`

Human Resource Management (HRM) is extremely important in Retailing. Because a retail store is a combination of merchandise and service. The product and service is delivered through the human interface between the store employees and customer. Human Resource Management is the effective use of human resource in order to enhance organizational performance.

The Retailers face a special human resource environment characterized by: 1. Large number of inexperienced workers - Due to the need of large retail labor force, Low wages paid for positions often means hiring those with little or no prior experience. 2. Long working hours - Retail shops have longer working hours since most customers want to shop during evenings and weekends. 3. Part Time Employees - Due to their long working hours, retailer regularly hire part-time employees. 4. Highly visible employees - Retailing employees are highly visible because they directly interact to the customer thus special care is taken with regard to their manners and appearance. 5. Variability in the customer demand - Demands of customers varies by per day, time period, or season. These factors make the hiring, staffing, and supervision of the employees a complex process.

Organization structure described as a formal system by which various activities to be performed by employees are identified and determined, indicating the line of authority and responsibility in the firm. It is the formal system of task and reporting relationships that controls, coordinates and motivate employees so that they cooperate to achieve an organization's goal. A retailer can't survive unless its organization structure satisfies the need of the target market.

It should encourage employees to work and develop Cooperation Among employees in work. Allow people and groups to cooperate and work effectively- Organization design is a process where in managers select and manage various dimension and components of organizational structure and culture to achieve organizations goals.

` ` ` `

Should Focus for Specialization Matching authority and responsibility. Determining the reporting relationship. Focus of retail Strategy

A Retail Strategy can be defined as a specific plan or framework of action that direct a retailer to achieve its goals. A Strategic Retail Planning is the total planning of company's overall resources for the achievement of objective. It describes how retailers select target market segment, determine the appropriate retail format, and build a sustainable competitive advantage.

1. Strategic Retail Planning Provides thorough analysis of the requirements for doing business for different types of retailers 2. Strategic Retail Planning Outlines retailer goals 3. Strategic Retail Planning determine how to differentiate itself from competitors 4. Strategic Retail Planning Allows an analysis of the legal, economic, and competitive environment 5. Strategic Retail Planning Encourages anticipation and avoidance of crises.

` `

` `

Process of setting up a retail organization is outlined below: 1. Identify the specific task to be performed in retail distribution channel The tasks in a distribution channel should be identified and provided for the adopted strategy mix i.e. Buying merchandise, shipping merchandise, receiving and checking merchandise etc. 2. Dividing the task among channel members: However the task mentioned above does not needed to be performed by the retailer. It can be divided among the retailer manufacturer or whole seller etc. The task should be carried out only if desired by the target market and should be done by the member of distribution with best competence. 3. Grouping the retailer task into jobs: The jobs are grouped after determining the tasks to be performed. It is important that the jobs must be clearly structured. For an example displaying merchandising and customer handling could be the job of sales personnel. 4. Classifying the jobs: Here jobs are broadly classified into functional, Product, geographic or combination. 5. Developing an organizational chart: It is important to design the format of retail organization in an integrated, coordinated way. Taking the following into consideration a retailer devises organization chart which graphically displays its hierarchical relationship.

Retail Planning and Forecasting allows retailer to create, modify and track their financial, assortment and promotional plans for each channel and communicate changes to marketplace. Planning and Forecasting includes everything a retailer need to predict and respond to changes: Demand Forecasting-Keep it simple and accurate. Predict demand at any combination of product and location nodes. Multi-Channel PlanningIntegrate planning for your web, catalog and store channels to reduce redundancy and increase efficiency. Financial PlanningPlan top-down or bottom-up with an easy to use, but powerful solution that manages multiple versions of plans across categories, channels and time periods.

Assortment Planning Planning of assortments by customer. See buyers' changes immediately so you can reach your financial goals with the right mix of products. Promotion PlanningCoordinate all aspects of your promotions from one solution. Create, forecast and track events and feed anticipated lift to replenishment to avoid stock-outs on featured products. Visual Merchandise Planning-Visual Merchandising is largely associated with creating the look of the store. Visual Merchandising involve the total merchandise or service presentation, the overall business image, and also for the building and placement of design elements Store Operations Planning - Integration of Front end and back end operation is important efficient store operation and profit.