Type of Retailers

Retail Organizations have shown great variety and different format of stores which are coming up quite rapidly. Generally Retailers can be of six types.

1.Specialty Store
This store is characterized by narrow product lines but with deep assortments such as Apparel Store, Sporting goods store, Furniture store, Florist and Book store. Under this also there could be specializations like limited line store (eg. Men’s clothing store) and Super specialty store (eg. Men’s custom shirt store). Examples of such stores are Athlete’s foot, Tall men.

2.Departmental Store
Deparmental store has Several Product Lines – typically clothing, home furnishing and household goods with each line operated as a separate department managed by specialist buyers and merchandisers. Examples are such as Sears, JC Penny, Nordstrom.

3.Supermarkets
Relatively large, low cost, low margin high volume, self service operation which is designed to cater total needs for food, laundry, household maintenance products. Supermarkets earn an average profit of only 1 percent on sales. Example: Safeway, Kroger and more.

4.Convenience Store
These are the stores which are relatively small in size and they are located near residential area, normally remains open seven days a week and carrying a limited line of high turnover convenience products at slightly high prices. Many have added take away sandwiches, coffee and pastries. Examples: 7-Eleven ,Circle K

5.Discount Stores
Standard merchandise sold at lower prices with lower margin but higher volumes. Actual discount stores regularly sell merchandise at lower prices and offer mostly national brands. In Discount retailing, Discount specialty retailing is also present Such as discount electronic store or discount book store. Examples: Wal- Mart (all purpose discount store), Kmart. For Specialty store: Crown Bookstore.

6.Off Price Retailers
Merchandise bought at less than regular wholesale prices and sold at less than retail prices. Often left over goods, irregulars are obtained at reduced prices from manufacturers and other retailers. Factory outlets are owned and operated by manufacturers and they normally carry manufacturer’s surplus, discontinued and irregular goods. Examples: Mikasa (Dinnerware) and Dexter(Shoes).