Yogesh Patel
Jerusalem Street Stores, Rhymney, South Wales

I’ve sold more ARTDs in the last eight weeks than I did in the previous six months. In particular, both sizes of WKD and Breezers have doubled in sales.

TAKE HOME BLUEPRINT TEAM

ROSS SHELLEY

Ross Shelley, from marketing agency IMA Group in Manchester, is Scheme Director for the Federation of Wholesale Distributors' (FWD) Take Home Blueprint initiative.

With eight years' experience of working on the scheme, Ross has covered every aspect of the Blueprint from his beginnings as a merchandiser at wholesale and retail level through to his current position where he chairs the different Blueprint committees, manages the team of regional merchandisers and co-ordinates the general running of the scheme to independent retailers.

"When I first began working on the Blueprint, the scheme was still quite a new initiative within the industry, and one of my first jobs was touring the country in a van, putting up Blueprint display units throughout the whole of the Booker Cash and Carry estate. I also spent a lot of time visiting independent retailers and advising them on the merchandising principles. It was hard going and long hours, but I'm glad I did that ground work as there's no better way of understanding the scheme than learning at the coalface," Ross explained.

Without the initial training as a field merchandiser, Ross believes he would not have the same understanding of the basic principles that underpin the Take Home Blueprint scheme or the insight as to how it works in practice. It also enabled him to make many valuable contacts with hundreds of retailers across the country, many of whom still keep in touch with Ross to get the latest Blueprint developments, with several regarded as personal friends as well.

From field merchandiser, Ross progressed into a more managerial role, where he was responsible for collating and processing the data produced by the field teams and this led him to being more involved with the supplier side of the scheme. He was on the original committees for the wine and spirits Blueprints and was part of the team that presented to the various suppliers to engage their support for the new planograms. This transition from working solely on the retail side into liaising with suppliers has given Ross a complete knowledge of the Blueprint from inside out.

As scheme director, he is now responsible for putting the Blueprint into practice, and relies on his early training as a merchandiser to understand the needs and requirements of an independent retailer. He also brings the various suppliers together to continue the development of the Blueprint initiative. These days he shares his time between meeting suppliers and visiting retailers. He plays a key role in introducing new suppliers to the scheme whilst also maintaining the current support from existing members. This involves everything from presenting to suppliers and their associated field teams to educate them on the benefits of the Blueprint, through to compiling compelling evidence, case studies and testimonials from retailers themselves. Ross is still actively involved in the merchandising side as he manages the Blueprint merchandising team who work within the mainland UK TV regions and sees this as the only way to keep connected with the channel by working alongside the retailer.

He is also looking at ways of expanding the support to retailers with more backing at wholesale level by bringing in new wholesale supporters, such as Costco who are a new face to the scheme this year. Other projected developments include a new planogram for real ales. He said: "Over the eight years that I've worked with the Blueprint there's probably not one aspect that I haven't been involved with in one way or another and it means I have an understanding of the overall scheme that is pretty comprehensive. Having worked one-on-one with the retailers I can take that knowledge to the suppliers and wholesalers and hopefully develop the scheme so that it continues to be one of the most influential support systems for retailers within the industry."

Paul Adshead

Paul Adshead is the scheme's National Operations Manager. In this role, he is responsible for the field sales teams that are located nationwide and providing assistance to the independent retailers requiring practical hands-on help implementing the Blueprint makeovers.

Paul also develops and maintains links with wholesalers by visiting depots across the country, educating depot staff on the benefits of the Blueprint scheme and talking to retailers on the depot floor.

"I am very aware that we need to promote the scheme at all levels, to increase retailer knowledge about the important profit benefits that the Blueprint can deliver to their off licence sales. Forging strong relationships at wholesaler level is key as this is one of the first points-of-call for retailers seeking advice, so it's a priority for me to visit the depots and work with depot managers and their staff," explained Paul.

Paul is also aware of the importance of supporting the local independent shop and how the Blueprint can contribute to the development of the sector. He said: "The village where I live is a good example of my concerns. I feel very strongly about supporting local shops as they are often a lifeline for people who can't make it to the large out-of-town superstores or need a product immediately. Independent retailers, sole traders or family businesses, where the owners live over the shop are the focal point of the community. It's sad to see shops that have been boarded up due to the pressure that the out-of-town or larger chain stores put on the smaller communities. Therefore through the Blueprint scheme I want to promote good retailing practice up and down the country. And I also enjoy meeting new people who I know the Blueprint can help."