Sir; Your excellent feature on the lack of instore compliance ( When Plans are Shelved', The Grocer, July 20, p32) was absolutely spot-on. As a field company whose main business is to tactically assist manufacturers and stores to make the most of their PoS during promotional activity, we are often told that without this extra sales support, the rate of sale would certainly not be as high during the allotted period. As many promotional periods are only four weeks, swift placement of POS is critical if it is going to make any impact on behalf of the manufacturer, the store and the consumer in time allowed. Manufacturers spend a lot of money producing all kinds of PoS. A lot ends up being compacted or lost in the warehouse before it even reaches the shop floor. That can be extremely hard on a small manufacturer trying to built a brand and may be a significant chunk of the brand's/company's marketing budget. Chris Leach from The Partnering Group was bang on with the comment that suppliers do overestimate the buyer's level of authority within the store group. The buyer is the buyer and that is their job. As Leach said, what you are really looking for is support from the regional directors/managers to help you implement your plans and promotions. Easier said than done, but a "belt and braces" approach by sending an auxiliary support team in to implement the promotion and sort out out of stocks can be the difference between getting a return on your investment or wasting your marketing budget. Bobby Collins Managing director The UK Field Marketing Company {{LETTERS }}