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| machine readable | A scannable bar code. |
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| magnetic stripe reader | A peripheral hooked to a computer that reads magnetic strips on the back of bankcards and credit cards. |
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| mailer | An ad circular direct mailed to customers. |
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| mail-in blanks | An order form used by retailers to obtain advertising or promotional materials from a manufacturer. |
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| mail-in premium | A point-of-sale promotional offer in which a customer receives a bonus for mailing a coupon or label to a manufacturer. |
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| mainframe | A non-networked, large computer, the predecessor of personal computers. |
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| main-line | A store's primary display area, which has permanent display fixtures. |
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| maintenance cost | An average inventory's storage expense. |
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| management information services (MIS) | A computer system, based on a mainframe or minicomputer, designed to provide managers with current information about a company's performance, e.g., inventory and sales. |
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| mandatory recycling | A requirement by jurisdictions that residents dispose of used plastic, paper and aluminum in separate collection bins or centers in order to reduce the waste that goes to dumps or landfills. |
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| manifest | See loading sheet. |
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| manufacturer brand | A manufacturer's product distributed by more than one wholesaler or retailer in a territory. |
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| manufacturer's coupon | A magazine advertisement or direct mail coupon for a product. |
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| manufacturer's representative | A sales representative responsible for the sales and distribution of manufacturer's products. |
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| MAP | Modified atmosphere packaging. |
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| margin | The difference between the cost and the retail selling price of goods. |
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| margin blending | A combination of higher- and lower-margin products to achieve an overall margin figure. |
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| markdown | A price reduction of merchandise to sell older merchandise or for a specific sale period. |
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| market, market area | See trading area. |
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| market development funds (MDF) | A manufacturer's money offer to retailers in a market to advertise or introduce their products. |
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| market profile | A marketplace analysis that describes the number and types of customers in a retail area and other retail stores. |
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| market research | A study of product performance or consumer acceptance; a basis for marketing plans and decisions. |
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| marketing | The strategy or creating of an image, designed to attract customers to buy specific products or services or shop in particular stores. |
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| marketing plan | A strategy to increase sales and profits on a product or brand, using ads, signs, displays, promotional incentives and certain performance criteria. |
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| marketing system | The path merchandise travels from a producer to a customer. |
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| markup | The percentage of increase in a wholesale price when sold at a retail price. See margin. |
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| mass display | A large display of items, used to create an impression of abundance and value. |
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| mass merchandiser | A general merchandise retailer offering a large quantity of products at low prices. |
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| master broker | A broker supervising other brokers that represent the same manufacturer. See agent. |
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| MDF | Market development funds. |
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| meat tonnage | The total amount of meat that the meat department processes. |
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| membership club store | See club store. |
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| merchandise mix | The selection of products and categories that comprise a basic store set or distribution center layout. Competing brands within a category. |
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| merchandiser | A person who designs a store's layout, selects and prices products and decides which signs to use to maximize sales volume. Also, a movable, free-standing fixture. |
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| merchandising | The creative handling and presentation of products at the point of sale to maximize their sales appeal. |
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| merchandising allowance | A manufacturer's incentive offered to wholesalers and retailers to advertise and display products for a specific period of time. Also known as a Performance Agreement. |
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| merchandising calendar | The annual merchandising schedule of the food industry coordinating seasonal, ethnic and traditional events. |
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| merchandising committee | A retailer/wholesaler management group that selects new products and accepts manufacturer's allowances and special promotions. See advisory board; buying committee; plans committee. |
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| merchandising department | A division of a food store company that procures products and develops retail sales programs. |
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| merchandising technique | An attractive shelf display of products, e.g., hand-stacked; case-packed; tray-packed; lacing. |
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| merchant discount | A processing fee that retailers pay banks for credit card transactions. |
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| microbe | A microorganism that can cause disease. Bacteria, molds and yeast that can grow on various food and equipment surfaces; the main cause of discoloration in meat and food poisoning. |
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| micromarketing | A marketing plan focused on a defined segment of the marketplace, rather than the entire marketplace. |
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| microwave oven | An oven that cooks foods quickly using microwaves. |
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| middleman | An intermediary in the purchase and/or flow of products from producers to customers. |
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| mini-club | A scaled-down wholesale club, which carries about 60 percent of the SKUs offered in a larger store. |
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| minimum carload weight requirement | A minimum weight or quantity needed to qualify for a railcar shipping rate. |
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| minimum order requirement | A minimum quantity, set by a manufacturer or supplier, for a retailer or wholesaler to order at a time to qualify for a certain price or discount. |
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| minimum truckload weight requirement | A minimum weight or quantity required to qualify for a truckload shipping rate. |
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| MIS | Management information services. |
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| mis-pick | An improperly slotted or selected item that results in the wrong item being shipped and/or billed to a retailer by a wholesaler. |
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| mis-redemptions | A cashier's mistake processing a coupon, such as credit for the wrong item, an expired coupon or over/short on the exchange amount. |
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| mis-stock | An item stocked in the wrong place or incorrectly stocked. |
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| mix | See product mix. |
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| mix-and-match | A display of various items to offer a selection for a single price point, e.g., five for $1. |
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| mixed car or mixed truck | A shipment of a variety of products by rail or truck to a specific location that qualifies by weight as a railcar load or truckload. |
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| mobile | A hanging sign that moves with air flow or is powered by electricity. |
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| mode of shipment (MOS) | The means used to ship items, such as a railway or truck line. |
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| modem | Modulator/demodulator; a telephone-like device that transmits and receives data. |
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| modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) | A packaging technique that uses a gas-flushing process to reduce oxygen and maximize a product's shelf life. |
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| molding, shelf | A grooved strip on a facing of a gondola shelf used to attach price tags and shelf-talkers. Also called shelf channel. |
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| mom and pop store | A family-owned food store operated by a husband and wife and/or other family members. |
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| Money Gram | A person-to-person electronic transfer of money. |
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| MOS | See mode of shipment. |
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| motor room | A room that houses mechanical and electrical motors that power a store. Also known as the compressor room. |
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| movement | A tracking of a product's sales by units or cases for a certain time. |
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| movement allowance | A case allowance given to a wholesaler for turning products through the warehouse within a specific timeframe. |
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| multideck | A display case/fixture with shelves placed vertically, one above the other. |
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| multipack | A multi-item pack of products with the same UPC. |
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| multiple pricing | A pricing policy based on the theory that pricing of two or more units for a single price (e.g., 3/$.99) encourages multiple purchases. |
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| multiple-unit sales | Selling in lots of more than one. |
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| multipoint private network | A networking system that links the computer systems of a number of stores on a single leased line. Also called multidrop private network. See frame relay network. |
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