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Author Topic: Lidl customer service  (Read 9263 times)

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Lizzie Zoom

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Re: Lidl customer service
« Reply #45 on: 11 February 2018, 11:41:42 »

Yes, I see: but there remains a question in my mind over the concept of "specials". Why are they needed at all (marketing ploy?), and if they sell well, e.g. tools/motoring bits etc., why not carry them as normal range?
Recently, I missed out on the windscreen wiper offer - they had run out - and when I asked, was told that they had no plans for future stock. Commercial lunacy to refuse to stock something that flies out of the store?

Ron.


The basic theory is that when you offer these special lines it will not only encourage your regular customers to buy more, but will bring in additional footfall to boost sales above what you would normally expect to see. The whole main aim of retail is to gain a healthy percentage growth on last years sales, and increase your profits accordingly.

The way to do that is first of all be competitive with your pricing policy to fight the competition; then retain the customers you already have byway of excellent Customer Care; sell them what you did last year, but very importantly sell them more on top (promotions are one of the tools to do this); promote special lines that you do not normally stock, like tools, to bring in the extra footfall with high levels of promotional activity - posters and other sales aids (POS), TV / radio adverts etc, and keep repeating this with an annual promotions programme that is mainly planed 12 months in advance, with the buyers of the company taking full opportunity with the main seasonal events involving your main suppliers, getting extra discounts and bulk buying dividends out of them which are worth millions of pounds to your company's bottom line. 

This should greatly assist in your company's aim to meet sales and profit targets. These are assessed taking 'like by like, year on year' sales figures. In other words comparing your sales performance using the same number of stores trading as for the comparison year. Lidl and Aldi will often give sales growth figures that do not take into account store additions.

So, a long winded explanation for you Ron, but that is why promotions and / or specials are so important to the retail trade.   :y
« Last Edit: 11 February 2018, 11:43:47 by Lizzie Zoom »
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Bigron

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Re: Lidl customer service
« Reply #46 on: 11 February 2018, 11:51:53 »

Got that, Lizzie - not rocket science, is it? But I still do not see why when the Specials sell really well, to the point of being all gone after a day of being on offer, that they don't re-stock/continue the line?
Last year I wanted some ginger ale, but all they had was LOADS of lemonade. When I asked when they would next have any ginger ale, I was told that "we keep on being asked that, but upstairs won't let us have any until we shift all of this (lemonade) stock that nobody wants"!
Crazy?

Ron.
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Lizzie Zoom

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Re: Lidl customer service
« Reply #47 on: 11 February 2018, 14:00:39 »

Got that, Lizzie - not rocket science, is it? But I still do not see why when the Specials sell really well, to the point of being all gone after a day of being on offer, that they don't re-stock/continue the line?
Last year I wanted some ginger ale, but all they had was LOADS of lemonade. When I asked when they would next have any ginger ale, I was told that "we keep on being asked that, but upstairs won't let us have any until we shift all of this (lemonade) stock that nobody wants"!
Crazy?

Ron.

No Ron., we always trained our retail teams that retailing was simple, but so easy to get very wrong! It is highly involved though in managing many factors at once, from property, to HR, training, through to H&S, commercial and criminal law, regulations of all types, then stock and margins, quite apart from customer care.  Easy really!!  ;D ;D

No, specials are lines that manufacturers or various suppliers offer due to over production, a one off order with limited production, discontinued lines, clearance, special imports, etc. These are offered to retailers at very low cost prices as a 'one off', not to be repeated line, that cannot be repeated.  That is beneficial to the retailer, as the interest in these "specials" are limited, as always another retailer is offering a better quality brand, at a very advantageous prices, like Halfords meeting head on the Aldi and Lidl offers of tools, compressors, etc.

So in essence Specials are just one off offers that cannot be repeated. But promotions are usually of standard or linked range regular product being sold at prices that say to customers "buy me!!", which we as retailers can and do make hay with, although on this stock margins are usually at reduced levels, but the quantity of the sales should make up for that, with happy customers to boot! ;D ;D :y

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Bigron

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Re: Lidl customer service
« Reply #48 on: 11 February 2018, 14:18:28 »

Got that, Lizzie - not rocket science, is it? But I still do not see why when the Specials sell really well, to the point of being all gone after a day of being on offer, that they don't re-stock/continue the line?
Last year I wanted some ginger ale, but all they had was LOADS of lemonade. When I asked when they would next have any ginger ale, I was told that "we keep on being asked that, but upstairs won't let us have any until we shift all of this (lemonade) stock that nobody wants"!
Crazy?

Ron.

No Ron., we always trained our retail teams that retailing was simple, but so easy to get very wrong! It is highly involved though in managing many factors at once, from property, to HR, training, through to H&S, commercial and criminal law, regulations of all types, then stock and margins, quite apart from customer care.  Easy really!!  ;D ;D

No, specials are lines that manufacturers or various suppliers offer due to over production, a one off order with limited production, discontinued lines, clearance, special imports, etc. These are offered to retailers at very low cost prices as a 'one off', not to be repeated line, that cannot be repeated.  That is beneficial to the retailer, as the interest in these "specials" are limited, as always another retailer is offering a better quality brand, at a very advantageous prices, like Halfords meeting head on the Aldi and Lidl offers of tools, compressors, etc.

So in essence Specials are just one off offers that cannot be repeated. But promotions are usually of standard or linked range regular product being sold at prices that say to customers "buy me!!", which we as retailers can and do make hay with, although on this stock margins are usually at reduced levels, but the quantity of the sales should make up for that, with happy customers to boot! ;D ;D :y

How does that equate to those wipers that I missed out on, or the ginger ale? The former was separate from their normal range, true, but surely not over-production by the manufacturer or distressed purchase, whereas the latter was normal range an in heavy demand, but Lidl management refused to allow stock holding.
Ok, it isn't easy, but incomprehensible?

Ron.
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Lizzie Zoom

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Re: Lidl customer service
« Reply #49 on: 11 February 2018, 14:36:27 »

Got that, Lizzie - not rocket science, is it? But I still do not see why when the Specials sell really well, to the point of being all gone after a day of being on offer, that they don't re-stock/continue the line?
Last year I wanted some ginger ale, but all they had was LOADS of lemonade. When I asked when they would next have any ginger ale, I was told that "we keep on being asked that, but upstairs won't let us have any until we shift all of this (lemonade) stock that nobody wants"!
Crazy?

Ron.

No Ron., we always trained our retail teams that retailing was simple, but so easy to get very wrong! It is highly involved though in managing many factors at once, from property, to HR, training, through to H&S, commercial and criminal law, regulations of all types, then stock and margins, quite apart from customer care.  Easy really!!  ;D ;D

No, specials are lines that manufacturers or various suppliers offer due to over production, a one off order with limited production, discontinued lines, clearance, special imports, etc. These are offered to retailers at very low cost prices as a 'one off', not to be repeated line, that cannot be repeated.  That is beneficial to the retailer, as the interest in these "specials" are limited, as always another retailer is offering a better quality brand, at a very advantageous prices, like Halfords meeting head on the Aldi and Lidl offers of tools, compressors, etc.

So in essence Specials are just one off offers that cannot be repeated. But promotions are usually of standard or linked range regular product being sold at prices that say to customers "buy me!!", which we as retailers can and do make hay with, although on this stock margins are usually at reduced levels, but the quantity of the sales should make up for that, with happy customers to boot! ;D ;D :y


...............plus the most important of all Financial Management, that I should never forget as that ruled everything else; no profit, no business, well at least not long term!!
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Lizzie Zoom

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Re: Lidl customer service
« Reply #50 on: 11 February 2018, 14:48:02 »

Got that, Lizzie - not rocket science, is it? But I still do not see why when the Specials sell really well, to the point of being all gone after a day of being on offer, that they don't re-stock/continue the line?
Last year I wanted some ginger ale, but all they had was LOADS of lemonade. When I asked when they would next have any ginger ale, I was told that "we keep on being asked that, but upstairs won't let us have any until we shift all of this (lemonade) stock that nobody wants"!
Crazy?

Ron.

No Ron., we always trained our retail teams that retailing was simple, but so easy to get very wrong! It is highly involved though in managing many factors at once, from property, to HR, training, through to H&S, commercial and criminal law, regulations of all types, then stock and margins, quite apart from customer care.  Easy really!!  ;D ;D

No, specials are lines that manufacturers or various suppliers offer due to over production, a one off order with limited production, discontinued lines, clearance, special imports, etc. These are offered to retailers at very low cost prices as a 'one off', not to be repeated line, that cannot be repeated.  That is beneficial to the retailer, as the interest in these "specials" are limited, as always another retailer is offering a better quality brand, at a very advantageous prices, like Halfords meeting head on the Aldi and Lidl offers of tools, compressors, etc.

So in essence Specials are just one off offers that cannot be repeated. But promotions are usually of standard or linked range regular product being sold at prices that say to customers "buy me!!", which we as retailers can and do make hay with, although on this stock margins are usually at reduced levels, but the quantity of the sales should make up for that, with happy customers to boot! ;D ;D :y

How does that equate to those wipers that I missed out on, or the ginger ale? The former was separate from their normal range, true, but surely not over-production by the manufacturer or distressed purchase, whereas the latter was normal range an in heavy demand, but Lidl management refused to allow stock holding.
Ok, it isn't easy, but incomprehensible?

Ron.

No. I obviously cannot speak for Lidl management, but decisions to stock a line or not is often down to a perceived conflict of range and a margin on that product that they do not think is acceptable. Any retailer has only so much display space, and therefore must use every inch for the most desired and profitable lines.  The manufacturers will effectively "buy" space in the retailers stores, and it is the best offer that wins through.  The buyers will assess the worth of a line and the space required, versus the potential sales and the level of profit to be achieved.  Wipers in a main line supermarket is not classed as core range, and therefore cannot be allowed to take up highly valued space, apart from being within a Special line category, that is a very quick sell through and does the business as I previously stated.

Your ginger beer is possibly actually a 'slow' selling line within that manufacturers range, and unless they were to offer a far greater margin to Lidl, they will not stock it taking up premium space. ;)
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Bigron

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Re: Lidl customer service
« Reply #51 on: 11 February 2018, 14:53:01 »

The floorwalker I spoke to said he was forever being asked for the ginger beer, because alongside the huge pallet of lemonade was an empty pallet with a label proclaiming "Ginger beer". They were both from the same manufacturer, and Lidl were clearly wasting retail space.

Ron.
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redelitev6

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Re: Lidl customer service
« Reply #52 on: 11 February 2018, 15:05:55 »

I remember when "ginger beer" meant something other than a drink  :D
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Bigron

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Re: Lidl customer service
« Reply #53 on: 11 February 2018, 15:07:17 »

Yes, and so did "Iron hoof"!  ;D

Ron.
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Lizzie Zoom

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Re: Lidl customer service
« Reply #54 on: 11 February 2018, 15:48:20 »

The floorwalker I spoke to said he was forever being asked for the ginger beer, because alongside the huge pallet of lemonade was an empty pallet with a label proclaiming "Ginger beer". They were both from the same manufacturer, and Lidl were clearly wasting retail space.

Ron.

I'm confused Ron. If Lidl do not stock that line why do they have a pallet on the shop floor?

I would ask the management why ;)
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Bigron

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Re: Lidl customer service
« Reply #55 on: 11 February 2018, 15:55:42 »

You misunderstood me, or I didn't make myself clear. They do stock ginger beer as a regular item, but had run out due to its popularity. The lemonade stack actually covered two standard pallets in footprint and about eight feet tall. There was a similar-sized empty space next to it where the the ginger beer should have been, as the large label stated. Same price, same manufacturer.

Ron.
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Lizzie Zoom

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Re: Lidl customer service
« Reply #56 on: 11 February 2018, 16:13:33 »

You misunderstood me, or I didn't make myself clear. They do stock ginger beer as a regular item, but had run out due to its popularity. The lemonade stack actually covered two standard pallets in footprint and about eight feet tall. There was a similar-sized empty space next to it where the the ginger beer should have been, as the large label stated. Same price, same manufacturer.

Ron.

Ah, right Ron.  That is then due to poor stock replenishment that any retailer can suffer from due to unexpected demand or a problem with the supply chain. It could be pure poor management, but when you are maintaining the bare minimum of staffing levels as you are running on very low margins, that is also what customers can expect. ;)
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STEMO

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Re: Lidl customer service
« Reply #57 on: 11 February 2018, 16:13:36 »

Fickin disgraceful, I'd raise it with your MP, Ron.
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Lizzie Zoom

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Re: Lidl customer service
« Reply #58 on: 11 February 2018, 16:17:25 »

Fickin disgraceful, I'd raise it with your MP, Ron.


 ;D ;D ;D whilst you are at it Ron get Parliament to restore Retail Price Maintenance.  That will mean we get rid of all the promotional prices, and you the consumer will know what retail price you should be paying for what! ;D ;D >:( ;)
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Bigron

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Re: Lidl customer service
« Reply #59 on: 11 February 2018, 16:19:16 »

STEMO, as Minister of Transport in TB's government, I will pass it down the line to the appropriate department.
And yes, I know I'm making a meal of this issue, but what else can a bored bloke do on a boring Sunday afternoon?

Ron.
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