Making Money with In-Store Merchandising

Do you ever wonder how those blinky machines and tearpads magically appear on shelves in your local grocery or drug store? In-store merchandisers put them there!

Marketing is serious business and if you think about it, it's everywhere! It comes in the form of coupons, floor and shelf signage, video and audio commercials and even the shelf placement of products. Those companies need people to go in the stores on a weekly basis and place these merchandising tools to maximize sales for the companies.

This is a great part-time job with flexible hours. The job consists of doing things such as affixing signage, putting up coupon machines, store displays and other marketing adventures :). Typically you're given a diagram or some type of instructions, along with a set of stores within a certain area that you're responsible for. Typically the pay is by the hour and (depending on your market) is somewhere around $7 to $10 an hour. Be aware that the job is very physical. It often involves lifting packages of 15 to 20 pounds, not to mention the tremendous amount of time you spend on your feet.

One company that I have personal experience with is News America Marketing. They do, among other things, the Smart Source advertising and coupon machines you often see in stores. In my area they do Kroger, Meijer, CVS, Walgreens and Biggs, to name a few stores. I really enjoyed working with them. You can look at Volition.com for a comprehensive list of companies on that offer this type of work and explore your options here.

When I worked as an in-store merchandiser, one of the appeals for me was I could set my own hours. As long as the work was finished in the parameters of the dates required, they didn't mind when I did the work. Often I would get up really early in the morning before my husband went to work. I could also do it in the evenings, late at night or on weekends. It makes the childcare issue less of an burden. If your children are school age, this job can easily be done during the school day!

Another perk is the coupons! Do you know what they do with all the coupons in that blinky machine when the campaign is over (and they don't expire for more than a month)? They throw them away! Depending on the company, you can often keep the coupons yourself.

This is a real part-time out-of-the-home job. Normally when you apply for the company, they'll contact you and you will interview, train and go through the paperwork process with them. Now that you know about it, you might even notice them the next time you're in the store! Give it a try if you're looking for something very flexible that still gets you out of the house.