Retailers often neglect the connection between ranging and space productivity.

So many categories have poorly reasoned product linkages and unexamined precedents which perpetuate the holding of excess stock and low productivity product to displace better sellers or to affect availability.  

In Boots we chucked out about a quarter of baby products in smaller stores which people thought were essential to be a credible retailer.  We put back only additional facings of fast movers .  The result was a 21% increase in sales and with a growth in customer satisfaction!  

In Woolworths we identified a revolutionary new store format through space and range analysis which would have run at 5-10% increased margin and about 30% less items and 40% less stock.  Sadly this project came too late to prevent the demise of that retailer!