PROBLEMS OF APPLICATION OF MERCHANDISE BY SMALL PRODUCT STORES IN UKRAINE

The peculiarities of the implementation and use of merchandising in retail trade are examined in the article. The essence of merchandising is considered. The existence of varieties of merchandising is emphasized. Modern world marketing theory identifies five main types of merchandising: product merchandising, virtual merchandising, retail merchandising, omnichannel merchandising and digital merchandising. The essence of each type is considered. The main emphasis on retail merchandising is made. In modern conditions, the retail trade of grocery is characterized by a large number of network operators and a significant number of shops owned by representatives of small businesses. Network operators mainly own large format stores. Although there are also formats with signs of supermarkets and convenience shops. During the war, consumer behavior changed significantly in Ukraine. Therefore, although representatives of small retail try to compete with chain retail, there is a necessity to find more effective marketing tools. A consumer survey was conducted. It was found that the main criteria for choosing a place to buy food are convenience of the location of the store, price policy, assortment, ease of finding goods in the store, availability of parking. Based on this, a conclusion was made about the importance of applying retail merchandising. The main types of merchandising tools of a retail store are defined: assortment, planogram of the trading hall, display of goods in the store, specialize of use of trade equipment, external trade advertising and internal trade advertising, external and internal design. The use of this toolkit by domestic stores was analyzed. A comparative analysis of the actual use and application possibilities of each type of merchandising tools by large retailers and small grocery stores was conducted. It was concluded that the small size of retail spaces and the financial capabilities of small retail limit the possibilities of using merchandising. There is a need to develop separate approaches to the display of goods and the use of other merchandising tools for small grocery stores.