Retail consists of the sale of goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department

store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the
purchaser.[1] Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be
individuals or businesses. In commerce, a "retailer" buys goods or products in large quantities
from manufacturers or importers, either directly or through a wholesaler, and then sells smaller
quantities to the end-user. Retail establishments are often called shops or stores. Retailers are at
the end of the supply chain. Manufacturing marketers see the process of retailing as a necessary
part of their overall distribution strategy. The term "retailer" is also applied where a service
provider services the needs of a large number of individuals, such as a public utility, like electric
power.

Shops may be on residential streets, shopping streets with few or no houses or in a shopping
mall. Shopping streets may be for pedestrians only. Sometimes a shopping street has a partial or
full roof to protect customers from precipitation. Online retailing, a type of electronic commerce
used for business-to-consumer (B2C) transactions and mail order, are forms of non-shop
retailing.

Shopping generally refers to the act of buying products. Sometimes this is done to obtain
necessities such as food and clothing; sometimes it is done as a recreational activity.
Recreational shopping often involves window shopping (just looking, not buying) and browsing
and does not always result in a purchase.

Types of retail outlets

A marketplace is a location where goods and services are exchanged. The traditional market
square is a city square where traders set up stalls and buyers browse the merchandise. This kind
of market is very old, and countless such markets are still in operation around the whole world.

In some parts of the world, the retail business is still dominated by small family-run stores, but
this market is increasingly being taken over by large retail chains.

Retail is usually classified by type of products as follows:

 Food products
 Soft goods - clothing, apparel, and other fabrics.
 Hard goods ("hardline retailers") - appliances, electronics, furniture, sporting goods, etc.

There are the following types of retailers by marketing strategy:

 Supermarkets - sell mostly food products;

 Department stores - very large stores offering a huge assortment of "soft" and "hard
goods";
  Discount stores - tend to offer a wide array of products and services, but they compete
mainly on price;
 General merchandise store - a hybrid between a department store and discount store;
 Warehouse store - low-cost, often high-quantity goods piled on pallets or steel shelves;
warehouse clubs charge a membership fee;
 Variety store or "dollar store" - extremely low-cost goods, with limited selection;
 Demographic - retailers that aim at one particular segment (e.g., high-end retailers
focusing on wealthy individuals).

Some stores take a no frills approach, while others are "mid-range" or "high end", depending on
what income level they target.

Other types of retail store include:

 General store - a store which sells most goods needed, typically in a rural area;
 Convenience store - a small store often with extended hours, stocking everyday or
roadside items;
 Big-box stores encompass larger department, discount, general merchandise, and
warehouse stores.

sales and selling - training and techniques

a free guide to selling methods, sales techniques, selling models, sales processes,
sales training programs and sales training providers (and sales training specification
template)

Selling is a wonderful profession when approached ethically, constructively and

helpfully. Happily much sales development theory takes this positive direction. The
origins of the word 'sell' provide a useful reminder of its purest meaning.

Selling is a wide subject, covering many selling methods, sales theories, models and
sales training methods.

This sales training guide attempts to summarise the main ideas of the professional
selling field. You can use this information as a self-teaching aid to develop your own
sales skills, to teach others, or to help you identify and choose suitable sales training
courses programs and providers for yourself, for your team or for your sales
organization.

I welcome suggestions of new selling concepts and sales training methods for inclusion
or reference within this guide.
 introduction - sales training and selling methods,
techniques, skills
The sales techniques and selling ideas here have all been effective at some stage. Many
are still widely used. Think about what you are selling, the market that you're selling
into, the people you meet in the selling process, and use what will help you sell better.
If you are managing sales people, the best results generally come if you allow sales
people to work to their strengths; in a way that is natural to them.

New sales techniques, sales training and selling methods are continually developing.
This free sales training section covers sales and the selling process from its early
beginnings, through to the most modern selling techniques and ideas. See for example
the Sales Activator® sales training system, and Sharon Drew Morgen's Buying
Facilitation® selling methods.

Sales and selling terms, and early sales and selling theories appear first in this article; the most
advanced sales methods and ideas are at the end of the section. While early sales processes
still contain some useful techniques and fundamentals, successful selling today relies on
modern selling using collaboration, facilitation, and partnership. Tips on selecting sales training
providers, sales training programs, selling courses and sales management training are in the
sales training providers section.

Successful selling also requires that the product or service is of suitable quality for its target
market, and that the selling company takes good care of its customers. Therefore it's helpful for
the sale person (or anyone else in business for that matter) to work for a professional, good
quality organization. Product development, design and production, service delivery, and the
integrity of the selling company's organization are also necessary for successful selling, and
typically are outside the formal control of the sales person, hence why internal selling is an
increasingly important aspect of the modern sales role.

Effective sales people are interpreters and translators (and increasingly

educators too) who can enable the complex systems of the buying
organisation and the selling organisation to work together for the benefit of
both.

Tips on how to gain selling experience and learn sales skills (for people new to selling
or seeking to teach themselves sales skills for a career in selling) are at the end of this
article.
examples of how to improve your selling skills,
processes and sales training
There are many ways to build your knowledge and skills in selling and business. Be
selective when choosing sales training - see the tips for selecting sales training
providers, sales training methods, courses and programs.

Aside from sales training courses here are some fine examples of other sales
improvement concepts, and learning methods and resources.

1. See Sharon Drew Morgen's Buying Facilitation® methodology - leading edge ideas in
sales and selling. Read Sharon Drew Morgen's remarkable thinking and techniques in
her books 'Dirty Little Secrets' and 'Buying Facilitation'. Her ideas are very progressive
compared with most other selling theories, and can transform the way you sell and
dramatically increase the results you achieve. The philosophy and facilitative methods
focus on selling, but transfer extremely well to all relationships and communications, for
example managing, coaching - even parenting. See newsalesparadigm.com.

2. Download and read the free ebook The Game of Business by Paul Gorman - a
wonderful practical guide to business success from a leading business thinker. Paul's
book encompasses modern selling and extends to a complete package of
entrepreneurial methods and ideas. With grateful acknowledgements to Paul Gorman.

3. Download and read another superb free ebook - Business Survival and Prosperity
Guaranteed - An excellent, very helpful, practical and encouraging guide to starting up
a new business, or improving an existing one - (note this is a 15MB pdf file) - with
grateful acknowledgements to Paul Hurst.

4. See Ari Galper's ideas on cold calling, one of the greatest challenges for sales people
and sales organizations. Ari Galper's 'Unlock The Game®' programme is a helpful and
constructive selling approach for the modern age.

5. If you have a sales team or sales organization, see the Sales Activator® system for
sales training and development - for developing sales teams, sales management, sales
training and great selling organizations. The Sales Activator ® is an innovative and
effective sales training and sales coaching system, underpinned by solid sales theory,
ethical principles, delivered via a highly innovative and effective learning concept.

6. Download and read the superb free ebook - Unleash the Power of Consultative
Selling - an excellent free 200 page ebook (560KB pdf) by Rich Grehalva on modern
selling methods - with grateful acknowledgements to Rich Grehalva.
There are many more good modern ethical sales training and development systems out
there. If you've had experience of a good modern sales training programme or product,
or a particularly effective selling concept please let me know.

Businessballs does not receive a commission from the providers and authors for
recommending the sales methods and theories featured in this sales training guide. Amazon
book commission goes towards running the website, thank