Category Management Executives (including Directors, VPs and Managers) Face a Common Dilemma How to get from where you are, to where the industry is going … Here’s what you need to know:

Category Reviews are an important output from category management teams. They are developed for different purposes, including both internal and external requests, and usually require pulling in data from multiple data sources. As data becomes more robust and complex and as the Shopper comes to the forefront, Category Reviews need to evolve to reflect these changes, but the truth is, they often don’t.

Consolidation is happening everywhere. Global Retailers are expanding. Drug stores are selling fresh food. Food stores and convenience stores are selling prepared meals. And Retailers and Suppliers / Manufacturers are selling in the omni channel. So what’s the Future of Category Management? What needs to change?

What is the strategic level of your team or organization when it comes to Space Planning and Efficient Assortment? Space planning and efficient assortment are BOTH very important for Retailers and Manufacturers — so why are they treated so tactically? Why don’t teams and organization consider more advanced shelving solutions and take full advantage of opportunities to reach the Shopper? Read on to find out some common mistakes on both sides.

Learn how to build strategic thinking into your analysis to understand more advanced Shopper solutions I’ve been writing and speaking about the components of category management which relate directly to the Category Management Association’s certification requirements, including: Steps of the category management process and the importance of Retailer strategy; Key data sources available and the different data insights to uncover; Drilling through data (including in a limited data environment) to discover strategic insights; and Assessing the health of your business.