In the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector, the battle is won or lost in the "last fifty feet"—the distance between the backroom and the shelf. You can have the best marketing campaign in the country, but if your product is dusty, expired, or hidden behind a competitor's display, the sale is lost.

The Philosophy: The Standard of Excellence

The Retail Merchandising Scorecard (MER) is more than a checklist; it’s a quantified standard of execution. It moves merchandising from a subjective "looks good" to an objective numerical score. This allows corporate managers to compare store performance across territories and identify exactly where the breakdown in execution is happening.

The Blueprint: Dual-Zone Auditing

The scorecard is split into two critical zones: the consumer-facing outlet and the operational backroom.

  • Zone 1: The In-Outlet Execution: This section focuses on what the customer sees. It tracks Cleanliness, Rotation, and Facing. Booleans like Ensures no foreign product in CCR space are vital for maintaining brand dominance. The IN-OUTLET SCORE provides a snapshot of the shelf's health.
  • Zone 2: Backroom Management: A chaotic backroom leads to a chaotic shelf. Tracking FIFO utilization (First-In, First-Out), Walk path safety, and Cardboard compression ensures the store is ready for the next delivery. The BACK ROOM MGMT SCORE measures the efficiency of the behind-the-scenes labor.
  • The Final Metric: The TOTAL MER SCORE is a calculated field that aggregates the entire audit into a single percentage. This is the "north star" metric for the merchandiser.

Usage Scenarios: The Performance Review

During a quarterly review, a merchandiser’s performance isn't based on anecdotal evidence. You open Memento and filter by Merchandiser Name. You see their average TOTAL MER SCORE has climbed from 82% to 94% over the last three months. You also notice their BACKROOM COMMENTS consistently mention efficient flavor-stacking. This data makes the promotion or bonus discussion entirely objective.

Power Feature: Calculated Aggregate Scores

Memento’s Calculation field is the engine of this template. By automatically averaging the individual boolean results into a final score, it eliminates the need for manual math in the aisle. The merchandiser simply taps "Yes" or "No" as they walk the store, and the report is finalized the moment they hit the last checkbox.