What is the difference between push and pull strategies in retail merchandising?

The distinction between push and pull strategies in retail merchandising lies in their objectives and target audiences. The push strategy is primarily focused on promoting products to retailers, encouraging them to stock and sell those products. This can involve various tactics such as trade promotions, sales rep incentives, or other incentives designed to motivate retailers to prioritize certain items within their inventory.

Conversely, the pull strategy concentrates on generating consumer demand for the product. This is achieved through marketing efforts that appeal directly to consumers, such as advertising, social media promotion, or public relations campaigns, inspiring consumers to seek out the product in stores. When consumers express a strong desire for a product, retailers are then motivated to stock it, thus effectively "pulling" the product through the distribution channels.

Therefore, the statement that the push strategy promotes products to retailers while the pull strategy aims to create consumer demand accurately captures the fundamental difference between these two approaches to merchandising. The other options either reflect a misunderstanding of the strategies or inaccurately generalize their application.