moss - trading successfully 2008

Ahmed Khan 3F

Trading Successfully 2008

MOSSThe UK’s No.1Branded Suit Specialist

Contents

Company Profile.................................... 1-7

Current Retail Climate........................... 8-9

Managing Your Sales Team.................. 12-19

A Manager at Moss............................... 10-11

Profit and Loss..................................... 51-55

Store Appearance & Commerciality....... 36-50

Customer Service.................................. 20-35

Awareness of Competition.................... 56-58

Awareness of Competition.....................59-60

Moss Going Forward.............................61-62

Company Profile

In 1851 company founder Moses Moses opens his first two stores in London’s Covent Garden selling second hand clothing with the motto “sell only the best stuff, give only the best service”.

The hire department was established in 1897 with a gentleman named Alfred lending suits to a friend who needed them to perform musicals in large private houses

The next century came about and in 1947 Moss Bros becomes a public company, a womenswear department was opened as well as hire services for evening and wedding occasions.

The ‘swinging sixties’ allows Moss Bros to grow and expand nearing its 100th store.

More recently in 1996 there are exciting developments in the form of franchise contracts with Hugo Boss and Canali allowing stand-alone stores to be opened in the UK.

In this year the brand Blazer was bought outright from Storehouse.

The year of the millennium strikes and Moss Bros opens its first Canali boutique in New Bond Street.

In 2001 the group launches the Code brand in response to the ‘dress-down’ trend at the time, 40 Moss Bros and Savoy Taylors Guild were converted to Code stores, this proves only partially successful and in not meeting all expectations of the company this brand was abolished.

Only 5 years ago Moss launched a new hire department aboard Cunard’s QE2, the group announces partnership with Ascot Racecourse Limited to produce the Royal Ascot collection, providing great occasion wear to buy or hire.

Finally today Chief Executive Phillip Mountford runs the company, unfortunately the last year (ending 26th of January) we traded at a loss of 1.4million pound pre-tax.

Moss Bros to this day is still synonymous with quality and value clothing for men. The Moss Bros brand is built with a heritage famous from 1898 that prides itself on catering for all males regardless of shape, style, occasion or budget.

Moss Brand Values

•Provide the best value possible

•The UK’s No.1Branded Suit Specialist

•Provide quality envied by competitors

•Specific unique selling points to all items of stock

•Putting the customer first

•Create the best possible shopping experience

The group has an unparalleled reputation in the formal menswear market for well over a century. Moss Bros Hire is the market leader in Mens formal hire with 20% of the market share and reaching annual sales of around 17 million pounds. Moss Bros has the privilege to boast internationally renowned brands, associated with style but also high class, such as Beale & Inman, Canali and Hugo Boss.In the UK, generations of style-conscious customers will know and trust the brands, Moss, Moss Bros Hire, Savoy Taylors Guild and Cecil Gee.

Company Profile

As a group Moss Bros has been trading for well over 100 years, the business has grown quite rapidly as has its demand. Moss Bros Group PLC, today consists of an impressive 161 stores in the UK with plans for this figure to increase year on year. In 2007 a new Simon Carter store was added in Manchester as well as two new Moss stores openings in Southend and Plymouth. During 2006 Moss also expanded by entering Ireland for the first time and setting up a store in Kildare which has provided some very promising figures. As a group we have also carried out refits in 25 stores in 2007, this has been anything from a light-refreshing touch up to a full-scale refit, including the makeover of the prestigious Savoy Taylors Guild at the Strand. All stores that haven’t had the new store concept installed will have within in the next three years with an aim of 20-30 stores being refitted per year. A further three Moss stores have been re-located within their current towns and cities to more prominent shopping locations including Cardiff which is now a ‘Mega-store’ showcasing all brands that Moss Bros stock, this store is the largest store within in the company occupying over 7000 square foot and has two floors. The new store concept allows us to provide a more appealing shopping experience for our customer as well as optimising selling space by increasing linear footage. We have a team of people dedicated to analysing key areas within the UK to take advantage of any opportunities that may come our way, we believe there are still a further 80 locations in the UK where Moss can trade profitably. We are confident we will open more and more stores over the coming years to increase the business and create more opportunities for our staff.

Company Profile

Since the appointment of Phillip Mountford in 2003 as chief executive, the business seems to have regained its stability after an uncertain start to this millennium. In the year 05/06 Moss Bros Group PLC made a profit of £6.2m before tax, the year 06/07 saw this drop to a pre tax profit of £5.1m of which £1.7m came from net gains of property disposals, this is 1.3% down on the previous year. This year 07/08 saw a really tough retail climate really take its toll as the company recorded figures showing a loss of £1.4m before tax. If you look at the different fascia’s and how they performed this really reflects on the retail environment, for example mid price range Moss saw like for like sales down on the year by 3.2% and outlet stores saw like for like sales fall by 4.4%. However the higher priced fashion side of the company recorded a healthy increase in like for like sales of 3.8% this reinstates what retail experts are saying that in the current retail climate both extremes of the scale will do well, the very expensive and the very cheap because the very expensive consumer won’t be affected and less expensive will gain customers from the mid price range market. A prime example of this is how we are now competing with supermarkets over our entry price suits.

Company Profile

The mainstream section of Moss Bros Group PLC consists of the fascia’s Moss and Savoy Taylors Guild, both target a wide range of the menswear market. The typical customer will be aged from anything between 25 and 45 and will be conservatively stylish and timelessly contemporary. He is habitually motivated by the right look at the right price so enjoys both affordable value and quality garments. He will usually have little time to shop, and won’t get enjoyment from the little shopping he does. He often allows his partner to make purchase decisions for him and will be loyal when he trusts the fit and quality of a garment.

Company Profile

MOSS

The Hire section of Moss Bros Group PLC consists of Moss Bros Hire, with morning, lounge, evening and highland wear on offer at extremely competitive prices it is no wonder why we are the market leaders catering for over 330,000 customers a year and supplying morning wear for over 40,000 weddings a year. We target anyone who wants to hire for any occasion with weddings being the main occasion but also the American phenomenon of the school prom is really taking up in the UK creating a huge opportunity for Moss Bros Hire.

Company Profile

Moss Bros Hire

The Fashion section of Moss Bros Group PLC consists of Beale & Inman, Canali, Cecil Gee, Hugo Boss and Simon Carter. These fascias target the man who is very fashion and style conscious, he enjoys wearing brands synonymous with quality and attention to detail. He doesn’t mind paying the price that comes with the quality provided as he sees his purchase as a future investment, he is proud that it will last him a long time and is conscious of the finest materials used to produce the garment.

Company Profile

“Never before has the industry faced so many challenges at the same time” were the words of José Luis Duràn (chief executive of the world’s second biggest retailer Carrefour) at this year’s world retail congress. It would seem that he is right in saying that with a gloomy start to 2008 and like for like sales against last year struggling. Despite Easter falling in March like for like sales were down 1.6% and total sales were down 1.1%, footwear and clothing recorded their worst figures for eight years. Again for a second month in a row, retail seems to be struggling with like for like sales down 1.5%, so it is safe to say that the current retail climate is tough and facing many problems but what are they? One of the many challenges facing retailers is the rapid rise of inflation and therefore increasing cost of living. In March 2008 Britain’s inflation grew to a nine month high, the official rise of inflation was 2.5% from 2.2% in January. All but one of the major energy suppliers have increased prices on more than one occasion this year in order to keep up with wholesale costs. The consumer price index shows that cheese, bread and milk have risen by 17.6% on annual basis in February, this is the largest rise since records began in 1997. The ongoing surge in the cost of oil is seriously adding pressure to inflation with the price at around $112 a barrel. Interest rates and an increase in mortgage prices are another two key factors that are affecting retail this year. Unfortunately salaries are not increasing to respond to this inflation leaving everybody short of cash flow.

Even though Internet shopping has only accounted for less than 4% of total retail sales last year it is a rapidly growing challenge for some retailers as it provides cheaper prices and more convenient shopping. With some e-tail giants like ASOS recording 86% sales increase on last year taking up a lot of the consumers from the high street. A further challenge that retailers are currently facing is the weather as it is becoming increasing unpredictable with snow in April and then 25 degrees temperatures in May. This creates problems for staff in head office and staff in store because it makes it more difficult to get the right stock in the right place at the right time.

Current Retail Climate

All these challenges pose tough times for the retail industry and for Moss Bros Group PLC, especially the mid-market Moss fascia as it is safe to say that poor trading figures in the last year would be due to these different challenges all arriving at once. This is why this pack has been produced to aid yourself as a new manager in overcoming some of these challenges. At times like this it is absolutely essential that you as a store manager really understand what is going on and how it affects your store. As a company we need you to

•maximize the potential at every opportunity

•to have all operations running smoothly and efficiently

• to come up with innovative ideas to boost performance

•to maintain the highest standards of customer service

•to maintain the highest standard in the appearance of our stores

•to motivate sales teams to meet targets

If these expectations are met there is no reason why your store shouldn’t be successful and shine through these gloomy times.

Current Retail Climate

As a store manager at Moss you will have various duties and responsibilities to fulfil including

•Recruitment of your sales team, their training, development and monitoring performance•Handling any staffing conflicts and issuing a disciplinary procedure if necessary• Appearance of your staff and store – maintaining house keeping standards and a positive store atmosphere• Awareness of your competition•Maintaining windows and the commercial layout of your store •Accuracy of your stock file (an audit will be carried out at twice a year to check this) •Stockroom organisation, replenishment onto the shop floor •Admin - you will need to keep on top of trading figures, payroll, contracts and personnel files amongst other important paperwork•Health and safety of your staff - fire equipment and alarm testing, checking CCTV •Delivering high standards of customer service and train your staff to make the most from every opportunity•Treat your store as if it were your own, so you control costs effectively and maximise sales creating a profit

As a store manager at Moss we need you to have key skills including

•Punctual •Able to manage conflict•Well organised•Motivated and passionate and influence this on your sales team•Able to feedback and communicate effectively•Able to have positive outlook on your store, stock and sales team.

A Manager at Moss

There are the different points of call for you as a new store manager should you need any assistance they are listed below (these are only a few of the main contacts for a full list please refer to your store directory folder).

James Briant – Area Manager for South East – 07899 663456James has a strong customer service background and specialises in customer service training

John Bambridge – Senior Store Manager at Ashford – 01634 457864John has been with the company for 12 years now and has recruited many successful Moss Bros employees therefore is our specialist in recruitment

Melanie Connor – Senior Store Manager at Cambridge – 01223 286685 Melanie has over 17 years experience in retail, she spent over ten of those years working as a visual merchandising manager and is a specialist in this field

Dave Western – Senior Store Manager at Norwich – 01603 633301Dave specialises in the Hire side of the business having worked in and helped stabilise 3 different Hire departments, he is therefore a specialist at troubleshooting any Hire problems

Barney Trump – Stock Allocations (Head Office) – 0207 4324432Naomi Bell – Retail Operation (Head Office) – 0207 4324231Shannon Mathews – IT Operations (Head Office) – 0207 4324567

These are some of the contacts available that will quite possibly be able to assist you in any issues you may have in store, please don’t be hesitant in calling these numbers as it is better that you get assistance in solving the issue quickly and efficiently rather than possibly taking longer by trying to tackle it on your own.

A Manager at Moss

Your staff are a fundamental part of creating success within your store, they are the people that are liasing with our customers (the most important people in our business) so it is key that you have the right people in your team and that they are managed effectively in order for them to get the best out of their job and for you to get the best out of them. Depending on your store your staff will vary but it will typically contain

• Yourself as store manager• Assistant manager• One or two supervisors• A hire manager• Full time sales assistants• Part time sales assistant

You need to establish effective communication with people in allthese roles in order for your store to function successfully, your teamneeds to be enthusiastic about their role they need to driven andmotivated to carry out their duties to the best of their ability.

You need to be certain that you have this type of work force in orderfor your team to maximise the potential in your store - the morefocused your staff are, the more money you will take. As a manager you are responsible for your staff, their progression

andtheir development but firstly you need to recruit the right people thatare right for your store.

Managing Your Sales Team

Brief overview of recruitment process at Moss

1. Confirm vacancy, position and number of hours with area manager

2. Advertise the vacancy in shop window and in local newspaper if necessary

3. Provide application forms to possible candidates as well as accepting CV’s

4. Look through applications and create short list for interview

5. Inform all candidates that are successful for the interview stage

6. Carry out interviews

7. Make a decision on a successful candidate (if any) for the position

8. Inform all candidates whether they have been successful or unsuccessful at this stage

9. Induct the successful applicant on first day

10. Going through health and safety, provide information on the role, the store and the company


Motivation - “The process, which encourages and guides behaviour” Being its something you can’t physically see motivation is difficult to be measured, none the less it is a priceless management tool to help develop an individual to give their best within their role at work this applies to the most senior person in your team right down to the most junior member of your team. There are a number of different theories about motivation but they all agree that it essential to boost performance and that is what we want to do at Moss is boost our performance all the time.The main thing to note when motivating your team, you need to realise that different people will be motivated by different things and obviously you will not be expected to know this straight away instead this is something you will learn over a period of time once you get to know your team. As you would imagine money is the main or one of the main motivators for good performance off work, this is why at Moss we have the commission scheme as well as the bonus scheme, so the harder your team work the more money they can earn both at an individual and team level. Whilst this should motivate most of your team there are other key motivators that staff will look for from an employer.


Belonging Some people just want to be part of a group or team and have friends and colleagues around them to fulfil a social need, these people also enjoy a personal status within a team to give them individuality and an identity that the rest of the team are very much aware of. These people need to feel very safe and secure in the work place they need to know all the fire exits and usually prefer to have lockers to keep all their personal belongings in safe storage whilst they are working. These people are quite easy for you to motivate, you need to constantly make them feel safe aw well as constantly reassuring them that they are considered a valid member of the team. This type of person will also appreciate team meetings and briefing so opportunities where everyone in the team can get together and voice concerns and opinions about certain issues. Rewards and Reinforcers Some people want to be rewarded after a desired performance is achieved, this needs to be provided as soon as possible and it’s also something an employee would like to come to expect after a while. It needs to be personal to the employee and rewards need to differ depending on the situation because if you provided the whole team with the same reward for different levels of performance this will de motivate those that are excelling better than others but achieving the same rewards. This reward needs to be delivered consistently and be reinforced so that a member of the team knows if they do something they will get something in return.


The reward at Moss is obviously the commission but to motivate your staff further there are more options to offer non-financial recognition including

•A smile•Thank you•Time off•Interesting project•Course or programme•A letter•Compliments•Positive feedback on performance•Recognition in company publication•More responsibility•Offer to attend important meetings on certain subjects

All these suggestions do not cost the company money so there is no reason why you can’t use them to boost performance, you may be surprised at how a simple ‘thank you’ and some positive feedback can boost an individuals self esteem and in turn make them work harder at their job.

Motivation Rules “What gets asked for gets done!What gets measured gets done better!What gets rewarded gets done best of all!” “What people do during the working day is what is being reinforced by their managers” “If performance is not improving reinforcement is not occurring”


Managing staff performance

You have the responsibility to manage the performance of your team, this is important both for you and your staff as it shows you take an interest in developing them within their roles and are encouraging progression and it is useful for you to see how staff are performing because if anything needs changing, improving or developing within your staff you can identify it and take action. All members of staff should have a weekly sales target to achieve which should be split appropriately between your staff from your store target. This gives each member of staff something to work towards, this in itself provides motivation if it is accompanied with feedback. You should also give each individual member of staff a set of goals and targets that are not sales related with a time period by which it should be completed and then reviewed, this could be a target like using their own initiative to replenish stock without having to be told.Goals and targets direct an individual’s focus towards the goal making them more determined and persistent to achieve, goals should be challenging but realistic and should always be agreed with by both yourself and the member of staff, the goals should also be specific to the individual and measurable. One of the key ways of managing staff performance is by having appraisals or at least feeding back to members of staff about their performance, this will allow you to review the performance of the member of staff and look to see if they have achieved their goals. You should give the member of staff the opportunity to tell you how they think they have got on and you can use this session to praise the employee for what they have done well and give the opportunity to the employee to suggest ways of improving areas that need improving. The member of staff should come out of this meeting feeling very positive about themselves and about their job this in itself will enhance their performance.


Training and development

At Moss we believe in maximising the potential in our staff as well as the potential in our business, when the retail climate is as disappointing as it is currently, we should invest in our staff to develop them and bring out the best in them hence why we offer various training courses delivered by experts both internally and externally. However it is down to you as a manager to put your staff forward for relevant courses, some of the training programmes are listed below

•Customer Service TrainingAt this session employees will learn the Moss Bros standard of customer service and will participate in role-plays to see the effect of good/bad service from the perspective of a customer

•Management InductionThis is a training day specifically for new managers to give them more of a feel for the business, to inform them of what will be required of them and inform them of what support is available

•Sales Assistant InductionThis is a training day specifically for new full time Sales Assistants to give them more of a feel for the business, to inform them of what will be required of them and inform them of what support is available

•Supervisory SkillsThis session will enhance all the abilities of a supervisor and will start to teach supervisors some of the skills needed in order to progress on to an Assistant Manager role

•Rolls Royce of Hire TrainingThis session is run by an external company and provides methods and techniques to improve the hire business


•Suit Selling AcademyThis session provide a day of suit training where staff will learn everything needed to know on the shop floor in order to sell any of our suits confidently

•Shirt Selling AcademyThis session provide a day of shirt training where staff will learn everything needed to know on the shop floor in order to sell any of our shirts confidently

•Recruitment Training A training day open to all members of management to learn interview techniques in order to recruit the right person for your store

•Disciplinary TrainingThis session will train Store Managers on how to deal with incidents that may require disciplinaries in order for issues to resolved effectively and as quickly as possible

•Stars of the FutureThis session is all about progression within Moss Bros and will provide you with the relevant contacts and support in order for you to pursue your career ambitions These courses will help train staff in different key areas to either improve weaknesses or develop strengths These are the programmes currently available with more coming in the near future For more information speak to Danny Patel – Training Coordinator 0207 4327566


The dictionary definition of customer service is “assistance and other resources that a company provides to the people who buy or use its products or services.” At Moss, customer service is the key element within our business as it should be within any sector of the retail industry. We aim to deliver a high standard of customer service and the best people to provide this are you and your sales team as you on the ‘front line’ of the business and have the duty to deliver exceptional customer service to our customers.

As a store manager you will need to know the difference between good and bad customer service, as you will have to set the example to your sales team in order for them to maintain high standards in store. Customer service is a long process and contrary to what some people think it’s not just the sales assistant being helpful towards a customer but there is a lot more to customer service. It is creating the best possible shopping experience for all customers and potential customers this includes everything from having a tidy store that is easy to navigate around to thanking them for their custom as they leave the store. Poor customer service provides a negative experience in store for a customer, this could be the lack of attention from a sales assistant or even the lack of knowledge from a sales assistant.

Customer Service

Customer Service

The importance of high standards of customer service cannot be under estimated in retail, this statement becomes even more important when the retail industry is suffering from the challenges of a decrease in consumer spending. So the fact those customers are either shopping less or spending less when they are shopping it means that as a company we have to maximise the potential and deliver only the best customer service in order for customers to spend money or at least return to your store. Consumers are spending less so we need to have to look at ways to accommodate this, which is why this pack has been provided to you to offer you support and to offer suggestions of maximising the potential in Moss Bros. In terms of customer service we need to make the most of every single customer by fulfilling the needs of the customer and offering more. A key aspect between good and bad service is establishing the right balance in terms of providing a customer service rather than bullying a customer into a purchase this is particularly relevant to Moss due to the commission scheme. Recently Moss Bros have paid for an external company to carry out mystery shops in certain Moss and outlet stores around the country, there have also been customer service surveys sent to a random mix of stores to get some feedback from our customers. As a company we feel these types of measures are well over due and are a great step towards improving the customer service in our business, the surveys and mystery shops also provide hard evidence and a realistic view from unbiased parties that will show us exactly what our customer service is like whether good or bad.Unfortunately all the results came back less than satisfactory with the mystery shop scores of under 60% each and the surveys showing 1 in 6 customers believe the customer service is less than satisfactory within Moss Bros.We are looking at store managers like you to ensure that nothing but the highest standard of customer service is delivered.

As you know at Moss Bros employees are working on a commission basis this provides motivation and drive for employees that are keen to work hard and get extra rewards for it. However the down side is it can affect the customer service being delivered by a sales assistant in a negative way because it can make sales assistant come across ‘pushy’ and look like the sales assistant is going for the hard sale. This can be very off putting for customers who just want to be left to their own devise. The commission scheme can also make sales assistants too eager to approach customers as they come in the shop and if there is a lack of awareness in the store a customer could find themselves being greeted by half your sales team as they enter the store. Most fashion retailers do not work on a commission scheme therefore don’t have these issues of a sales team that becomes too eager and too competitive, however our direct competitors Suits You also work on commission, retailers in other sectors also work on commission for example H Samuel and Phones 4 u. As a store manager you need to aim to establish this balance and emphasise to your sales team that they need to worry about the customers needs first rather than the commission they will make. In 2006 Phillip Mountford and other members of management decided to abolish the commission scheme in all Cecil Gee stores and to compensate all basic salaries were lifted, this has proved successful so far. This was done in order to ensure that employees are concentrating on the service they are providing rather than worrying about earning as much commission as possible.

“If you make a sale you may make commission but if you make a friend you may make a fortune”

Customer Service

If the importance of good customer service is relayed to your team, they are less likely to be too eager and will carry out the service required. Your team needs to be able to identify different customers and how to deal with them in different situations. As well as gaining new customers Moss will always be looking to retain their loyal customer base and if we maintain a high standard of customer service then customers are likely to trust our service and our product alike. Within in retail the best form of advertising is free and comes in the form of word of mouth, customers are very quick to talk about service received both positive and negative alike. So whilst this is great if you are providing a good service it can have quite a downfall if a customer has a negative experience in your store this could potentially loose you business from other customers due to word of mouth, this is why customer service is emphasised in this pack. “It takes years to gain a customer and only seconds to lose one”

Customer Service

1. A customer shopping experience in store starts from the minute someone looks at your windows and considers coming in to your store.

-Are your windows enticing customers to come in?

-Would you consider going in to your shop if you were a customer?

-Are your promotions clear and easy to understand?

-Are standards maintained in your windows in terms of the tidiness and pinning etc?

-Does the stock in the window reflect current trends as well as your brand image?

1. Appearance of staff is vital because your staff appearance has to reflect the brand image. All staff need to be presentable because you are selling clothes and why should a customer buy clothes from someone who can’t dress themselves.

-Are staff wearing stock that is sold in store?

-Are all staff wearing appropriate tailoring that reflects the brand image?

-Are all the males’ clean-shaven?

-Are all males wearing a tie?

-Do all members of staff have their staff cards clearly visible so that customers can identify them as staff?

Customer Service

Customer service covers a lot more that just putting a transaction through the till, there are many aspects of customer service that you should check constantly in order for our customers to enjoy the best possible shopping experience.

3. In store a customer will feel welcomed by being greeted upon entry, this means a smile and a good morning/afternoon just so the customer is acknowledged. At this stage you don’t need to hassle the customer with any other questions.

-Are staff covering the front of the store? -Are they talking to colleagues and ignoring customers entering the store? -Or are they smiling and acknowledging customers? -And greeting them with a good morning/afternoon as they enter the store?

1. This is the part where it depends on the different customers that you could get in your store. Some customers just want to be left to their own device to browse, others will need assistance and appreciate your advice and knowledge, some will believe they are the expert and overrule your expertise. (See customer types)

-Are customers being offered assistance if needed? -Do staff have sufficient product knowledge to answer customers question? -Can staff suggest alternatives if need be? -Are staff being to ‘pushy’ and hassling customers that want to be left to browse -Do staff know how to respond to awkward questions such as“that jumper is cheaper over the road why aren’t you doing it at that price?”

Customer Service

1.A customer needs to feel positive whilst in your store, your store mood helps them to feel positive and in turn more likely to spend money, with this your store needs to appeal to their senses.

-Does the store look presentable? -Is there the right number of garments on an arm? -Have you created visual displays in store? -Does the store smell pleasant? -Is the music in store at a suitable level and does it reflect the brand image?

1.Maximising the potential before closing the sale is vital to boost key performance indicators such as units per transaction as well as average transaction value these will in turn boost your sales performance and profit.

-Are staff offering customers ‘add on items’ and showing them that they work well with what they have so far? -Are staff aware of all current promotions so that they can relay this to customers? -Are staff offering a second pair of trousers (where available) with the purchase of a suit? -Are staff taking down customer details especially email addresses for marketing purposes?

Customer Service

7. A customer needs to find your store commercially appealing and easy to shop, they need to be able to establish links between certain products and know what brands you stock and the advantages they hold.

-Are your walkways easy to navigate around?

-Is the outside of the store (i.e. fascia) clean and illuminated?

-Is your entrance and mat clean?

-Are graphics on display in the right positions?

-Is it clear what brands you stock?

-Are your product adjacencies logical

Customer Service

8. Once all this is done a quick and efficient service at the till point needs to be provided and customers need to be thanked upon leaving the store

-Is there the appropriate number of tills open for customers in queue?

-Are staff making a positive comment about the purchase whilst processing the transaction?

-Are the sales team apologising to customers who have waited?

-Are staff checking that the customer found everything they werelooking for?

-Are staff thanking all customers whether they purchase or not when they are leaving the store?

In order for your sales team to provide effective customer service they need to understand the different customers they may come across and the different ways they need to be approached and assisted. Below are some of the common customers you are likely to get in your store, a couple of characteristics about them and how they would like to be assisted.

•This customer is likely to look at many different products and compare•Unlikely to try on but will hold things up to his body in the mirror•Likely to feel and touch a lot of productThis customer will appreciate being approached and also will be encouraged by the knowledge and advice of a sales assistant•Sales assistant needs to be friendly, honest, ask customer questions and push promotions

•This is customer is likely to take their time when browsing the whole shop•Unlikely to try anything on as their looking for something that stands out at them•This customer will explain that he is ‘just looking’ when approached, the sales assistant needs to accept this and should make the customer aware of where they will be if needed•If this customer needs assistance, which is unlikely then the sales assistant needs to show good product knowledge, be persuasive but believable and be able to explain beneficial features of the product•This customer will hate being pushed into a sale and will soon walk out of your store

Uncertain customer

Just looking customer

Customer Service

•This customer will walk into your store at good pace and will head straight for the department/section they are looking for•This customer is time conscious and will appreciate a time saving and efficient service•Most of the time this customer does not require assistance until he has reached the till•This customer will especially appreciate an easy shopping experience with clear sizing, pricing etc on show•If assistance is required the sales assistant needs to demonstrate store awareness and good product knowledge

Decisive customer

Customer Service

•This customer may ignore your greeting, not because they are rude but because they are naturally quiet and relaxed•This customer will appreciate being left to their own devise•This customer will rely on graphics and signs to do the selling•This customer requires time to shop and will be more comfortable in a store that is easy to navigate•This customer will almost never require assistance and will certainly not appreciate being pushed

Silent customer

•This customer will have a lot of time on their hands and will appreciate being approached•This customer could start of by talking about stock and stray off this subject and start talking about another like football for instance•A sales assistant needs to be careful with this customer as there may be other customers that require your service•But remember to always be professional in the actions you take•This customer could be quite easy to sell to if they get lost in conversation and if the sales assistant builds up a good rapport

Talkative customer

•This customer will appreciate being approached so they can share their opinions with the sales assistant•Sometimes these customers can come across like they know more than the sales assistant•They key thing to remember is these customers are likely to spend money•So therefore the sales assistant needs to be very patient and have a high tolerance level•The sales assistant needs to be able to take criticism and be open to suggestions

Opinionated customer

Wary customer

•This customer is likely to be reluctant to part with their money, this may be due to a negative shopping experience•This customer will appreciate being approached as they are looking for reassurance•The sales assistant needs to be confident in what they say •The sales assistant needs to be persuasive and explain beneficial features of the product•The sales assistant also needs to use the refund policy as a selling tool

Customer Service

If your sales team can identify these different customers they will change and adapt their approach making the customer feel more comfortable and at ease. This will enable the customer to create a good impression of your store and spend more time in your store this in turn increases the chance of your customer spending money but even if they don’t remember that they could quite easily pass on their positive impression which generates you more business and crucially is maximising the potential.

•Is there member of staff at the front of the store?•Are they smiling, making eye contact and greeting customers upon entering the store?•Is the appearance of your staff to company standard and are they reflecting stock currently being sold in store?•Are your sales team putting the customer first?•Are your staff approaching and assisting customers?•Are they making it clear that they are there if customer should need them?•Are your sales assistants building a rapport with customer and making wives/partners feel included?•Are your sales assistants offering alternative products and demonstrating excellent product knowledge?•Are your sales assistants on fitting rooms honest, tactful and persuasive?•Are all sales assistants encouraging add on sales and promotions?•Does the mood in store reflect your brand i.e. the music being at a suitable level?•Are your sales assistants demonstrating company awareness i.e. suggesting other brands/stores within in the company that could help?•Are your sales assistants going further for the customer than is expected?•Are they apologising if there is a queue at the till?•Are they making a positive comment about the customers purchase?•Are they thanking all customers as they leave the store or at the till once transaction is complete?

Customer service checklist

Customer Service

Key Areas of Customer ServiceCustomer service needs to be maintained throughout the store however there are key areas in store where it is especially important, these include the front of the store, fitting rooms and the till point. It is especially important that there is a welcoming feel at the front of the store, this is where a customer starts to build an impression on the store, its also where they will exit the store so if a sales assistant says thank you as they leave the store they are likely to remember it and return to your store.

Customer service at the fitting room is always essential as this is where there is great potential to maximise sales. As the customer is trying items on and in a state of uncertainty, a sales assistant has the opportunity to persuade and convince the customer whilst also building a rapport with the customer, the customer will slowly begin to trust the advice and expertise being given and therefore will start to be open to suggestions, this is where a sales assistant can capitalise and encourage the customer to spend more money by offering extra/different items.

Another key point in store where customer service needs to remain at its best is at the till point as this is where the customer is parting with their money and need to feel happy doing so, in order for this to be the case the process needs to be quick and efficient. Items need to be treated with care and folded properly and then placed in the correct size bag. A positive comment should be made about the purchase in order to add value to the customers purchase.

Customer Service

Monitoring Customer ServiceAs a manager at Moss it is vital that you monitor your current service so you can maintain it at the highest standard, as a company Moss Bros Group PLC will be consistently reviewing customer service in stores across the group. But having the responsibility of your store you should be observing customer service in your store by individual members of staff and praise the ones that are delivering this well but also come up with innovative ideas to develop those that are not delivering the high standard of customer service which is expected at Moss. As well observing the customer service in your store you should also welcome feedback from customers themselves and act upon it when both negative and positive. You should also welcome ideas from your staff on how to improve the customer service at Moss. This could be reassuring for our customers as they can see that we are always monitoring out customer service to provide them with the best shopping experience on the high street.

Customer Service

Customer complaintsWhilst as a company we aim to please all our customers with our service and product there are rare occasions when customers are less than satisfied with our service or product. In this instance a customer may decide to quite rightly come in to the store and make a complaint to you. If this is the case it is very important that you are aware of how to behave in order to resolve the issue and ensure it doesn’t happen again. Obviously how you decide to resolve the matter will depend on the severity of it, however there is some general guidance that we can provide for you in order for the issue to be resolved as quickly as possible and regaining the customers trust at the same time.•Always listen to the customer and don’t interrupt them whilst talking because if you respond too soon and they are quite angry this could anger them further•Always start off by apologising regardless of whether you initially believe the customer is at fault•Try and resolve the issue immediately where possible for example offering an exchange or refund•If it is a customer service issue then sympathise and agree with the customer, apologise and ensure that action will be taken•Don’t blame other people i.e. head office, we are one company so accept responsibility if you pass the blame this will anger the customer more•If the issue can not be resolved straight away then take contact details from the customer and assure the customer that you will get it sorted by a certain date and stick to it. Remember always deal with the issue yourself.•If you are getting the same complaint about a particular product then speak to the relevant people straight away as we need to act fast to recall the product if there is a product fault.•Where necessary offer future discounts to the customer for their inconvenience and as an attempt to regain their trust after a bad experience.•Always finish off by apologising again and ensuring that action will be taken in order for that matter to be resolved and not occur again

Customer Service

You must emphasise the importance of customer service to your team, you must also lead by example and set the standard that is required by Moss Bros. It is your responsibility to take action if your service is not up to standard, you need to come up with realistic ways to develop your team’s level of customer service. There is a link between service and sales figures as providing a customer with the best possible shopping experience will justify all your price points and still make the customer feel positive about their purchase and likely to return to your store, which is vital for our business.

Adding ValueAt Moss part of the customer service that we are looking to emphasise on is adding value to what we do, with trade being tough this year we need to stand out, we need to be different, we sell the same stock as our competition but if we add value customers are more likely to shop with us over our competitors. There are a number of ways that we add value in our marketing, in our product endorsement, in our pricing architecture, in our locations and opening times but we mostly add value in our customer service, we pride ourselves on truly putting our customers first. Value is added to our customer service in a number of ways including the locating stock that isn’t in store, the alteration service we provide. As well as this our sales assistants are trained to give honest advice yet use selling tools and promotions to maximise sales.

Customer Service

As a store manager you will be responsible for the layout and appearance of your store so it is down to you to optimise sales with the space you have. Your store needs to provide an excellent shopping experience by having enticing windows and an easy to shop layout. Customers need to be attracted to your store so it has to have visual impact this is something that Moss has lacked in the last few years hence why we are now concentrating more on the visual impact of our stores. At the moment Moss stores are being refitted and a number of stores have already been done but majority of the stores are still waiting to be refitted, this will be carried out in the next three years.The new store concept is modern and contemporary, we have gone for white tiled flooring to give a more luxurious feel to the store. We also have bigger and better spot lighting to shed more light on our product. All metalwork in now of a brushed steel finish and we also have new floor fixtures which hold more product for similar amounts of space which will optimise the sales per square metre. We are now also keener on visual displays in store with specific bays allocated for large picture frames with current graphics in to create a focal point within the store. Whether you are the manager in a new or old store layout there are ways of making your store attractive to customers. Work is being done to make our windows more appealing with introducing themes and props into our windows.

Store Appearance and Commerciality

Your windows need to reflect what your shop is like inside so it needs to be tidy and be arranged in an orderly fashion, it is important that your windows are not clustered with sale graphics and too much stock. Your windows have to have a balance of the different ways in which you can present certain stock. As Moss stores don’t usually have huge windows you need to make the most of the space you have by presenting stock clearly, advertising promotions clearly and portraying the correct message about the Moss brand. Please see the next page for an example of a window layout


•This window includes a backdrop right at the back of the window to capture the focus of anyone looking in•Towards the left of the window there is a shirt ladder this is a more interesting way of displaying the product•There are two mannequins towards the right of the window with one behind the other showing a sense of perspective.•The window is finished with table at the front of the window this can be used to display cufflinks and accessories •Everything in your window should be in a triangle like shape this is to ensure the focus is on the center of the window and then the eye can move outwards

Please see the next page for a typical 120m² Moss store, this store has selling space over two floors with casualwear and formal shirts at the front of the store and accessories and entry price suiting towards the back of the store. These products are at the back of the ground floor because they are more core products therefore a customer will walk through the store to get to them. It is also important that you have entry price suits before premium as the low price points are likely to draw more customers attention once this is the case then a sales assistant can sell the mid price and premium suits we stock. The layout shows logical product adjacencies to encourage customers to buy products that go together for example shirts and ties. It shows where the categorised suits are placed this can change depending on location and customer demographic for example if you have a younger target customer it would make more sense to lead with fashion or contemporary suits rather than classic. It shows both primary and secondary sightlines so you know where to place new stock or displays to generate interest from the customer and encourage them to walk around the store. The layout shows where the main walkway is and also where secondary walk ways are positioned this is to encourage the walk around the store as much as possible to increase the chance of them spending money.



Ground Floor First Floor

Mat 1 is Casualwear

Mat 2 is Formal Shirts

Mat 3 Ties & Accessories

Mat 4 is Suiting

Mat 5 is Dresswear

•This Block plan is an example for a typical 120m² Moss store

•It has a turnover of £1million per year

•A required density of £8,333 per sqm

• However on the assumption that 20% of the floor space is non-selling space this leaves 96sqm of selling space

•This actually makes the required density £10,416 per square metre Please see the next page for more detail

This is Non-selling space

Ground Floor First Floor

Block Plan


Store Information

There are 120 square metres in total for this store

Mat 1 (Casualwear) consists of 16m²

Mat 2 (Formal Shirts) consists of 14m²

Mat 3 (Ties and Accessories) consists of 6m²

Mat 4 (Suiting) consists of 50m²

Mat 5 (Dresswear) consists of 10m²

Non-Selling Space consists of 24m²

The required density for all space is £8,333 and £10,416 for all selling space which is 80% of the whole store. So throughout the year you should monitor your density and if its not meeting the required target then will need to look at your space allocation for the different Mats and change accordingly.

Product Information

This table shows the relation between turnover per department and space allocation per department. It shows that Suiting takes 52% of total turnover hence why it is given the most amount of space it also shows that Mats containing small products like Accessories should be given less space due to the size of the product as they don’t need as much space to meet the required density.


Sales Plan £ AVSP Example Product TypesSquare Metres Density per sqm

Suiting £600,000 £179 work and fashion suits 50 12,000Formal Shirts £130,000 £25 work shirts 14 9286

£730,000 64 11,406Casual Trousers £40,000 £40 chinos, combats and jeans 5 8000Sacual Knitwear £25,000 £25 v-neck, roll neck and merino jumpers 3 8333Casual Shirts £65,000 £30 Short sleeve and long sleeve 8 8125

£130,000 16 8125Accessories £15,000 £12 belts, cufflinks 2 7500Ties £25,000 £15 work ties 4 6250

£40,000 6 6667Dress Suits £80,000 £149 shawl lapel, peak lapel styles 8 10,000Dress Accessories £20,000 £20 white gloves, dress scarves, bow ties 2 10,000

£100,000 10 10,000

Total £1,000,000 96 10,416


Sightlines and focal pointsWhen planning the layout of your store, an important factor to consider is the sightlines. They are the next aspect of your store that you can use as an attraction after your windows. Sightlines are the direction a customer will automatically look once in your store, in some larger stores you can create primary and secondary sightlines, the primary ones being the main direction a customer may look in and the secondary sightlines have slightly less impact but are still directions that a customer may look in.So to use these to your advantage it makes sense to put new styles and colours in the view of these sightlines in order to generate interest from your customers, you could also put on promotional product in these areas in order to promote offers and generate sales. Sightlines are an excellent way of not only drawing customers into the store but also encouraging them to browse as well.Graphics at the end of a sightline are effective as they create a focal point for the customer, a focal point is what is at the end of a sightline, this needs to be something that engages the eye and generates interest of the customer. Focal points can manipulate the direction people are going to look if they are appealing enough. Focal points can be of quite a few objects or just the one in order to create an effective display. Displays can include the use of mannequins, graphic use, stock display or even props like flowers, which is currently a popular focal point for hire departments.Below is an example of an effective focal point at the flagship Moss Bros store in Covent Garden.

Floor fixture positioningWhen planning the positioning of your floor fixtures you need to ensure not only that they are visually in the right place but also in terms of optimising the selling space as well so that you are making the most of the space you have in your store.

During the process of planning the positioning of your floor fixtures there are three main things to consider including, the choice of fixture for the product you want to display (circular table, rectangular table, four-way, shelved table or gondolas etc) for example, you would put a choice of ties or cufflinks on a circular tables because this way you are creating visual impact because they are a small product but you can fit a number of them this increases the potential sales as well as you could fit far fewer shirts on the table. You could also add visual impact by adding something simple like some flowers or a plant into the middle of the table.



The balance of fixtures on the shop floor, so you have a mixture and variation in the way you display your stock, but make sure you don’t have one every fixture out as this will make your stock look tacky rather than presentable. The amount of each fixture you are able to have out will depend on how much floor space you don’t want to overcrowd the floor with fixtures as this will compromise your sightlines and walkways.

The positioning of floor fixtures should not block sightlines to focal points within your store or else this defeats the objective of having clear sightlines in place. Your walkways also should not be comprised and should be clear and never be one straight line from the entrance to the back of the store. Where possible front fixtures should be placed in an upside down V-shape in order to funnel customers through the store, customers should also be encouraged to walk of the main walk way and visit different areas of the store. It is important that your walkways are not too wide or too narrow, your main walkway should be able to accommodate a double pram with ease and your secondary walkways should be approximately 0.8m wide.


Wall bays like floor fixtures need to be set up with a balance of visual impact and making the most of the selling space, the dynamic of your wall should change from time to time as new stock comes into your store. There are different ways of presenting stock on wall bays using different bars this also needs to change from time to time so that a repeat customer doesn’t get bored of looking at the same presentation of stock every time they enter your store. Even if you have the same product in place like jeans and they are hanging at full length and you change your wall around and put the jeans folded on shelves this can create the impression that the stock has changed an create an interest from the customer.Sometimes it is a good idea to plan your changeover on a piece of paper then you can visualise it and correct any errors before you start to change the metalwork. You will be able to see if your stock looks balanced and you can plan how many items of stock you will fit in the intended space. In order to create a visual impact at Moss we tend to merchandise our wall symmetrically we also add mannequins displaying stock directly underneath or next to it, we also use graphics to promote certain brands and offers.


This planner-gram shows a 3 bay dresswear wall, the two end bays consist of 4 styles of dinner jackets that are forward facing, as they are all mix and match suits the separate trousers are beneath them, side hanging on the outside and forward facing on the inside this is done to create a balance of side hanging and forward facing garments. The middle bay consists of dress shirts in pigeon holes at the bottom with bow ties and cummerbunds (both black and a choice of colours) these are hung on prongs in order to make a display from the stock as the colours are eye capturing.

The wall is completed with the new black signage with Vetuno in red as it a fashion brand and Pierre Cardin in gold because it is a classic brand.


This planner-gram shows a 4 bay wall consisting of casualwear, the two top outside bays show forward facing shirts and t-shirts and underneath are trousers and shorts that will compliment the tops and create an outfit. The bottom two central bay consist of polo shirts and cargo shorts that a customer can mix and match the colour options to create a number of outfits, this increase the chance of a customer buying the same product in various colours. The top two central bays create a visual display with the framed graphic on the right and the folded casual shirts that are shown in the graphic on the right, this an effective way of merchandising product so that the customer can be drawn in the graphic and easily find the product advertised in the graphic.

ProductProduct Units on straight Units on straight forward forward facing armfacing arm

Units per arm Units per arm on a 4-way on a 4-way fixturefixture

Units on D- bar Units on D- bar (1.2m (1.2m long)long)

FoldedFolded

SuitsSuits 88 77 2121 N/aN/a

Formal JacketsFormal Jackets 88 77 N/aN/a N/aN/a

FormalFormalTrousersTrousers

16 or 8 per step 16 or 8 per step on step armon step arm

1212 3636 N/aN/a

Dress SuitsDress Suits 88 77 2121 N/aN/a

Casual JacketsCasual Jackets 88 77 N/aN/a N/aN/a

Casual Casual TrousersTrousersJeansJeans

16 or 8 per step 16 or 8 per step on step armon step arm

1212 3636 6 per pile6 per pile

JerseyJersey 12 per arm or 6 12 per arm or 6 per step on per step on step armstep arm


Casual ShirtsCasual Shirts 12 per arm or 6 12 per arm or 6 per step on per step on step armstep arm


KnitwearKnitwear 8 per arm or 4 per 8 per arm or 4 per step on step step on step armarm

12 if thin or 7 12 if thin or 7 if thickif thick

2424 6 per pile if thin 6 per pile if thin or 4 per or 4 per pile if pile if thickthick

CoatsCoats 66 44 1818 N/aN/a

ShirtsShirts 8 per pigeon hole8 per pigeon hole N/aN/a N/aN/a N/aN/a

Please note that is to be used only as a guide and is only applicable during straight trading periods, as this will vary during sale periods. All stock must be clearly labelled with either a size cube on hanging garments or a size sticker on folded garments. The smallest size should always be at the front if hanging or at the top if folded with the largest size at the back if hanging and at the bottom if folded.


Densities and Size Runs

Additional stock presentation tips•Always ensure clear price and size indication on each garment

•Always ensure you are using the correct branded hanger and hanger type for the garment style

•The tops of hangers should always be in the shape of a question mark

•When possible hangers should be evenly spaced out

•Folded garments should always be folded to VM guidelines ( See visual merchandising training pack)

•All items should be tagged, this should be done carefully through the right side seam (as front of garment is facing you)

Housekeeping There is no use maintaining a high standard of stock presentation if your store is not meeting house keeping standards this is why•Hoovering of the whole store needs to be done daily

•Polishing of metal work needs to be carried out

•Dusting of pigeon holes needed to be carried out

•Shop window needs to get cleaned

•Suits need to be brushed in order to remain dust free

•Cleaning of mirrors needs to take place

•Cash desks need to be kept clutter free

•Back of house needs to be kept just as clean (stockroom, staffroom and toilet)


Brand and product placementIn order to make as much profit as possible you need to place your products and brands in the most appropriate areas within your store, in the majority of most mainstream Moss stores only stock Dehavilland (our own brand) Casualwear. This means you don’t have to worry about the positioning of brands like you do in formalwear however you do need to think carefully when positioning product, when merchandising you need to do so vertically for example hanging a range of jeans underneath a range of casual shirts this creates an outfit and will generate more sales. You also need to consider logical product adjacencies for examples having the shirt section next to the cufflink section and also next to the tie section this allows the customer to make associated links between the products and can make it easier for a sales assistant to encourage link sales, which in turn will increase sales and other key performance indicators like average transaction value and units per transaction. As you well know Moss are the number one branded suits specialists in the country, so you need to be aware of how to sit your brands. There are three categories classic, contemporary and fashion and your brands should be placed together under these categories so for example all the classic brands should sit close together as they all represent similar cuts, design and quality.In terms of commerciality you need to place best selling or promotional product towards the front of your store to attract customers in and basic product or a product will need like a suit towards the back of your store as the customer will go wherever it is placed and may see other products that capture their attention whilst passing through your store.

Here are some examples of the brands we stock and the categories they sit under.

ClassicPierre CardinBaumlerSavoy Taylor GuildDehavilland

ContemporaryMossCerrutiBlazerDaniel Hechter

FashionBen ShermanVetunoTed BakerFrench Connection


As a manager you have a responsibility of increasing sales and decreasing costs in order to create a profit in your store because essentially profit = sales – costs.There are a number of ways to increase sales for example maximising the potential from promotions. You also need to ensure your sales team are performing to the best of their ability and are meeting company standards when it comes to delivering customer service. Your staff need to be motivated and be enthusiastic about encouraging add on sales.There is no disputing the importance of increasing sales but if you are not monitoring your costs then you will not gain the profit percentage required. This is why it is just as important to monitor your costs and take effective action to cut back where possible. There are various different things that you should be looking at when looking at costs including

•Light, heat and power•Stationary•Telecommunication •Wages•Shrinkage•Bad debts (till errors)•Amount of refunds your store is receiving

Profit and Loss

You should ensure that you are economising when it comes to your utility bills not only will this benefit your profit but is also better for the environment. - Are lights being left on when they don’t need to be?- Are computers being left on for long periods of time with no one using them?- Is your heating left on all the time or is it being regulated according to the temperature of your store?Stationary costs are something that mangers will usually overspend on this is normally due to a lack of communication between staff, so you might order 10 packs of paper because your printers are running low, your Assistant Manager notices the same problem and orders 10 packs but you both haven’t told anyone so your supervisor does the same thing and you end up with 30 packs of paper when you only needed 10. So communicate with your management staff and ensure that only one of you is ordering stationary and that person makes everyone aware of what they are ordering. In your store you have phones for the purpose of contacting customers when needed and to ring staff at other stores or head office if an immediate response is required. If an immediate response is not required why not email the people you wish to communicate with as this is more cost effective and will free up the phone for customers who need to contact the store. It is not acceptable for any member of staff to make personal calls from the store phone unless it an urgent case and this should be down to your discretion.

Profit and Loss

Your till errors also need to be monitored as this will also affect your profit if this keeps occurring, in order for till errors not to occur you need to make sure all your staff are till trained and giving back the right amounts of change, you also need to ensure that members of management are doing the cashing up properly at the end of the day and that the banking is being done properly. If you’re noticing that your tills are down on a regular basis, it could mean a member of staff is taking money from the till in this instance you need to monitor the situation very closely by checking system reports to see who is accessing the till, you should also ensure that at the beginning of a shift all personal belongings like wallets and money should not be on the shop floor this should enable you to resolve the issue as soon as possible. Finally if money is withdrawn from the till for it need to be processed through the till correctly and when change is put back in the till you must go through the correct process.Awareness of staff on a shop floor is the best security measure that can be put in place in a store. Your staff need to be able to recognise signals of someone who is likely to take stock without paying for it. In addition to this you to ensure that all items of stock are tagged and that you are checking and changing CCTV tapes on a regular basis in order to minimise the risk of people stealing from your store. Although this is will be unfortunate the stock lost will affect your profit at the end of the year. As well as this your staff all need to know how to deal with faulty stock because this could also affect your profit.

Profit and Loss

When a customer comes into your store for a refund, your staff should be asking the relevant questions as to why they are bring the product back and where possible your staff should be encouraging exchanges rather than refunds this way you swap the stock over and don’t lose any money. If you keep getting refunds on a regular basis and you are not noticing the reason, for example it’s a product fault and the reason you are not aware of this is your staff are not asking questions then this will affect your sales, which in turn will affect your profit.You should be aware that some of your costs are uncontrollable for example the rent of your store but there are a number of controllable costs including those mentioned above but your biggest controllable cost will be your payroll spend.At Moss Bros you are expected to use 10% of your total sales as the amount of money you are allocated for your payroll spend. For example if you have taken £24,600 in a week then you should not be spending more than £2460 on your payroll for spend on your entire staff including your wage costs, this must include basic salaries and commission. If you are spending less than the expected 10% of your sales this is great and will reflect in your profit and loss reports. However you do need to ensure that you are not understaffed and that you have enough floor cover. When planning rotas and floor cover always consider

•The size of the store•The number of floors•The day of the week•The time of year

Please see the next page for an example of a small out of city store, with minimum floor cover, optimised floor cover and maximum floor cover.

Profit and Loss

Profit and Loss

Making sure your store is graded accurately allows you to maximise your sales potential, if you are graded inaccurately you will get either too much or too little stock. At Moss Bros the grading process is split up by brand in suiting, all other stock is graded by product type, for example you will receive

•A grade for casualwear•A grade for formal shirts•A grade for ties•A grade for cufflinks and accessories•A grade for every brand of mix and match suit•A grade for every brand of set suit•A grade for dresswear

Your store grading determines the number of ranges, you receive for your store. It is measured on the sales performance of the product/brand and the sales per square metre. So for example if you have a suit wall with three bays dedicated to Ted Baker suits and three bays dedicated to French Connection, but your sales reports show that Ted Baker suits sales have increased dramatically in contrast to French Connection suits which are struggling to perform. So in this case your grading might go up for Ted Baker and go down for French Connection so when the new ranges come in you will be allocated an extra two ranges of Ted Baker but two less ranges of French Connection, so on the same six bay wall you will have four bays dedicated to Ted Baker and only two for French Connection. This in theory should boost your sales per square metre as you will selling more of stock that is doing well and less of stock that isn’t doing so well, so you will be generating more sales from the same amount of space.

Store Grading

It is important that you communicate with the merchandising and allocation team (see store directory for contact details) to ensure that you are being graded correctly, should you ever have any doubts over your grades it is important that you discuss it with the merchandising team because if you are graded incorrectly it will have consequences.If you are under graded you may not receive the amount of stock you require and therefore lose potential sales. In addition to this you may not get replenishment as quick as you need it which again will affect your sales performance. On the other hand if you are over graded this could mean you receive far too much stock that you have no space for and could end up with lots of stock left over at the end of the season that you have to markdown in order to make space for new lines, again this will have a severe affect on your sales performance.

The grades range from one to five, one being the highest-grade meaning your store is amongst the best performing stores in the company for that brand or product and five meaning you don’t perform very well on this brand or product, note that this is not necessarily because you are doing anything wrong it could be down to factors that are not within your control such as the location of your store.

Every store will also have an overall store grade this will correlate with turnover, size of the store and consumer footfall.

Store Grading

Below is a table with an example of a few stores from each overall store grade of one to five

Store Grade

Covent Garden, London 1

The Strand, London 1

New Bond Street, London 2

Oxford Street West, London 2

Trafford Centre, Manchester 2

The Hayes, Cardiff 2

Lakeside Shopping Centre, Thurrock 3

Bluewater Shopping Centre, Kent 3

Blomfield Street, London 3

Gracechurch Street, London 3

Fenchurch Street, London 3

Cheapside, London 3

Crawley, Surrey 4

White Lion Street, Norwich 4

Park Street, Bristol 4

New Street, Birmingham 4

The parade, Lemington Spa 4

Canterbury, Kent 5

Newcastle upon Tyne 5

Braintree, Essex 5

Bold Street, Liverpool 5

Chelmsford, Essex 5

Old Street, Oxford 5

Carnell Street, Gloucestershire 5

Store Grading

First of all who is the typical Moss shopper? Below is a customer demographic of the ‘Moss Man’The Moss Man

Age: 25 – 45

Occupation: Marketing, Accountancy, Recruitment, Finance Worker And Insurance Broker,

Yearly Income: 18k – 35k

Living in: 2 – 4 bedroom house or apartment in urban towns and cities

Family lifestyle: Married or has a partner with 1 or 2 children

Socio-economic group: ABC1

Interests and hobbies: Watching and playing sports like football, golf and rugby also interested in cars

Media use: Internet and Newspapers – from The Guardian, The Daily Mail to The Mirror

Opinion on shopping: Not the best thing in the world but has to be done

Height: 5’8”

Chest: 40”

Waist: 36”

Awareness of Competition

One of the key ways to drive your sales is to stay ahead of the competition, of course in order to do that you need to be aware of who your competitors is, you have to think about where would the ‘Moss Man’ shop if Moss Bros didn’t exist?

Awareness of Competition

Perceptual Map

This perceptual map shows some of the main competitors of Moss Bros today, as you can see due to the broad target market we appeal to we have many competitors right through from Tesco competing with our entry price point suits to Hackett competing with our prestige collection.We have different competitors for different parts of the Moss fascia, for example there are many privately owned Formal Hire business’s as well as Debenhams Formal Hire, which is currently very strong. In Casualwear we are mainly competing with the likes of Burton and Next who both do suiting as well.Our main direct competitor is Suits You as they cover Formal Hire, Formalwear and Casualwear like ourselves, they also stock a number of various brands similarly to us. However we are ‘The UK’s No.1 Suit Specialist’, we stock more brands offering more choice and variety for our customer and we have a lot more stores around the country.

At Moss we are always looking at ways in which we can improve our business for both staff and customers, this is particularly relevant when the retail environment is tough. Consumer footfall is dropping and less money is being spent which might mean that stores aren’t achieving targets, this could cause staff to get de-motivated and therefore not perform to the best of their ability. It our responsibility to ensure this doesn’t happen by reviewing targets, providing more praise for members of staff that are consistently doing well in WISE (our company publication). We will also continue to provide different incentives for all members of staff and these will be realistic with current issues taken into consideration. The commission percentage for retail and hire is currently under review and could increase as soon as August 2008.To improve the business for our customers we are looking to emphasise the quality of our clothing at the value prices we sell them at, in a tough retail environment its imperative that you stand out from your competitors and that you have a point of difference that will encourage customers to walk into your store rather than that of a competitors. So in order for us to stand out we have to continue to develop the Moss Bros brand by building on the reputation we already have.

Moss Going Forward

We currently have the new concept store being rolled out to enhance the fact that Moss is contemporary fashion retailer, it is strengthening our brand image as well as being more practical and providing a better shopping experience for our customers. We are currently in talks about launching a television advertising campaign for the first time ever in the history of Moss Bros, however this will only be carried out when all store portray the same brand image and are boasting the new shop fit.Another step towards improving our brand was the recent decision to categorise the different brands we stock, this makes it clearer for the customer to understand the brands better when they are grouped together in terms of similar fit, quality and design.

Classic brands represented by the colour GoldDehavilland, Baumler, Pierre Cardin, STG, Ermenegildo Zegna and Ralph Lauren

Classic brands are mainly a regular cut with quality fabrics and timeless design

Contemporary brands represented by the colour SilverMoss, Daniel Hechter, Blazer and Cerruti

Contemporary brands boast a stylish silhouette with unrivalled attention to detail Fashion brands represented by the colour RedVetuno, Ben Sherman, Ted Baker and French Connection Fashion brands are usually a slim fit and bring a unique style to any suit

Moss Going Forward

moss - trading successfully 2008

Documents

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moss bros brand

moss brand valuesprovide

hire services

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company profilein