Alongside Vincent Piot, the new Merchandising Manager, Espace Maison teams have embarked on a fundamental mission in the aisles of the island’s six stores: to redefine the customer journey.
Seduced by “the opportunity to experience a new human and personal adventure, to leave a daily routine in the Paris region to take up the professional challenge offered by Espace Maison”, Vincent has been on deck since last December. “Shaking up working methods is a real cultural change for the teams and requires time and closeness to them; you have to give meaning to the mission”, he agrees, before adding: “The hardest thing today is not to build, but rather to make the existing evolve”. Eight years with Leroy Merlin – the leading DIY chain in France and Europe – has given the graduate of a BTS Commerce and a Masters in Marketing, Business Strategy and Management (alternating work-study programs) with solid skills born of experience in the field. At 27, the young recruit’s dynamism and expertise are perfectly suited to the objectives of the position: to professionalize the Merchandising department.
A member of the management committee, he explains his job to us: “With the aim of simplifying the customer journey and making it as intuitive as possible, merchandising involves the presentation of products in store, and their placement on the shelf to optimize profitability. Several tools are used, including planograms – visual representations of product or service placement – intended for sales teams, r Our products are carefully designed to maximize sales. The marketing concept of merchandising is a real science, but above all it is a strategic sales lever. Tied up with, among other things, the structure of each department and the updating of planograms, Vincent and his unit reallocate the right spaces to the right product families. “It takes time and energy… but above all, it’s the basis for building a more optimal offer, a support function enabling the sales teams to focus on their job, without wasting time on ancillary tasks.” In this way, all sales outlets will reveal a coherent, homogenized, uniform visual identity… through successful signage and product presentation, particularly at the head of shelves. What will be positioned at eye and hand level? Will the offer be built by color, by typology? Etc.
The Tamarin pilot store is a perfect example, while in Forbach, structural work is already underway to install the new signage. “Initial customer feedback has been positive about being able to” breathe “in the store. Particularly satisfied, Vincent confides to us that he is serene about the challenges ahead:” My greatest pride lies in the human aspect and the extremely strong bonds built up with my team. The roadmap is clear for the next two years!
