We’re all searching for better ways to tap into Shopper insights data to address the “why” in category management — why aren’t we finding it?

How are you going to stay relevant in this rapidly changing industry? Category management practitioners, executives and solution providers all need plans to move to more advanced category management approaches to reflect changing data, technology and Shopper. As an experienced category management professional in Retail, Manufacturing or as a Solution Provider, you’ll need concrete ways to reflect the changes that have happened over the past 30 years. Here’s what you need to understand CatMan 2.0 from your point of view …

For the past 4 weeks I’ve been blogging and getting feedback from Small- to Mid-Sized Retailers on overall retail strategy and category management practices and approaches. I originally broached this subject based on a theory I had developed through one-on-one client training, professional speaking engagements, and larger discussions via social media. But being a data-driven person, I wanted to test my theory about this specific group of Retailers so I developed a series of anonymous, online surveys to collect more insight. Of note, the surveys were primarily filled out by Small- to Mid-Sized Retailers (<1000 stores) and we removed the large Retailers from the survey results for more specific results. Here they are:

We’re into Week 4 of a 5-part blog series where I’ve been reviewing the key components of category management, followed by surveys where Retailers evaluate how well they are doing in the different components.

Last week’s blog (Category Management in Retail is changing — how are you keeping up?) explained why Retailers need to have well-defined and articulated strategies and outlined what a solid strategy should include. Remember that strategies defining category management in retail create the foundation for achieving your goals and objectives as an organization. That’s why we included a questionnaire as part of last week’s post — so individuals can start to understand where opportunities exist. This week, we dive into the results first … Then, we explain the next part of the evaluation — Part 2: Own Your Category Management Approach.

The retail industry is changing. Retailers are vying for market share in an increasingly competitive environment. Shoppers are becoming more complex and demanding. Data and technology options are increasing in complexity with more and more big data. Channels are blurring. Retailers have a big opportunity to create well defined strategies and processes that will help align and guide their organizations so that they can achieve their goals and objectives. But where should you begin for category management in retail environments?

Private Label / Store Brands can be key differentiators for Retailers and can be used as a strategic weapon that separates a Retailer from its competition. Once Shoppers get hooked on a Retailer’s Private Label / Store Brand, they have no choice but to shop there. But how can they achieve this loyalty? Create a better private label strategy with two Category Management Foundations.

When people hear the words product supply chain, they often picture trucks, warehouses, and products moving from one place to another. And yes, that is part of it. But supply chain is much more than that — especially in today’s retail and CPG environment. It affects inventory, forecasting, availability, cash flow, service levels, and ultimately the shopper experience. And that shopper experience now stretches well beyond the shelf. It includes eCommerce, buy online/pick up in store, ship-to-home, store fulfillment, and returns that may happen through multiple channels. So if we still think about supply chain as “just moving product,” we are missing a big part of the picture.

How often do you think about the effect of your decisions or recommendations on a Retailer’s Income Statement? If not often, consider that matching what Retailers are trying to accomplish from a financial perspective will help Retailers make better decisions and Vendors make better recommendations.

Space Management has changed significantly over the past 20 years, but in many ways has stayed the same. What’s changed? Technology has improved significantly in space planning software. Data sources have become more plentiful, including store-level data, consumer data, and most recently, Shopper research data. There are also many things that have remained the same in space management for both Retailers and Manufacturers: