You can have the best merchandising team in New Zealand. Experienced. Detail-driven. Retail-savvy. The kind of team who notice when a competitor has gained 10cm of shelf space before anyone else does.
But if the brief isn’t clear? Execution will never reach its full potential. In retail merchandising, the brief is everything.
1. Start With Absolute Clarity
A strong merchandising brief should answer five simple questions:
- What exactly needs to be done?
- Where does it need to happen?
- When does it need to be completed?
- What does “good” look like?
- What should be reported back?
If two different merchandisers read the same brief, they should walk away with the same understanding. No guesswork. No interpretation gaps.
Ambiguity costs time in-store. And time in-store is precious.
2. Be Specific About the Outcome
“Improve visibility” is not a brief.
“Increase eye-level facings from 2 to 4 on the main bay and secure secondary placement on an endcap if available” is a brief.
The more specific the outcome, the stronger the execution.
Photos help. Planograms help. Marked-up visuals help even more. If you can show it, not just say it, you remove room for error.
3. Provide Context, Not Just Instructions
Your merchandising team is not just there to move stock. A good team understands retail strategy.
If they know:
- Why this range is priority
- What the current sell-through is
- Whether there is competitor pressure
- What the promotional objective is
They will make smarter decisions on the shop floor.
When a merchandiser understands the “why,” they can problem-solve in real time.
4. Align on Reporting Expectations
Reporting should never be an afterthought.
Be clear about:
- What photos are required
- What compliance measures matter
- What competitive insights you want captured
- What success looks like in the report
Great reporting gives you a visual record of your brand in every store, at every visit. It also gives you something even more valuable: visibility of your competitors.
When used properly, reporting becomes a strategic asset, not just a tick-box exercise.
5. Allow Space for Retail Reality
Head office plans are important.
But stores are dynamic environments. Stock arrives late. Bays shift. Competitors run unplanned promotions. Managers make local decisions.
A high-performing merchandising team should have clear parameters but also the confidence to make smart calls when reality doesn’t match the plan.
That only happens when the brief is strong enough to guide decision-making, not just dictate tasks.
6. Treat Your Merchandising Team Like the Retail Experts They Are
The best results happen when merchandising teams are seen as partners, not just implementers.
Invite feedback.
Encourage insights from the field.
Refine briefs based on what is actually happening in-store.
The brands that get the most out of their merchandising investment are the ones who understand this:
Execution is not just about sending someone into a store.
It is about equipping them properly before they walk through the door.
