Types of retail businesses you need to know
South Africa’s retail space is a hive of activity with different opportunities available for those who wish to venture into entrepreneurship.
The market is generally divided into small, medium and large-scale retail business establishments all serving diverse market segments and needs.
Guzzle, which is a reliable retail shopping platform assists these retailers by increasing shopper engagement, drive purchasing appetite and decision-making by consumers.
What type of retail businesses operates under these three broad areas of the retail sector?These are retail businesses you need to know:
General merchandise stores
As the name suggests, these types of stores have a broad selection of products which includes groceries, clothing, tools, toys, etc. It’s therefore not surprising that these types of stores are very common in rural areas and far-flung areas away from the city where people look for a one-stop-shop for most of their general goods needs.
E-Commerce Stores
The retail space has transformed over the years from being specifically brick and mortar to being online.
An increasing number of consumers now do their shopping online due to increased access to the internet and the advantages that online shopping provides.
Online or E-commerce stores have therefore become another form of retail business available. Guzzle allows E-commerce retailers the opportunity to advertise products and promotions while allowing consumers to browse all catalogue promotions in one place.
These latest deals and products are also deep-linked to the e-commerce store.
Convenience store
Shoppers are often looking for convenience especially when they urgently want to buy essential products. Convenience stores are the type of stores that operate near or within residential areas and stock much needed essential products for households.
In South Africa, these stores usually operate alongside filling stations.
Speciality store
The term speciality store is derived from the fact that these stores specialise in a particular line of products such as electrical goods, cell phones, pet supplies, office supplies and stationery, entertainment, etc.
Speciality stores normally have higher operating costs because they stock a minimal volume of goods. For this reason, their retail prices can be higher in comparison with other retailers.
Warehouse retailer
A warehouse retailer is a type of retailer that orders goods directly from the manufacturer without the need for a middle man. This retailer stocks products in bulk and they are often cheaper and reliable in their supply because they directly deal with manufacturers.
This type of retail business is often associated with building and construction materials. Guzzle allows Warehouse retailers to bring their shopping cart into the catalogue which assists retailers to improve their conversion rates up to 30%.
Supermarket
A supermarket can be medium or large scale and it’s usually self-service with organised product sections and aisles and a number of tills in place.
A supermarket usually operates on the principle of low margin with high volume sales.
Hypermarkets
A hypermarket is the elevated retail store of a supermarket. It’s very expansive and combines general merchandise, grocery sections, appliances, etc. Because of their large-scale nature, Hypermarkets are not usually found in shopping malls but are set up independently on a piece of land or secure building big enough to accommodate such.
It’s therefore a one-stop retail business that combines supermarket, warehousing and speciality into one. Hypermarkets can use Guzzle which is an interactive platform that allows consumers to access products and catalogues in an interactive format.
You can display your entire product range in a clickable, searchable format creating multiple hooks for potential customers.
Restaurants
The retail sector wouldn’t be complete without food and dining outlets that operate as restaurants. Restaurants are established to serve a variety of foods but many are also established to serve unique social, cultural and religious groups.
It’s therefore not surprising to find restaurants catering for African traditional foods, Indian food, Asian cuisine, etc.
Restaurant retailers can use Guzzle to reach this diverse market by booking a webpage takeover of high traffic sections of the website which translates into a 100% share of the market voice.
The types of retailers listed above rely on Guzzle as the ideal advertising and marketing platform. Guzzle aggregates both hardcopy and digital formats of catalogues from numerous retailers which helps them to reach a broad market.
Guzzle Media
