The brand embarked on an ambitious strategy to boost impulse purchases and drive higher sales by displaying half-priced chocolates across multiple in-store locations.
Each location was designated a Minimum Display Quantity (MDQ) believed to maximize the return on investment from these promotional efforts. However, despite the appealing nature of the promotion, the anticipated sales uplift remained elusive.
Unwrapping the Challenge
The crux of the issue was identified as a potential lack of product availability on shelves and endcaps—critical points meant for product placement during the promotion. The brand suspected this shortfall was negatively impacting sales but lacked the real-time visibility necessary to confirm this hypothesis, especially during peak shopping times like weekends when their field team was off-duty.
Addressing this challenge was no small feat, as confirming on-shelf availability during weekends without incurring excessive costs or expending vast amounts of time and resources seemed daunting.
Leveraging Wiser for Enhanced Visibility
In response, the confectionery giant turned to an innovative solution, partnering with Wiser to utilize crowdsourcing for broad-range coverage and real-time data insights. This approach enabled the brand to gain an unprecedented level of visibility into stock levels throughout the entire promotional period, offering a clear assessment of day-to-day impacts on stock.
The Results:
- Daily Stock Reporting: It was discovered that stock levels significantly declined over the week, with 45 percent of stores falling below the MDQ in aisles and over 60 percent below MDQ in gondola ends after Saturday.
- Actionable Data Insights: Armed with precise data collected at the SKU and store level, the manufacturer was able to negotiate a 40 percent volume uplift for the subsequent promotion period, directly addressing the stock shortfall issue.
- Continuous Evaluation: The partnership between Wiser and the manufacturer evolved into an ongoing collaboration, ensuring continual stock level monitoring during key promotional weeks.
Crafting a Recipe for Retail Excellence
This case underscores the essential nature of real-time visibility and accurate stock monitoring in executing successful promotional campaigns in the FMCG sector. By integrating innovative data collection methods and leveraging technology to gather actionable insights, brands can significantly enhance their promotional strategies, ensuring that they not only meet but exceed sales targets.
As we move forward, the confectionery brand’s experience serves as a compelling blueprint for other FMCG brands facing similar challenges. It highlights the importance of adapting to dynamic retail environments and employing cutting-edge solutions to maintain competitive advantages and sweeten the deal for consumers.
To learn more about the Commerce Execution Suite, contact us at intel@wiser.com or visit www.wiser.com.
