Introduction
In 2003, I took the initiative to design and present a new Electronics department layout for the Bismarck Kmart. After approval by store management and corporate, the new design was implemented in August of that year and, to this day, remains largely unchanged.
Project Goals
- Enclose entire department to reduce theft opportunities.
- Reposition key categories to improve profit.
- Relocate or add electronic-related categories, including flashlights, batteries, and two-way radios, currently housed in other departments.
Project Outcomes
- Increased shelf space by 80 feet, allocating an additional 40 feet to Electronics, 20 feet to Seasonal, and 20 feet to Stationery.
- Reduced theft by nearly 50%.
- Overall department sales increased 24%.
- Repositioned Video Games and accessories to drive aisle, increasing sales by 60%.
- Repositioned film, photo albums, and photo accessories together, directly across from the photo drop-off counter.
- Repositioned Audio/Video accessories near televisions, DVD players, steroes, and other electronics equipment.
- Repositioned boomboxes to be adjacent to shelf stereo systems.
- Relocated flashlights and two-way radios from Sporting Goods to Electronics.
- Relocated batteries from drive aisle quad to Electronics.
- Repositioned music and videos, key gross margin categories and top theft categories, to the first aisles – within plain sight of the sales counter – with the new release endcaps prominently placed.