5 key features for managing your store network !

Managing a store network often comes with a host of challenges. From the intricate internal management of stock to a disjointed network, maintaining seamless operations can be tough. As industry experts, we have assisted numerous companies in identifying and addressing weaknesses in both their internal and external network management. By applying these insights, they have successfully implemented corrections with a few easy-to-adopt features.

In this article, we outline five essential features for effective network management, helping you swiftly regain control and secure the long-term success of your brand.

1. A High-Quality Reporting Tool

A reporting solution, to recap, tracks aggregated data from your entire store network. Its goal? To detail your network management with extreme precision for each store: your revenue, margins, conversion rates, etc. As a result, decision-making is simplified, and you know when and how to communicate effectively with your target audience, while proactively addressing your customers’ needs.

A reporting tool provides a 360-degree view of your stores, from stock traceability to customer needs, ensuring increased foot traffic to your stores.

With consolidated and accurate stock levels, you can better satisfy your customers and save time in network management during supplier negotiations.

2. Creating a Unified Product Catalog

One of the most in-demand software features is the creation of a unified catalog. What was once a handwritten task is now fully digitalized with a software solution. Products are cataloged in a single, unified system across all your stores, enabling you to:

• Identify key products, from essential and standard items to less popular, unsold inventory.

• Quickly restock a store that needs a specific product, leveraging surplus inventory from another store to avoid losses.

• Centrally manage supplier orders and much more.

Furthermore, this unified catalog is centralized within software, empowering your sales team. With a network-connected tablet, salespeople can showcase your products and inform customers about their availability, whether in-store or regionally. If a product is not available locally, the salesperson can request restock to meet the demand or offer home delivery.

This saves you valuable time, particularly in managing administrative tasks and overseeing your store network, allowing you to focus more on meeting your customers’ needs.

3. A Consistent Offer Across the Entire Network

Effective store network management is primarily about a unified offering. Among other things, a software solution delivers a single, unified offer across the entire network while allowing for some degree of flexibility. Indeed, each product does not sell equally well in different regions of France, and the price ranges between rural and urban areas need to be studied to avoid excess stock.

4. Enhanced Customer Loyalty

Customer loyalty needs to be cultivated daily. If you can’t satisfy your customers or pique their curiosity enough to bring them back, a competitor will. Digitalization can enhance customer loyalty through a unified database. No matter where your customer is, they can find consistent offers across all your stores in France. Their loyalty card ensures they enjoy the same benefits at every location.

Digitally, your network management is backed by a database that keeps consumers informed about new store products through fully personalized newsletters. For instance, you can recommend similar or complementary products based on previous purchases, encouraging them to return to the store soon.

5. Commercial Initiatives Tailored to Customer Needs

Innovation within your store is one of the key expectations of your customers.

Integrating brand-specific commercial operations during highly anticipated annual events (sales, back-to-school, Christmas, etc.) into your software solution can ensure efficient network management.

We particularly recommend enhancing your store’s presentation, ensuring a consistent look across your entire network of stores. The goal is to highlight your products, boost your revenue, and increase in-store traffic and activity.

Don’t forget to do the same for your website, as it is often the first point of contact with new customers!

To skillfully manage your network, follow our advice: utilize these five key features to boost your store’s sales:

• A high-quality reporting tool

• Creation of a unified product catalog

• A consistent offer across the entire network

• Enhanced customer loyalty programs
• Commercial promotions tailored to customer needs