Merchandising plays a key role in FMCG, pharma, retail, and distribution. How products are displayed, managed, and sold affects sales, customer satisfaction, and operations. Businesses that want to track employee locations and improve field work need to understand the types of merchandising and use the right tools.
At Happisales, we help distributors, retailers, and field teams handle merchandising smoothly while keeping inventory accurate and operations transparent. In this blog, we cover the main types of merchandising, common challenges, and how field force automation works in real situations.
How Merchandising Supports FMCG and Distribution Operations?
Merchandising covers all the work that helps sell products in retail and distribution. It is more than just placing items on shelves. It ensures products are available, visible, and attractive while giving your operations team useful data.
Key activities in merchandising include:
Product Placement
Making sure products are easy to see and buy
Inventory Management
Keeping the right stock levels to avoid running out or having too much
Promotional Execution
Carrying out in-store promotions, discounts, and offers
Retailer Engagement
Building strong relationships with retailers to keep products available and follow compliance
For businesses with field teams and distributors, merchandising includes field merchandising. This is the work done in stores to keep products in stock and make sure promotions are done correctly
Main Types of Merchandising
Merchandising can be divided into different types, each with its own goals, challenges, and benefits
1. Field Merchandising
Field merchandising is the work done by sales reps, merchandisers, and distributors in stores. We ensure that products are available, displayed properly, and sales opportunities are captured
Key parts of field merchandising include:
Shelf Audits
Checking that products are placed correctly, fully stocked, and look appealing
Order Capture
Recording sales orders directly at the retailer
Promotional Execution
Carrying out in-store promotions and discounts
Retailer Training
Teaching store staff about product features, benefits, and promotions
Personal Experience
In our work with FMCG distributors, field merchandising proved very effective. Reps regularly conduct shelf audits and engage with retailers. This helps spot stock gaps and fix them before they affect sales. One client saw a 40 percent drop in order rejections within three months after setting up structured field merchandising processes
Field merchandising is operational and links directly to inventory visibility, order management, and field force accountability. Software like Happisales makes this process easier.
2. Product Merchandising
Product merchandising focuses on organizing, pricing, and presenting items to boost appeal and sales. It overlaps with field merchandising but centers on the product rather than the execution.
Key parts of product merchandising include:
Product Placement
Making sure high-demand items are easy to find
Stock Rotation
Tracking expiration dates and batches to reduce waste
Price Accuracy
Keeping prices correct across all locations
POS Material Implementation
Using banners, tags, and displays to promote products
With tools like Happisales, sales reps can access product details and pricing on their mobile devices. This reduces errors, ensures compliance, and allows accurate order capture.
3. Trade or Promotional Merchandising
Trade merchandising is about running promotions, discounts, and campaigns at the retailer level. It aims to influence buyers, increase sales, and make products more visible.
Key parts of trade merchandising include:
- Discounts and promotional offers
- In-store displays and point-of-sale materials
- Incentive programs for retailers
- Campaign tracking and reporting
The main challenges are inconsistent execution and difficulty tracking compliance across multiple stores. Happisales lets field teams record promotions in real time, so managers can track execution and results easily.
4. Visual Merchandising
Visual merchandising focuses on how products look and how appealing they are. While common in retail stores, it is also important in FMCG and distribution.
Key parts of visual merchandising include:
- Store layout optimization
- Attractive displays and shelving
- Placing high-margin or promotional products strategically
- Keeping branding and signage consistent
Visual merchandising depends on operational support from field teams. Even the best displays fail if products are not available or stock is outdated. Happisales helps by providing real-time stock visibility, accurate order placement, and timely replenishment.
5. Digital Merchandising
Digital merchandising is growing in importance with the rise of e-commerce and online retail.
Key parts of digital merchandising include:
- Accurate product listings and descriptions
- Online promotions and campaigns
- Managing customer reviews
- Integration with digital ordering platforms for retailers
Field teams help by making sure offline stock matches online listings. Software like Happisales keeps data synced between physical stores and digital channels.
Top Issues in FMCG and Distribution Merchandising
Even with clear merchandising strategies, businesses face several problems:
- Stockouts and Overstocking
Without accurate inventory data, stores may run out of stock or have too much - Inconsistent Execution
Field reps may follow strategies differently across locations, causing uneven brand experience - Manual Reporting
Tracking merchandising activities by hand takes time and often has errors - Employee Monitoring
Supervising field teams and keeping them accountable is hard without real-time tracking
These issues can lead to lost sales, unhappy retailers, and operational inefficiencies
How Field Force Automation Supports FMCG Merchandising?
To solve merchandising challenges, many businesses use field force automation platforms like Happisales. These tools combine merchandising with inventory management, order capture, route planning, and employee tracking.
How Happisales Supports Field Merchandising?
- Real-Time Inventory Visibility
Sales reps and managers can see livestock across locations. This ensures accurate orders and reduces stockouts. - Offline Access
Field staff can log orders, updates, and notes without internet. Data syncs automatically when connectivity returns. - Route Optimization
Happisales plans efficient travel routes for field reps, cutting travel time and covering more stores. - Expense and Activity Tracking
Track field staff visits, activities, and expenses to give managers useful insights. - Employee Location Tracking
Managers can see field staff locations in real time, improving accountability and resource allocation. - Analytics and Reporting
Happisales generates detailed reports on team performance, merchandising compliance, and operations. Managers can make decisions based on data.
Personal Experience
After using Happisales, a client in South India saw clear results. Field reps logged orders offline, routes were optimized, and managers tracked employees in real time. Orders were captured faster, stockouts dropped, and sales increased.
Best Practices for Effective Field Merchandising
To get the most from field merchandising, companies should follow these practices
- Regular Training
Give field staff the knowledge they need about products, merchandising standards, and technology tools - Consistent Communication
Keep open channels between field teams and managers to address issues quickly - Data-Driven Decisions
Use insights from software to adjust merchandising strategies in real time - Technology Integration
Use field force automation to streamline work, track activities, and improve efficiency - Performance Monitoring
Check team performance regularly and provide feedback to help them improve
Why FMCG and Distribution Companies Should Use Field Merchandising?
Companies that use field merchandising with technology see clear results
- Better Stock Availability
Products are available when needed and waste is reduced - Stronger Retailer Relationships
Orders are fulfilled on time and promotions are executed properly - Higher Team Accountability
Real-time tracking keeps field staff responsible for their work - Increased Sales Efficiency
Route planning and optimized visits help reps cover more stores - Improved Decision-Making
Analytics and reports provide actionable insights for managers
Example
One FMCG distributor saw a 40 percent drop in order rejections within three months of using Happisales. Field reps checked stock on their mobile devices before taking orders, ensuring customers got products reliably
What’s Next?
Merchandising is more than placing products on shelves. In FMCG and distribution, it combines field execution, operational visibility, and data-driven insights. Field merchandising makes sure products are available, orders are accurate, and promotions run smoothly.
Happisales connects field teams, back-office staff, and managers with real-time data. This helps businesses improve merchandising, satisfy customers, and grow sustainably. click here for 14 days free and simplify field merchandising, inventory tracking, and team management with no credit card required.