Martin Dunaway Announces Multiple Merchandising Awards

(prHWY.com) February 16, 2012 - Cedar Park, TX -- Martin Dunaway, well known for his expert management of grocery stores in Texas, is proud to announce that he's a three-time recipient of the Merchandising Award in his industry. This is quite an honor for a grocery store manager, although it's quite possible that the award doesn't get the attention and respect it deserves. After all, most consumers have no idea what merchandising actually is.

"As a store manager, my main job is to make the shopping experience pleasant," says Martin Dunaway. "Merchandising plays a big role here. If I do my work properly, I can guide your eye to just the right product and make it seem like a happy accident. If I do it wrong, you'll feel crowded."

Merchandising is, at its core, the art of displaying goods put up for sale. Most grocery stores use some form of merchandising each and every day, when they're making small displays of new products or trying to sell off overstocks of older items.

"It's really about creating some sort of visual spectacle that will draw the consumer's eye," says Martin Dunaway. "We've all seen towers of oranges and racks of potato chips, for example. Those might be called merchandising in some circles, but that's not the sort of thing I try to do in my work. I want the visual experience to be novel, so people can't simply sweep over my displays and discount them as background noise."

Instead, Martin Dunaway focuses on color and height, juxtaposing different elements to make a pleasing scene. He often makes his displays seasonal in nature, but he's been known to use humor and whimsy in his displays, just to shake things up and make them seem a little bit different.

"Honestly, I enjoy the work. I have to look at these displays all day long, too, so I want them to look good and clean," says Martin Dunaway. "I also run metrics so I can see how well those displays boost sales. If I hit on a winning formula, I might try to replicate it a month or so down the road, and I have those plans running in the back of my mind at all times. It allows me to be creative."

This creativity and innovation landed Martin Dunaway the Merchandising Award on a repeat basis.

###