What is the difference between assortment and nomenclature? Important details in the terms and conditions

A product assortment is understood as a set of interconnected goods, the combination of which during sale can bring an additional effect to the enterprise. So, if a trading enterprise has a large selection of clothes designed to suit all consumer tastes and material capabilities, then its chances of a store visitor making a purchase increase sharply.

Group various goods, each of which is presented in an assortment offered by a trading enterprise to customers, constitutes a product range.

First, about the product range.

Products that form an assortment can be combined according to the following characteristics:

Common or similar area of ​​use, e.g. beauty products, clothing, cars;

General distribution channels and points of sale, such as low-income stores, standard-price stores, and country-specific stores;

General buyers, for example, the wealthy part of the population, young people, representatives of a certain profession;

Same price range, such as stores where all products are sold at a certain price;

General nature of demand, such as consumer goods, everyday goods;

The general nature of the assortment itself, for example, products of an extended assortment, narrow assortment.

Selling goods from each product group has its own specifics and requires a special approach. Therefore, as a rule, work with certain assortment groups is entrusted to specialists in these types of goods.

Working on a product assortment involves making decisions about the breadth of the assortment, its expansion, and also its saturation. The main criterion for deciding on the breadth of the assortment is its impact on profit margins: it is considered advisable to supplement the assortment set or, conversely, exclude goods from it only if this leads to increased profitability of sales. This approach leads to the fact that ultimately the enterprise, fighting for profit, sets itself a rather narrow range of the most profitable products.

This rule, however, does not apply to those enterprises that make business by selling goods certain type range and have built their commercial reputation on this. For example, retail firms known as mass merchandisers may, in some cases, ignore profitability considerations in the interests of maintaining the “face of the company” and not narrow the range.

Strategically, the product range tends to expand. There are two ways to expand the range: expansion and saturation. Building up assortment means the inclusion in it of those goods that were not previously offered by this enterprise. So, for example, along with jewelry The production and sale of costume jewelry is organized from gold, silver and precious stones. Increasing the range, as a rule, is associated with changes in the cost and quality of goods and can be done in the following three ways:

By including lower-priced products in the assortment new group and, accordingly, of lower quality (the so-called “downward” build-up);

By including more expensive goods of higher quality into the assortment (“upward” expansion);

Simultaneous expansion of the range “up” and “down”.

“Downward” growth is used when it is necessary to conquer new promising market segments, when market conditions change due to a decrease in the purchasing power of the population, as well as during competition. Increasing “up” may be appropriate when the purchasing power of the population increases, when the company has sufficient resources and strives for wider coverage of the entire possible range of wealthy buyers of a given group of goods and providing them with the most complete choice. For example, when selling cars, consumer durables and luxury goods.

This method of expanding the product range requires great caution: firstly, working with a wealthy buyer requires special skills and experience, which may not be available; secondly, the buyer of an expensive product will show legitimate distrust of a new, untested supplier and seller; thirdly, “upward” expansion, requiring high costs, can weaken the position of the enterprise “downstream” and attract dangerous competitors there.

Increasing the assortment simultaneously “up” and “down” is typical when promoting a qualitatively new group of products to the market. In our country, such goods that appeared in last decades, steel food products long-term storage(in vacuum packaging), disposable razors, various cosmetics (deodorants, hair dyes, etc.).

Expansion of product range due to saturation The market differs in that the added goods do not go beyond the prices typical for the existing assortment; they only fill gaps in the set of goods of a certain type and purpose. Examples of market saturation include the appearance on sale of ever new varieties of sausage, types of mayonnaise, and books on the same topic. The work to saturate the market is explained by the desire to get ahead of competitors, to more fully use the production and trading capabilities of the enterprise, and to attract the attention of the widest possible segments of the population to their goods.

At the same time, while saturating the market, one should not turn a blind eye to the possible negative consequences of such activities, especially if additional products do not have significant differences and advantages compared to existing ones. Ill-considered saturation of the market makes it difficult for the consumer to choose, does not allow him to settle on anything, and thereby delays the purchase.

Let us briefly dwell on the problems associated with the product nomenclature.

In essence, a product nomenclature is a list of goods sold by a given enterprise in certain period. Product nomenclature characterized by the total number names of goods, the number of assortment groups, the variability of product selection and the consistency of the assortment.

The first three characteristics of the product range are clear from their names. As for the consistency of the assortment, this means the possibility of using them in the process of production, movement and sale of goods general properties in order to increase the profit of the enterprise. It's about about the possibility of producing goods using the same equipment, from the same raw materials, moving through the same distribution channel, and offering the consumer complementary goods. For example, it is profitable for a furniture company to produce tennis rackets: similar raw materials and production process, trained personnel. Foodstuffs deep freezing is advantageous to combine for transportation in vehicles equipped refrigeration units. The sale of cases for glasses will go better where the glasses themselves are sold.

The composition of products offered for sale is achieved by planning the nomenclature and assortment of products. It is necessary to recognize the close connection of both terms and their interpenetration into each other. "Nomenclature" literally means "list of names." Thus, product range– this is a list of names of products manufactured by the enterprise. Product nomenclature– this is a list of groups of goods offered by a specific seller. The seller can offer customers products from one or many manufacturers, drawing on the product range of each of them in in full or partially. Nomenclature as an economic category has a consolidated character. We can talk, for example, about men's, women's or children's shoes, bedroom or dining sets, televisions or tape recorders, caramel or chocolate. Essentially, these are assortment groups, and the product range is a list of assortment groups of products or goods.

Product range literally means a selection of objects, a set of their names according to some characteristics. From this point of view, the range can be simple or complex, narrow or wide. This classification involves the identification of groups of homogeneous products or goods based on type, grade or brand, and the formation of assortment groups is carried out within the limits to which the items have a certain similarity. It is also possible to differentiate between product ranges, e.g. what is produced by the enterprise, and the range of goods, or what is offered by this seller to consumers.

The group assortment of goods shows a list of enlarged product groups, making up the product range. So, in grocery store gastronomic and grocery products can be sold, and a sporting goods store can sell summer and winter Sports Equipment. The product assortment reflects the presence of a number of types in a product group. For example, dairy products may include kefir, cream or cottage cheese, and men's shoes include boots, boots, shoes, and sandals.

The intraspecific assortment of goods represents varieties of products, dividing the species into parts.

Yes, cottage cheese maybe varying degrees fat content, samovars - of different capacities, shoes - of different styles, fabrics - of different colors, etc. The intraspecific assortment of goods may have different depths of development and detail. In this sense, we can talk about the degree of complexity of the assortment. For example, medications, used for a specific human disease, can be represented by means for external or internal use, in the form of tablets or liquids, and also have different packaging or packaging.

For industrial enterprises the production range of products is established, and for trading enterprises - the trade range of goods. The first of them reflects the specialization of the enterprise and serves as the basis for concluding supply contracts. In the second case, there are grounds to judge the scale of the opportunity trading enterprise meet the needs of the population, while distinguishing between specialized and universal trading enterprises.

WITH with good reason the stated provisions on the nomenclature and range of products can be attributed to the performance of work and the provision of services, for which groups, types and subtypes of products are also distinguished.

Planning the nomenclature and range of products should be based on knowledge of the needs of the market and its state, which is achieved as a result of implementation

of activities called marketing. There are many definitions of marketing in use. Taken together, all of them, despite their diversity, boil down to the following - market research, demand analysis, sales forecast, ensuring the most complete satisfaction public needs. Satisfaction, in turn, is achieved by the development and production of new products that meet current demand, the establishment of product sales communications, and the creation of service services that accompany the process of using the product. Product policy enterprise inevitably requires marketing research, in which basic concepts are: need, demand, price, transaction, competition. In marketing, one can distinguish the concepts of strategy and tactics.

The product range is, in simple words, a list of names (types) of products created in different economic sectors. Its development has a special practical significance. Let's consider further what it can be.

Goals

The product range is one of the most important categories used in production. A list of types (names) of products is being developed:

Peculiarities

In practice, an expanded nomenclature. Example: "Cars - 10 thousand units." In this case specific quantity trucks and passenger cars are not indicated. Enlarged product range is list approved within long-term plans. It is specified in current programs depending on the structural economic links. On state level a consolidated nomenclature of the most important species products. When developing programs within the framework of departmental and ministerial interaction, it is specified depending on the economic segment. The products manufactured by the enterprise must satisfy customer demand. In this regard, when creating lists, the needs of potential clients. To do this, an analysis of the market situation is performed and competitors are studied. Based on the results obtained, our own production is improved.

Assortment structure

In the activities of production associations, expanded lists of goods of a certain name with special technical and economic characteristics are used. The latter, in particular, include power, productivity, dimensions, quality, etc. The assortment is characterized by depth, breadth, level of updating, and completeness. The latter is determined in relation to the actual number of species products to the volume established in the specification or price list. Assortment depth - the number of positions for each type of product. The update level shows the share of new products in the total volume put up for sale. The assortment structure is characterized by the specific weight of groups, subgroups, types, and subtypes of goods in the total turnover.

Specifics of formation

The product range is the entire range of manufactured products. It includes different kinds goods. They are divided into types (product groups) depending on functional features, cost, and quality. In each of them, positions (brands, varieties) are distinguished. They form lowest level classifications. Before compiling the assortment, the company develops a concept. It involves directed construction of a sentence. The basis is consumer requests from specific market segments. At the same time, the assortment concept should ensure the most efficient use by the company of its raw materials, financial, technological and other resources to minimize production costs.

Control

Management involves coordinating interrelated areas of activity: design and scientific-technical, research, organizational, service, advertising, etc. The management problem lies in the difficulty of combining elements to achieve the main goal - optimizing the product range in accordance with the market objectives of the enterprise. If it is not resolved, then the list of manufactured goods will include products that will be more convenient for the company's departments than for customers. Assortment policy is considered one of key elements company strategy. Questions regarding narrowing/expanding the list of manufactured/sold products may have different solutions. This is influenced by a whole range of factors. Among them are the characteristics of the industry, the size of the company, the specifics of the product group, etc.

Planning

Art correct drafting range lies in the ability to sell existing or potential material and technical capabilities in goods that, while bringing profit to the manufacturer, have a certain consumer value that satisfies the buyer. Simply put, a manufacturer does more than create products. It also forms client base, satisfies the specific interests of buyers. Planning is a continuous process. It lasts for life cycle products. A company cannot supply the market with the same products endlessly.

Methods

Constant innovation in the market is considered a prerequisite for the survival of an enterprise in the market. The main types of strategies include product development:

1. Fundamentally different from competitors' products.
2. With improved characteristics.
3. A new type using previously released products due to their modernization and equipment additional accessories and options.

Another way to update is to reduce production or discontinue goods that are not in demand.

Product marketing is one of the key elements of marketing. Let's look at the basic concepts associated with it.
Product - an object or action that has beneficial properties and intended for sale.
The market supply of a product includes five levels:
Product as a key value, i.e. the primary service or need that the customer purchases.
The main product is a specific embodiment of a key value.
The expected product is a set of characteristics, features and conditions that the consumer agrees to, including additional services.
Improved product - meets needs beyond the usual wishes of the consumer.
Potential product - improved product based on usage studies of this product to best meet your needs.
“The new competition is competition between what companies add to the product in the form of packaging, services, advertising, customer consultation, financing, delivery, warehousing and other significant competitive advantages» T. Levitt.
There are 7 levels of product hierarchy from the most general (needs) to the most specific (products):
A family of needs is a key need underlying a family of products (for example, a person’s need for food).
Product family - all classes of products that can satisfy a key need (for example, food).
Product class is a group of products within a family that has functional relationships (for example, dairy products).
Product line (assortment group) - a group of goods that are closely related to each other due to the performance of similar functions, offered to the same groups of consumers using the same distribution channels or in a given price range (fermented milk products).
Product type - a group of products within a product line, representing one or more possible forms goods (yogurts).
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Trademark is a name associated with one or more products from a given product line, used to indicate the source or characteristics of the product (Miracle Yogurt yogurts).
Product unit - separate product within trademark or a product line characterized by certain properties, a certain price (“Miracle yogurt” creamy, blueberry).
In terms of end use, products are classified into:
consumer,
industrial (products for industrial and technical purposes),
services.
Let's consider the concept consumer goods and classifications used by marketing.
Consumer goods are goods purchased by end consumers for personal (family) use.
Table 5.1
Classification of consumer goods\r\nClassification criterion Type of product\r\nAccording to the hierarchy of needs - essentials
careful selection
prestigious\r\nBy time of consumption - long-term use
short term use
immediate consumption\r\nBy the nature of demand - everyday demand
special (unique, one-time) demand
constant demand
passive demand\r\nBy product behavior - leaders (new products)
locomotives
tactical
greeting\r\nBy product specialization - food
non-food
services\r\nIn terms of novelty - fundamentally new
radically improved
modified
market novelty
new scope\r\n92 \r\nTable 5.2
Typology of consumer goods by type of demand
> Everyday goods\r\nBuyer behavior at the time of purchase is usual\r\nGoods Essentials are frequently purchased goods (drinks, light bulbs, milk). The routine purchasing process is facilitated by loyalty to a brand or outlet, and the purchase decision can also be predetermined by repeated advertising.
Impulse purchase products are purchased without thinking ( chewing gum, chips, treats), should be available in all easily accessible places (at cash registers, V vending machines), attractive packaging and display are important to them.
Products for emergency cases purchased when the need for them is unexpectedly felt: an umbrella when it rains, aspirin. For these products, the firm has no choice of strategy. They require maximum market coverage, since if the buyer does not find the product in right moment and in in the right place, he will probably buy another brand and the sales opportunity will be lost.\r\n> Passive demand goods\r\nBuyer behavior The consumer does not have a spontaneous desire to buy these goods\r\nProducts Products that the consumer does not know about (sophisticated temperature or cleanliness regulators air, insurance policies, encyclopedias)\r\n> Pre-selection goods
\r\nBuyer behavior Corresponds to the principle of bounded rationality and is not habitual. For this type of product, the consumer is willing to spend his time evaluating the various offerings available in the market. The consumer compares familiar brands by various criteria, for example, by the degree of adaptation to its task, style, price, quality.\r\nGoods Expensive goods (furniture, clothing, audio equipment, video equipment).\r\n> Goods of special demand
\r\nBuyer behavior The buyer does not resort to comparing brands, he is actively looking for outlet, where the desired brand is offered.\r\nProducts Special brands of luxury goods (some car models, the best varieties shoes, exotic foods, high fashion products).\r\nIndustrial and technical products are goods purchased by individuals and organizations for further processing or use in business.
Products for industrial and technical purposes include: materials and parts (goods? fully used in the manufacturer’s product), capital property(goods partially present in the finished product), auxiliary materials and services (objects not present at all in the finished product).
A service is an action aimed at satisfying needs and intended for sale.
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TO consumer services include educational, medical services, transport and communication services, household, housing and communal services, sports, legal services etc.
A company offers consumers products or services that must satisfy a variety of needs, so developing a product line is an important marketing task.
Table 5.3
Product nomenclature and product range (basic concepts) \r\nConcept Definition\r\nProduct nomenclature The totality of all goods offered by a company.\r\nProduct group An association of product units based on consumer or technological commonality, the nature of raw materials, industry origin.\r \nArticle Brief Definition, symbol, product number.\r\nAssortment A set of product items (a type of product that has a single consumer purpose).\r\nAssortment group (“product line”) A set commodity types, united either by the principle of operation, or by the commonality of sales to one consumer, or through one retail chain, or in the same price range.\r\nBreadth of assortment Total number assortment groups.\r\nAssortment depth Variants of each product within an assortment group.\r\nAssortment harmony The degree of proximity between products of different assortment groups.\r\nAssortment saturation Total actual number of products.\r\nFalse assortment breadth Issue identical goods under different names, in different packages, sometimes by one company.\r\nMain assortment Products that bring most profits.\r\nAdditional assortment Related products.\r\nIn-depth assortment Products that satisfy the unique desires of consumers.\r\nFilling the product line Expansion of the assortment.\r\nLengthening the product line Release of previously unproduced goods: down - simpler and cheaper, up - expensive.\r\nThe company's product range is determined by its strategy, trends in the market: demand, activities of competitors, and depends on the production capabilities of the company itself. There are a number of product marketing strategies associated with assortment, which will be discussed in the next section.

More on topic 5.1. Product concept. Classification, nomenclature and assortment:

1. 5.1. Product concept. Classification, nomenclature and assortment
2. 1. Concept of goods. Classification, nomenclature and assortment
3. 3. Analysis of nomenclature, range and structure of products
4. 8.1. Definition of goods and main types of classification of goods. Marginal product and its role in the development of the enterprise
5. 3. Classification of costs attributable to the cost of products (goods, works, services)
6. 1. MAIN TYPES OF CLASSIFICATION OF GOODS AND PRODUCT MARKETS

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Assortment property is a specific feature of the assortment that manifests itself during its formation.

The assortment indicator is a quantitative expression of the properties of the assortment (the number of types and names of goods).

The following indicators are used to characterize the product range:

Basic:

The breadth (breadth) of the product range is characterized by the number of expected product groups (product lines).

Characterized by indicators:

Actual breadth - the actual number of types, varieties of names of goods available.

Base latitude is the latitude taken as the basis for comparison.

The breadth coefficient is the ratio of the actual number of types, varieties and names of goods of homogeneous and heterogeneous groups to the base one.

Breadth can serve as an indirect indicator of market saturation with goods: the greater the breadth, the greater the saturation.

The depth of the product range characterizes the number of positions (or product variations) in each assortment group(product line).

Length determined total number company goods

The completeness of the assortment is characterized by the ability of a set of goods of a homogeneous group to satisfy the same needs.

Completeness is characterized by the number of types, varieties and names of goods of a homogeneous group.

Completeness indicators:

The actual indicator of completeness is the actual number of types, varieties and names of goods of a homogeneous group

Basic indicator of completeness - determined by the regulated or planned quantity of goods

Completeness coefficient - the ratio of the actual completeness indicator to the base one.

Increased completeness of the assortment is one of the means of stimulating sales and satisfying various needs determined by different tastes, habits and other factors.

An excessive increase in the completeness of the assortment can complicate the buyer’s choice, so the completeness should be rational.

Additional (for trade assortment):

Harmony is the degree of proximity of different lines in terms of the end use of the product to ensure rational distribution, sales and/or use.

The group assortment is the most harmonious, the mixed assortment is the least harmonious.

Harmony provides a qualitative characteristic of the assortment and is descriptive in nature.

Balance - a rational combination of product groups depending on market opportunities and in accordance with the focus of the retail offer

Renewability is the ability of a set of goods to satisfy changing needs due to new needs (the number of new goods in general list goods)

Characterized by indicators:

Actual update - the number of new products in the general list

The degree of renewal is the ratio of the number of new products to total number names of goods (or actual latitude).

The reasons prompting the company to update its product range are:

replacement of obsolete goods

replacement of goods that are not in demand

development of new products of improved quality to stimulate demand

design and development of new products that had no analogues before

expanding the range by increasing completeness to create a competitive advantage for the organization

New products can satisfy not so much physiological as psychological and social needs.

Sustainability - ensuring the constant availability of a set of certain varieties of goods (the ability of a set of goods to satisfy the demand for the same goods). A special feature of such goods is the presence of stable demand for them.

Sustainability coefficient is the ratio of the number of types, varieties and names of goods that are in steady demand among consumers to the total number of types, varieties and names of goods of the same homogeneous groups.

Assortment rationality is the ability of a set of goods to most fully satisfy the realistic needs of different market segments.

Rationality coefficient - weighted average rationality indicator, taking into account the real values ​​of the indicators of breadth, completeness, stability and novelty, multiplied by the corresponding weight coefficients.

The probable error of the coefficient shows the difference between the needs assumed during the formation of the assortment (predicted assortment) and the real needs supported by consumer demand.

The structure of the assortment is the share of each type and/or name of product in the total set.

Assortment structure indicators are calculated as the ratio of the number of individual products to the total number of all products included in the assortment.

Indicators of the assortment structure can have the following types of expression:

natural

monetary

The assortment structure calculated in in kind, differs from the assortment structure in monetary terms. The choice of assortment structure indicators is determined by analytical purposes. If it is necessary to determine the need for warehouse space and space trading floors, then analyze the structure of the assortment in physical terms. When analyzing profitability individual species products consider the structure of the assortment in monetary terms.

Minimum assortment (list) - the minimum permissible number of types of goods that determine the trade profile of the company.

The minimum assortment is approved by local governments. Failure to comply with this is a violation of trading rules.