Grundsortiments

Grundsortiment, literally the basic assortment, is a concept in retailing that describes the core set of products a retailer offers to meet the essential needs of its customers. It forms the foundational portion of the overall assortment and is intended to be relatively stable over time, ensuring reliable availability and efficient procurement.

Composition and scope: The Grundsortiment includes items with broad, steady demand within defined categories, often covering everyday staples and frequently purchased products. The exact makeup depends on the retailer’s target market and category strategy. It sits between the narrower, specialized offerings and the extended or supplementary assortment (Erweiterungs- or Zusatzsortiment). While the Grundsortiment changes slowly, additional items are added from the expansion range to respond to trends or seasonal demand.

Management: Setting a Grundsortiment involves assortment policy and category management. Retailers use sales data, turnover, gross margin, and stock-rotation metrics to decide which SKUs belong. The concept requires balancing breadth (the number of categories) with depth (the number of items per category). The Grundsortiment is complemented by expansion items, but the core remains stable to support supply chain efficiency and predictable customer satisfaction.

Impact: The Grundsortiment influences shelf space, pricing, supplier negotiations, and capital invested in inventory. It shapes store layout and customer perception, and it interacts with overall profitability and risk management.

Examples: In a supermarket, the Grundsortiment typically includes staples such as bread, milk, eggs, rice, cooking oil, and common household items; in hardware stores, core items might be screws, nails, hammers, and basic tools.

Strategic considerations: Smaller stores benefit from a tighter Grundsortiment to reduce risk, while larger chains may maintain a broader base to increase service levels. The policy aims to balance availability, cost control, and profitability.