The Branded Pantry

Procter & Gamble announced the closing of its Retail Pulse organization in favor of brokers for in-store servicing.  “Shelf-Back” is now in the hands of a small group of super-brokers or “shelf-nannies”, who ply the supermarket, mass, drug and convenience aisles.  

Kraft Foods Group, Inc. will no longer be supported by the vaunted wall-to-wall retail service program but will use these same organizations.

Our brands are our “children” and they have increasingly been entrusted to three companies: Acosta, Advantage Sales and Marketing and Crossmark.  These companies care for an enormous portfolio of our carefully planned brands.

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So how do we keep in touch with the kids and, as importantly, with the environment they play in each day?

There are a variety of “proxies” measuring tasks such as new product cut-ins and OOS in an attempt to keep us in touch with the store environment.  These are usually based upon some version of POS based demand forecasting that attempts to guess at OOS and other in-store factors.  This data is generally supplemented by self reported statistics, often accompanied by a deluge of raw, unanalyzed pictures.

However, an unintended consequence of entrusting our products to these shelf professionals is that we become detached to the world in which our products live. . . . the retail shelf.    Our perception of that world is shaped by these dashboard reports, a few carefully selected photos and some syndicated reports which are rolled up and weeks old.   The more estranged we become from that shelf reality, the more our interpretation may lead us down paths of action that are inconsistent with the real needs of our brand’s equity. 

The best way to keep an eye on our products is to use ShelfSnap.  ShelfSnap turns pictures from their current role as garnish into “center plate” by transforming that snap into hard, indisputable facts about products, positions, conditions and facings.   In short, ShelfSnap lets you look at how your real products are fairing in real stores.  

Procter & Gamble recently introduced Tide PODs with huge expectations.  The dashboard reports that the products achieved good penetration in Safeway’s Dominicks division based on:

• The sell in report from the Sales executive
• The initial cut-in summary report compiled by the broker organization.
• Some level of POS based reported sales which confirm that the products were somewhere in the store and the price at which they were going to be sold.
• A few pictures of in-store execution might be included.   It is impossible for the brand to tie the actual data hidden in the picture back to what was reported on the dashboard. 

So two quick snaps from either the broker or from a service such as Field Agent or Gigwalk, uploaded to and interpreted by ShelfSnap’s web portal would tell you that:

• This item is not on the shelf but only on this display.
• The item is in front of the wrong section.
• Most importantly this item does not have a sign . . . . .nor price . . . . from either direction.  

These facts does not just slow sales it stops them cold.  No sales, no trial.  No trial, no repeat.  And it has nothing to do with consumer demand for the product.  This store was visited on two consecutive days with the same result.  What are the chances it was the ONLY store with this condition? 

Using ShelfSnap as the basis for your in-store merchandising assures absolute accuracy and brings a real understanding of the shelf back into your arsenal of competitive tools.   Using ShelfSnap as your occasional store level review allows you to get that consumer eye view whenever you feel the need to better understand what your dashboard is trying to tell you. 

Call or write Mike (mike.spindler@shelfsnap.com) or Cyndi (Cyndi.Metallo@shelfsnap.com) to find out more.  ShelfSnap 224 848 4790.