inventory control and reduction of out-of-stocks
• Easier product replenishment for staff
• Better related product positioning
• Effective communication tool for staff-produced displays

Any good retailer realizes the key to increased sales is through proper merchandising. A planogram is one of the best merchandising tools for presenting products to the customer. If you aren't using planograms, it may be time to start.

How to Balance your store's Cash Registers

Retailers will benefit greatly by creating a procedure to account for the store's cash. These internal controls are necessary to prevent mishandling of money and to safeguard assets against loss. Not only do strong internal controls promote operational efficiency, they also ensure reliable accounting records.

The process of counting the money, reconciling the receipts and balancing the cash drawer creates an accountability of the day's transactions. Ideally, this cash management system should be created at the same time the store's policies are established, however, if you inherited an old system, try to give this one a shot.

Why Balance?

Store management or cashiers can pull a sales report at any time during a shift. By adding the beginning cash in the drawer to the daily sales figure, a retailer will know exactly how much money should be in the cash register at any given time. This is extremely useful:

• To avoid holding too much cash on the sales floor.
• If the store is robbed.
• When a customer complains about too little change.
• For discovering frequent overages/shortages for particular cashiers.
• To remove temptation of taking cash without documentation from the cash drawer.

How to Balance a Cash Drawer

Balancing a cash register usually takes place at the end of the day or at the end of a cashier's shift. The cash drawer and its contents should be taken to an office or other secluded area to prepare the report. If balancing the drawer after closing, be sure the sales floor lights are off and the door is locked.

Any overages and or shortages should be investigated. Human nature should be taken into account for minor errors and small amounts. However, frequent discrepancies could be sign of employee theft or may indicate further training is required for a particular cashier.

The starting cash on-hand is put back into the cash drawer and stored for the evening, while the deposit is prepared for the bank. All credit card slips, terminal reports and other register receipts can be stapled to the Daily Cashier's Report and filed by date.

Separation of Duties

For more accountability, consider using two people to balance the cash register. One person will count the drawer and create the daily cash report, while the other person prepares a bank deposit. Both staff members should sign the report indicating they are responsible for the figures shown. While no system can prevent fraud, this audit trail will help discourage collusion among employees.

At the beginning of the next shift, each casher should be assigned their own cash drawer. Have the cashier recount the cash in the drawer to verify the beginning balance. If accepting checks from customers, create a system to restrictively endorse all checks promptly as received. The internal control cycle of balancing a cash register starts all over.

Remember, for cash handling procedures and regulations-always consult the Treasury and LPD.

Tip: How to spot shoplifters

Shoplifters can be placed in one of two categories, professional and amateur. While both groups can be quite skilled at the art of thievery, professional shoplifters steal to make a living and may use force or intimidation. The non-professional shoplifter may be easier to spot.

Shoplifter Methods

Many of these thieves work in groups of two or more to distract the sales staff while they pilfer. Shoplifters learn to take advantage of busy stores during peak hours or they may hit at times when employees are less alert, such as opening, closing and shift changes.

Hiding merchandise is the most common method of shoplifting. Items are concealed in the clothing of the shoplifter, in handbags, strollers, umbrellas or inside purchased merchandise. Bold shoplifters may grab an item and run out of the store. Other methods include price label switching, short changing the cashier, phony returns, and so on.

Spot the Shoplifter

Unfortunately, there is no typical profile of a shoplifter. Thieves come in all ages, races and from various backgrounds. However, there are some signs that should signal a red flag for retailers. While the following characteristics don't necessarily mean guilt, retailers should keep a close eye on shoppers who exhibit the following:

• Spends more time watching the cashier or sales clerk than actually shopping.
• Wears bulky, heavy clothing during warm weather or coats when unnecessary.
• Walks with short or unnatural steps, which may indicate that they are concealing lifted items.
• Takes several items into dressing room and only leaves with one item.
• Seems nervous and possibly picks up random items with no interest.
• Frequently enters store and never makes a purchase.
• Enters dressing room or rest rooms with merchandise and exits with none.
• Large group entering the store at one time, especially juveniles. A member of the group causes a disturbance to distract sales staff.

Motivating New Sales Associates

Retail training expert, Bob Richardson, CEO of Associates Interactive, offers the following tips for motivating new associates:

1. Help new employees to achieve an immediate success. Nothing is more frustrating to a new associate learning their position than not knowing what to do next. By providing specific written direction, a trainer / supervisor can remove ambiguity and give the associate confidence that they're doing what is expected.

2. Show new employees by example. Providing an associate with a visual example and then observing them as they practice the task helps eliminate bad habits before they begin. Additionally, when the associate knows that they are doing something correctly and in a way that creates positive results, uncertainty disappears and confidence replaces it.

3. Provide the opportunity for positive feedback from customers. While feedback from supervisors and trainers is beneficial, customers themselves expressing appreciation, gratitude and satisfaction to your associates will provide them with rewarding affirmation.

Valentine's Day Displays for Unromantic Products

The average consumer will spend around P450 on Valentine's Day this year. Candy, cards, jewelry, and flowers are always holiday favorites, but retailers who don't stock those items can still get a piece of Valentine spending. It just takes a little creativity.

No matter what type of products you sell, you can create an attractive display. Certain products will naturally lend themselves to a great display opportunity. If your products from RMD doesn't seem very romantic, don't despair. Try the following when building a Valentine's Day display:

• Pick out items mostly likely to be given as gifts
• If possible, choose products with red or pink
• Place several small items in a gift bag or basket
• Finish the display with balloons, a box of candy, paper hearts or red ribbons
• Add signage announcing a Valentine's Day special or reminder of the date

These Valentine's Day merchandising tips can be used by most any retailer, whether you sell school supplies, high-end clothing, novelties or even computer supplies.

If you can't seem to create an interesting Valentine's Day display with the products you sell, try to have eye-catching signage advertising gift cards or gift certificates where available.

Types of Expressions Customers

In the retail industry, it seems as though we are constantly faced with the issue of trying to find new customers. Most of us are obsessed with making sure our advertising, displays, and pricing all "scream out" to attract new customers. This focus on pursuing new customers is certainly prudent and necessary, but, at the same time, it can wind up hurting us. Therefore, our focus really should be on the 20 percent of our clients who currently are our best customers.

In retail, this idea of focusing on the best current customers should be seen as an on-going opportunity. To better understand the rationale behind this theory and to face the challenge of building customer loyalty, we need to break down shoppers into five main types:

• Loyal Customers: They represent no more than 20 percent of our customer base, but make up more than 50 percent of our sales.
• Discount Customers: They shop our stores frequently, but make their decisions based on the size of our markdowns.
• Impulse Customers: They do not have buying a particular item at the top of their "To Do" list, but come into the store on a whim. They will purchase what seems good at the time.
• Need-Based Customers: They have a specific intention to buy a particular type of item.
• Wandering Customers: They have no specific need or desire in mind when they come into the store. Rather, they want a sense of experience and/or community.

If we are serious about growing our business, we need to focus our effort on the loyal customers, and merchandise our store to leverage the impulse shoppers. The other three types of customers do represent a segment of our business, but they can also cause us to misdirect our resources if we put too much emphasis on them.

Let me further explain the five types of customers and elaborate on what we should be doing with them.

Loyal Customers

Naturally, we need to be communicating with these customers on a regular basis by telephone, mail, email, etc. These people are the ones who can and should influence our buying and merchandising decisions. Nothing will make a Loyal Customer feel better than soliciting their input and showing them how much you value it. In my mind, you can never do enough for them. Many times, the more you do for them, the more they will recommend you to others.

Discount Customers

This category helps ensure your inventory is turning over and, as a result, it is a key contributor to cash flow. This same group, however, can often wind up costing you money because they are more inclined to return product.

Impulse Customers

Clearly, this is the segment of our clientele that we all like to serve. There is nothing more exciting than assisting an Impulse shopper and having them respond favorably to our recommendations. We want to target our displays towards this group because they will provide us with a significant amount of customer insight and knowledge.

Need-Based Customers

People in this category are driven by a specific need. When they enter the store, they will look to see if they can have that need filled quickly. If not, they will leave right away. They buy for a variety of reasons such as a specific occasion, a specific need, or an absolute price point. As difficult as it can be to satisfy these people, they can also become Loyal Customers if they are well taken care of. Salespeople may not find them to be a lot of fun to serve, but, in the end, they can often represent your greatest source of long-term growth.

It is important to remember that Need-Based Customers can easily be lost to Internet sales or a different retailer. To overcome this threat, positive personal interaction is required, usually from one of your top salespeople. If they are treated to a level of service not available from the Web or another retail location, there is a very strong chance of making them Loyal Customers. For this reason, Need-Based Customers offer the greatest long-term potential, surpassing even the Impulse segment.

Wandering Customers

For many stores, this is the largest segment in terms of traffic, while, at the same time, they make up the smallest percentage of sales. There is not a whole lot you can do about this group because the number of Wanderers you have is driven more by your store location than anything else.

Keep in mind, however, that although they may not represent a large percentage of your immediate sales, they are a real voice for you in the community. Many Wanderers shop merely for the interaction and experience it provides them. Shopping is no different to them than it is for another person to go to the gym on a regular basis. Since they are merely looking for interaction, they are also very likely to communicate to others the experience they had in the store. Therefore, although Wandering Customers cannot be ignored, the time spent with them needs to be minimized.

Retail is an art, backed up by science. The science is the information we have from financials to research data (the "backroom stuff"). The art is in how we operate on the floor: our merchandising, our people, and, ultimately, our customers. For all of us, the competitive pressure has never been greater and it is only going to become more difficult. To be successful, it will require patience and understanding in knowing our customers and the behavior patterns that drive their decision-making process.

Using this understanding to help turn Discount, Impulse, Need-Based, and even Wandering Customers into Loyal ones will help grow our business. At the same time, ensuring that our Loyal Customers have a positive experience each time they enter our store will only serve to increase our bottom-line profits.

This article was written by Mark Hunter. He is a sales expert who speaks to thousands each year on how to increase their sales profitability in the United States and Elsewhere.