Channel players and physical distribution

This week task was to understand channel players and physical distribution. I choose 2 shops with my product and tried to understand theory from University in real life.

Now a bit about presentation of product, atmosphere (color, music, shop design, personnel). Where product is located and more about the product... It is not so difficult to see that Sony phones are presented very well in shops and not only in shops. We can see a lot of advertisement for Sony phones. Now when Sony Corporation released new series of phones “Sony Xperia XZ”, advertisement is everywhere. When you come into the phone stores you see big advertisement about this new phone right away. In these stores is information about phones. The information about Sony phones is like: fast phone, with good quality camera, also people can choose phone with price what is suitable for them, it is some kind of presentation. And also if consumer need more information about phone, s/he can ask more information, and personal will help and will tell all the information about this product.

It how it was with me, when I wanted to buy Sony Xperia XZ. Personal knew all information, and I think it is very important for personnel to know product from all sides. So they can present not only Sony or other brand phones, but also their store from the good side.

I was in two stores: MediaMarkt and KPN. Both stores are with good atmosphere and good music. Colors and design of these two stores are completely different, but both stores are very good equipped. MediaMarkt is bigger than KPN, but it also provides more kinds of products, personnel’s clothing is very official; red shirt and black pants. These clothes are good combined with color of this store, which shows strict rules in personnel work and it creates a good impression about this store.

KPN is designed is green colors, which isn’t worse than in MediaMarkt. Personnel are clothed in comfortable for them clothes, but the T-shirt is with KPN logo. To compare these two stores MediaMarkt personnel is more official, but also prices there are more expensive than in KPN.

In big and well-known stores all brands of phones have their own shelve with different phone models. If store is like KPN, which provides basically phones and is not too big, it is clear that phones will have their own shelve. But in this store Sony phones are located almost in the back of this store, near the cash register. Also in this store are more than 1 cash register, which means that all shelves are located near them. Sony phones have its own shelve and customers can see different Sony phone models, with different characteristics and different prices.

In MediaMarkt Sony phones are located with the other brands, somewhere in the back of store. Also Sony have their own shelve, but there is not so big choice of Sony brand phones, because MediaMarkt specialized not only on phones. Whole market is divided by parts with different kind of products and this location for phones is pretty good. It is easy to find and also it is located close to all accessories for these phones.

Phones are products which always located somewhere where consumers can see it. In these two shops all brands are located close to each other, also consumers can touch phones and discover it, and see how it looks like in real life. In both shops value of brands is big. There are cheap, expensive, good quality phones. Generally, in both shops phones complies to consumer wants, that means that consumers can choose phone what will complies to their needs, wants and also opportunities.

In my opinion, it is difficult to find own-label offerings for phones. Actually, all well-known brands are with their own name, like Sony, IPhone, Samsung. Those are well-known companies and they don’t hide their name by other company name. These companies are so big that they don’t need to do so.

  

Compare to the other phones company Sony has the smallest amount of phones in MediaMarkt. For example, Samsung has large amount of their phones, and these are different models. To compare, there are presented only 4 models of Sony phones, but Samsung - 24. Also Sony phones have to share one shelve with LG phones, but Samsung has their own two shelves. Situation in KPN is just a little bit different.

KPN is much smaller than MediaMarkt, but phones supply is bigger. But supply of Sony phones there also is small. There are only 5 presented Sony phones models, it is very small amount of phones compare to Samsung, which has 2 shelves and more than 20 different phone models.

Share of space of Sony phones isn’t big, Sony actually don’t have their own shelve, they share one shelve with other phone brands, mostly with Samsung.

I think it’s a little bit weird, if Sony wants to sell their phones, Sony should have own shelve where phone will be easily noticeable for consumers. To sell more phones there should be a wish to create right behavior; to encourage consumers into the brand. t would be logical to give a disproportionally greater share of prime shelf space.

Product design and packaging must allow for efficient stacking, storage and transport; decisions to differentiate products by size, color and style must take into account the additional demands that will be placed on warehousing and shipping facilities.

How we know transportation is the process of moving a product from where it is made to where it is purchased and used. Official manufacterer of Sony phones is Japan, but they also have research offices in UK, China, USA and Sweden. Sony company sell their phones everywhere around the world, and to do so they transport their phones to these countries. Actually, wholesalers buy phones and after resell them to retailers. It is the system of transportation, from one to another member of channel. Also Sony company guarantee to pay transportation costs if in phone will be some problems, some defects what were done by producers of phone.

Sony packaging always looks like that; the upper cover of a box has a text with the name of model, on its front side the company name, and also the text of "XPERIA". The internal box in which is a smartphone with all accompanying picking has the bright side, sides painted in the same style as corporate wall-paper. Inside the box is standard set of paper information, charger and headphones. Packaging for Sony phones became more original. For example, last few models have package which attract customers; it can be transferred into platform for phone, which can be very useful. Packaging needs to be attractive for customers, because first perception about the product, what customers buy unpackaged, is package of this product.

Communication. Sony phones can be distributed by communication. For example, telecommunication. The advertisement about new Sony phones is everywhere, TV, internet, on the street. All these advertisements are some kind of communication. To sell new phone communication is important. For example, after customer bought Sony phone, company needs to know customer’s feedback about the product. Actually, company needs to do some research to analyze what became better or worse in new phone, according to customer’s opinions to prevent the same problems in future models.

Communication, transportation and packaging is very important. All these together with phone make finished product what can be sold to customers.