Overview

RMS have worked with B&Q for over 13 years and support B&Q on a regular basis with day-to-day merchandising and installation services and retail change projects to ensure that the stores are well stocked and customer ready and keeping up with changing retail trends, as well as supporting works for new stores, concept stores and reformat works.

RMS have been supporting B&Q on their Decor Neutron project across 72 stores over a 27 week period to reset and re-invigorate the Decor department within B&Q - giving ranges the correct space and creating focal points on best selling lines

 

RMS supported the project from start to finish with:

 

  • Store phasing plans 
  • Pre-programme planning activity
  • Project management
  • Skilled merchandisers
  • Display installation
  • POS installation 

 

We deployed a skilled team of merchandisers to complete the retail change plan across the stores.

Approach 

We held an engagement meeting in each store at least a month out from implementation. This allowed us to create store specific phasing plans to balance what the racking installers wanted to complete each night and what the store wanted to be on sale each day.

This provided the store with the detailed phasing plans, aims of the project and exactly how long we would be in store and what to expect from the teams each day.

The first stage is all about making the physical changes in the store; working in the day to allow the store to recover from the racking moves the night before and then prepare the store for trading. 

The team would then move onto preparing the area for the rackers to work in that evening. At each store, we would finish week 1 of the project with the store ready for trading over the weekend with all bays complete and ready to trade throughout the busy weekend. 

The second stage of the project is then about all of the finer details. With a smaller and very detail oriented team, we would carry out the display work for curtains, blinds, wallpaper etc. and ensure the store is fully to plan following a major change the week before. At this stage it is really helpful for customers to have someone in the section area from the RMS team to ask about products, ranges and locations of items in the store. The store staff can then review and learn about the new ranges, relocated old ranges and any discontinued lines.

Challenges

Each store had a 2 week time frame for completion and all stores were completed during day time trading hours. By working in the day alongside the in-store colleagues, it allowed all stores to keep trading to ensure that during the two week window of change the shoppers' experience was not interrupted.

Conclusion 

We successfully completed the decor range changes in all stores first time with no revisits required and to the originally agreed timeframe. 

This created a successful new decor department for B&Q which will go on to help increase sales due to creating a better shopping experience for the customer.

RMS van outside a B&Q store

 

We received great feedback from two of the managers at the B&Q Hull - St Andrews Quay store to say:

"I wanted to say a massive thank you to the RMS team for a successful Decor Neutron here in Hull. From start to finish it has been a real pleasure working with Arthur, Donna, Ciaran & Sam. The team had some real passion and worked effortlessly to ensure the review went well alongside the store team." - Helen Mitchell


"A really successful set up has ensured a smooth operation. Your team have been amazing and liaised fantastically with the store team, by which they have prepared so well and executed the pack above and beyond." - Kenny Reed