Click 'Read Original' for details. As the peak season approaches, after FMCG manufacturers have stocked up and pushed inventory, the next step is to achieve product sell-through. Product sell-through is actually more important than stocking up, because only when products truly 'move' through the channel can the 'leap from commodity to money' be realized, and the company's expected sales and profit targets be achieved. To truly achieve peak season sales, manufacturers must do the following three 'preheating' tasks: Terminal Activation After inventory transfer, products must be moved from the warehouse to the sales 'front line' by distributors or retailers. To do this, terminal merchandising must be done well. What is product merchandising? It means making products 'visible, well-displayed, and available' through excellent display locations, positions, and lively, eye-catching point-of-sale materials, creating a vibrant sales atmosphere that attracts consumers, captures their attention, stimulates purchase desire, and ultimately leads to successful sales. The benefits of terminal merchandising include:

  1. Attracting and stimulating consumers: During peak season, many brands compete at the point of sale, and consumers have little time to decide. If displays and promotions are well-executed and stand out, products can become the preferred choice.
  2. Enhancing product and brand image through hard terminals: A significant part of consumer brand perception comes from the point of sale. By using POP, store signs, posters, and product displays, we can build product and brand image, leading to consumer recognition and acceptance.
  3. Stimulating purchases and promoting sales: Most consumer purchases are impulsive. When attracted by terminal activation and gradually recognizing the product, consumers are more likely to buy, thus boosting sales. Requirements for effective terminal activation:
  4. Product display facings must be at least equal to or more than major competitors. Secure more and better positions, and aim for full, complete, and centralized displays.
  5. Use floor displays and end caps effectively. First, choose appropriate locations for large displays; second, arrange products well and use POP; third, use TVs or computers to make displays dynamic; fourth, where appropriate, have promoters use megaphones or props to attract attention.
  6. Create special displays, such as promotional walls, product zones, display rooms, demo areas, special end caps, or displays near checkout counters.
  7. Leverage soft terminals: Use promoters or sales staff's appearance, sales skills, and service, as well as building good relationships with neighboring brands and store management, to maximize product promotion. Combining soft and hard terminal activation shortens the distance between products and consumers, increasing contact points and laying a solid foundation for sales. Appropriate Promotional Pull Terminal activation only increases product exposure and gets products into consumers' minds. To achieve hot sales and a virtuous cycle, appropriate promotional pull is needed. Promotion here is broad, including personal selling, sales promotion, public relations, and advertising.
  8. Personal selling: This mainly refers to 'ground push,' such as comprehensive, multi-channel, blanket distribution before peak season, and increasing customer visit frequency.
  9. Sales promotion: If terminal activation enhances visual appeal, promotion allows consumers to further experience and accept the product, increasing trial opportunities. For example, in-store free samples, tastings, buy-one-get-one offers, prize draws, and sweepstakes can stimulate curiosity and desire, facilitating purchase decisions.
  10. Public relations: PR activities are an effective strategy to enhance product image and increase brand awareness, favorability, and credibility during peak season. By hosting PR events related to product sales, products can subtly enter consumers' minds. For instance, Nongfu Spring's 'One Cent Public Welfare' plan generated goodwill and purchases. Mengniu's marketing events around space and Super Girl boosted brand awareness and consumer interest. Beer companies' large beer festivals or plaza events are also effective ways to attract attention and build consumer preference.
  11. Advertising: Advertising is the most direct and effective pull method for peak season sales. Through 'high-altitude bombing' and ground support, products can quickly enter the market and gain rapid consumer recognition. Advertising is the door-opener; combined with terminal activation, ground promotion, and PR, product value is quickly realized in transactions, achieving marketing targets. Service Marketing To make peak season sales 'add fuel to the fire' and 'boost momentum,' establishing a perfect and outstanding service system is crucial. In today's detail-driven world, service levels often determine competitiveness. Due to high product homogeneity, companies must enrich augmented products to differentiate from competitors, just as some manufacturers set up specialty stores or 4S stores to better serve customers. The value of service will become increasingly evident in future market competition. Key points for service marketing during peak season:
  12. To achieve sustained sell-through, manufacturers must build long-term interactive relationships with channels and consumers to prevent customer loss.
  13. Establish relevance with customers: Through door-to-door service, personalized and humanized products and services, build trust, transforming transactions into responsibilities, customers into friends, and marketing mix management into interactive relationship management.
  14. Shift focus from product performance to the benefits products or services bring to customers, turning transaction marketing into relationship marketing.
  15. Move from neglecting customer service to making high commitments. This builds long-term mutual trust, assistance, and benefit. To truly embody service marketing during peak season, do the following:
  16. Emphasize pre-sales service: Build good customer relationships to increase channel and consumer favorability. Standardize market operations, such as unified appearance, proper attire, and standard scripts, to build trust in the manufacturer's service level.
  17. Strengthen in-sales service: This refers to the sales process, such as daily workflow, eight-step visits, and promotional execution.
  18. Improve after-sales service: This includes post-transaction services like quality guarantees, free delivery, and zero-risk commitments to channels, creating word-of-mouth, increasing channel confidence and satisfaction, and enabling true sell-through. During peak season, only by focusing on terminal activation, promotion, and service can products move fastest, from manufacturer warehouses to channel warehouses, and then sell quickly, making sales unstoppable and maximizing volume and profit. Source: Cui Zisan Marketing Vision October 21-22, during the Autumn Sugar and Wine Fair, New Distribution will host the '2018 FMCG City Distribution Logistics Conference'. We will invite industry experts, FMCG warehousing and distribution specialists, and distributors transitioning to unified warehousing and distribution platforms to discuss and answer questions about future trends in FMCG city distribution logistics and practical cases of distributor transformation, under the theme 'New Distribution, New City Distribution.' We hope to bring you fresh insights and inspiration! Conference Time October 21-22, 2018 Conference Venue Hunan · Changsha Gaoqiao International Commodity Exhibition and Trade Center Conference Agenda October 21, Day 1, Sub-venue: '2018 Changsha Regional King Development Alliance Conference' 8:00-17:00 Focusing on regional big merchant resource sharing, leading the S2B2C new business era October 21, Evening 18:30-21:00 Private board closed-door exchange dinner (VIP) October 22, Morning, Main Venue: '2018 China FMCG City Distribution Logistics Conference' 9:00-9:20 Ren Xiaodong, Secretary-General of FMCG Association and Partner of New Distribution: Launch and speech for China FMCG City Distribution Alliance 9:30-9:50 Zhao Bo, Founder of New Distribution: Same-city logistics: The most effective transformation path for distributors 9:55-10:15 Wang Qi, CEO of Weijie City Distribution: 'Follow the rhythm of commercial flow, focus on platform construction' 10:20-10:40 Chen Siting, CEO of Wanchaobang: 'New city distribution is a key link in supply-side reform' 10:45-11:05 Xu Yonggang, CEO of Maidelin: 'Differences between traditional warehousing and digital warehousing' 11:10-11:30 Mu Weiwei, CTO of Zhoupu Software: 'Technology-driven efficiency improvement in unified warehousing and distribution' 11:35-12:05 Roundtable: What should city distribution earn from? (Yishang Logistics, Gongwu Logistics, Kaidongyuan, Yun Cang Pei, Chengpu Logistics) October 22, Afternoon, Main Venue: 14:00-14:20 Sheng Yan, Yijia Logistics 14:25-14:45 Wang Jianjiang, CEO of Hailian Tianxia 14:50-15:10 He Yan, Fengwang 15:15-15:35 Zhong Shuo, CEO of Wangcang 15:40-16:00 Rong Jun, Jiangsu Huashang City Distribution 16:05-16:25 Lu Lixin, Gongwu Logistics 16:30-16:50 Roundtable: How to break through if distributors don't enter the warehouse? Distributor transformation representatives: Yunbang Logistics, Jingmen Pengdun Meiyitian, Sanxing Lian'gou, Jiangsu Huashang City Distribution, Jingwei Logistics List of Participating Companies In no particular order Hunan Zonglan Diandan Network Technology Co., Ltd. Jingbang (Wuhan) International Freight Forwarding Co., Ltd. Mengniu Dairy Qinghai Hanxiang E-commerce Co., Ltd. Unilever Service (Hefei) Co., Ltd. Shanghai Branch Huicong Hunan Xuan'ang Food Co., Ltd. Guangzhou Tongdaoren Information Technology Co., Ltd. Qingdao 888 Trading Co., Ltd. Uni-President Enterprises (China) Investment Co., Ltd. Hunan Province Zhongxiang Gongpei Logistics Co., Ltd. Shenglong Ingredients COSCO Shipping Logistics Warehousing and Distribution Co., Ltd. Guangxi Yongpai Liquor Co., Ltd. Shangqiu Kangrong Trading Co., Ltd. Jinan Dingzhong Economic and Trade Co., Ltd. Liaoning Bimai Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd. Kunming Xiongjia Trading Co., Ltd. Shaanxi Houheng Trading Co., Ltd. Guangzhou Dingwo Enterprise Information Consulting Co., Ltd. Shaodong Jiajiale Commercial Firm Boda Trading Industrial Bank Changsha Branch Wuhan Muchen Convenience Store Chain Co., Ltd. Fujian Fuxing Yuncang Logistics Co., Ltd. Guizhou Yilimi E-commerce Co., Ltd. Jiangxi Xiao Laoer E-commerce Co., Ltd. Jinshankoufu Shanxi Taihang Yuanjing Supply Chain Management Co., Ltd. Shanxi Dezhun Supply Chain Management Co., Ltd. Shaoyang Tongdeli Trading (Xiangbang Logistics) Huanfu Tongda Express City Distribution Beijing Xinjingxiang Food Co., Ltd. Wuhan Huizhong Tianhong Liquor Co., Ltd. Changsha Paide Biotechnology Co., Ltd. Chao'an Tuqiang Guizhou Yihe Bopin Supply Chain Management Co., Ltd. Jiangxi Kang'en Industrial Development Co., Ltd. Xiangtan County Yisuhe Town Yuhua Paper Store Luoyang Yuanlang Trading Co., Ltd. Tongchuan Yaozhou Huayuan Supermarket Co., Ltd. Hunan Yongfu Jiujiu Trading Co., Ltd. Zhejiang Chengchengtong Logistics Co., Ltd. Chongqing Kaiguo Materials Trading Co., Ltd. Beijing Xianmaixianmai Data Technology Co., Ltd. Hanchuan Qixing Trading Co., Ltd. Tongxin Jiuzhiru Trading Co., Ltd. Guizhou Meiguo Guoguo Network Technology Co., Ltd. ...... Distributor Transformation Representatives (Proposed) In no particular order Rong Jun, Chairman of Jiangsu Huashang City Distribution Network Co., Ltd. Wang Bo, Chairman of Hubei Yijiaren Logistics Co., Ltd. Jiang Shuming, General Manager of Chengdu Xingrenxing Trading Co., Ltd. Liu Jichen, Chairman of Shandong Yunbang Warehousing and Logistics Co., Ltd. Tu Mingyu, Chairman of Chongqing Lingyu Consumer Goods Supply Chain Management Co., Ltd. Yang Su, Chairman of Guangzhou Zhongshan Wanrong Marketing Co., Ltd. Yuan Xia, Chairman of Sichuan Bajie Supply Chain Management Co., Ltd. Li Qiangyun, Co-founder of Hubei Pengdun Meiyitian Supply Chain Management Co., Ltd. Zhang Jianyong, Chairman of Henan Xuchang Jiulegou E-commerce Co., Ltd. Ma Haichao, Founder of Hebei Changyi Logistics Co., Ltd. Meng Yucun, General Manager of Hebei (Chengde) Wulian Yuncang Co., Ltd. Zhang Xun, Chairman of Urumqi Su'an Jinchi Logistics Co., Ltd. Zhang Hailing, Chairman of Jilin Sanxing Lian'gou Qiang Huitao, Founder of Hebei Dunjie Supply Chain Management Co., Ltd. Liao Lei, General Manager of Hunan Damei Supply Chain Management Co., Ltd. ...... Registration Registration is now open. Long press the QR code below or click 'Read Original' to register. Early bird tickets are available for the last 2 days, super value pre-sale, while supplies last! Registration Consultation For tickets and media inquiries: -END-