Retail Operations: Concessions, Merchandising, and Ticket Sales

1
Retail Operations Concessions, Merchandising,
and Ticket Sales

• Chapter 8

2
Retail Operations

• Sporting events
• Beverage
• Fast food
• Parking
• Premium restaurants
• Merchandise sales
• Non-sporting events
• Rentals
• Downhill ski facilities and services

• Equestrian services
• Golf facilities and services
• Marina services
• Shuttle bus service
• Theater productions
• Movie theaters
• Vending machine services
• Aquatics facilities and services
• Hotel/motel services

3
Major Concessionaires

• Aramark
• Compass
• Fine Hosts Corporation
• Global Spectrum
• Sodexho
• Sportservice Corporation
• Volume Services America

4
Food Concession Guidelines

• Employee appearance
• Training goals
• Maintenance goals
• Operation goals
• Regulations
• Inspections
• Patron comforts

• Safety certification
• Sanitation
• Guest relations
• Professional signs and pricing
• Decorations
• Food handlers guidelines

5
Effective Alcohol Sales

• Develop an alcohol management plan
• Develop procedures to stop outside alcohol from
  entering venue
• Establish crowd control procedures for alcohol
  management
• Install signage to enlighten patrons about
  responsible drinking
• Establish a strong ejection policy
• Do not promote or advertise drinking during the
  event

6
Continued Sales Strategy

• Make sure security personnel are aware of crowd
  demographics
• All staff should complete alcohol management
  school
• Establish consumption policies
• Tailgating only permitted in parking lots under
  strict supervision of security personnel
• Establish non-alcohol sections within the venue
• Develop a designated-driver program

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Strategies for a SuccessfulParking Concession

• Purchase adequate liability insurance
• Provide adequate surfacing for the proposed
  traffic
• Ensure safe entrance and exit areas
• Provide adequate lighting
• Plan for immediate snow and ice removal

• Establish an emergency plan for the space
• Ensure that adequate supervision and security is
  available
• Provide for the safety of the pedestrians
• Plan a graphic system
• Provide an adequate number of cashiers and
  attendants

8
Parking Controls

• Sensors or loops buried in each entrance line
• A single pass lane
• A cashier or checker watching the sellers and
  authorizing passes
• Spot checks on sellers

• Different colored tickets for different events,
  days, or hours
• Cash registers,
• TV monitors
• Clean graphics and signs indicating special
  entrances

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Questions for Finding a Retail Niche

• How is my store special and unique?
• What groups of people would most benefit by what
  I offer?
• How have I physically set up my store to be
  user-friendly in a concerted effort to serve this
  group of people?
• Is my advertising targeted to the customers I
  desire to serve?
• What products do I like?

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Steps to Becoming a Good Buyer

• Be specific in defining needs
• Understand the options
• Tell the supplier
• Aim for a win-win situation
• Impose deadlines and conditions

• Seek assistance
• Educate the seller about your special needs
• Look for after-sale service
• Yell for help when necessary

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Four Ms in Retail

• Merchandising
• Markups
• Marketing
• Methodology

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Keys to Effective Store Layout

• Maximizing the space
• Controlling and directing traffic flow
• Maximizing exposure

13
Common Mistakes Made by Retailers

• No business plan
• No marketing plan
• No sales plan
• No advisory plan
• No cash reserve or real cash flow

• Ignoring the numbers
• Not being automated
• Not knowing your customer
• Ignoring employees
• Being a lone ranger

14
Minimizing the Damage

• Lock it up
• Play traffic cop
• Watch who cleans after the employee store closes
• Encourage employees
• Keep an eye on the future

15
Traits of Successful Retail Stores

• Found in prominent locations
• Offer personalized service
• Offer competitive pricing
• Print catalogues for employees
• Merchandise their goods/products

• Consider themselves retail outlets
• Sell innovative goods/products
• Concentrate on apparel and accessories
• Stock regularly needed supplies
• Sell licensed merchandise

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Product of a Box Office

• Seating plans
• Ticket system
• Ticketing software
• Outsourcing ticketing
• Online ticketing
• Pricing structure
• Credit card service

• Group sales
• Discounted prices
• Advanced sales
• Sales incentive plans
• Tickets
• General admission
• Reserved

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Types of Tickets

• General admission
• Reserved
• Season ticket
• Mini-season plans
• Individual event
• Complimentary
• Press
• Student
• Rain check

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Typical Seating

• Seating configuration
• Discounting ticket prices
• On sale date
• Group sales
• Tickets to be held
• Usher seats
• Obstructed seats
• House seats
• Obstructed view seats
• When to release house seats

• Seats required for performers
• VIP seats
• Press passes
• Complimentary tickets
• Latecomer seats
• Waiting line policy
• Complimentary tickets unclaimed
• Unpaid reservations unclaimed
• Standing room