An assortment, just like a range, is characterized by two fundamental dimensions, which are the following:
- Breadth: Also referred to as width, this designates the number of product lines proposed within the store. We speak of a wide assortment when the number of product lines is high or narrow if the number of lines is low.
- Depth: This refers to product variations or the number of items included within each product line. It can be different brands, sizes, colors, etc. We speak about deep assortment if the number of items is large or shallow if there are few items.
It’s also possible to include the height to characterize an assortment. This notion will then refer to the different price levels offered.
The different types of retail stores are characterized by their own assortment sizes. In a factory outlet store, for example, there’s a narrow and shallow assortment. Specialty stores have a narrow but deep assortment. As for supermarkets and hypermarkets, the former are characterized by a wide and shallow assortment and the latter by a wide and deep assortment.
The assortment must therefore meet the requirements of consumers. These expectations are quite contradictory since the consumer wants to
- do their shopping quickly and therefore not waste time choosing their products among an extensive collection of items and
- take advantage of a wide variety of products to meet their tastes, their desires, and their eating habits.
To encourage as many sales as possible, retailers must therefore adapt their assortment to their customers' needs when planning what products to offer. Although a few years ago, the strategy of the brands was to always offer more items, today, many stores have changed their technique. The trend is to reduce the number of items within each product line, while maintaining or increasing the number of product lines offered.
