The Challenge
A leading FMCG brand in Australia sought to improve its in-store execution across grocery stores by gaining actionable insights into shelf layouts, product availability, and competitor positioning. While the brand enjoyed strong market share in top-performing stores—exceeding 20 points higher than its bottom-tier locations—it faced inconsistencies in sales performance across its retail network.
The brand faced key challenges that hindered its ability to optimize in-store execution and maximize sales:
1. Limited Visibility
The brand lacked granular insights into product placement, shelf share, and competitor arrangements at the SKU level. Without robust data, optimising planograms and driving category growth was a significant challenge.
2. Inconsistent Execution
Variations in shelf layouts and product positioning across stores resulted in inconsistent brand representation. Despite standardised assortments negotiated centrally, the brand struggled to understand the drivers of high variability in store-level performance.
3. Resource Constraints
With thousands of stores to manage, audits were time-intensive and labor-intensive. Delayed or incomplete insights from manual store visits made it difficult to respond to in-store conditions in real time.
These challenges highlighted the need for a data-driven approach to improve execution consistency and optimize in-store performance.
The Solution
To address these discrepancies and challenges, the brand partnered with Wiser to optimize its Perfect Store strategy. By leveraging Wiser’s Retail Intelligence, they conducted an in-depth analysis of shelf-level dynamics. This enabled them to identify critical performance drivers and refine their merchandising strategies, ultimately closing the gap between top and bottom-performing stores.
- Crowdsourced Data Collection:
Wiser’s network of mystery shoppers conducted nationwide store visits, capturing high-resolution images and SKU-level data. This provided insights not only into the brand’s own products but also competitor offerings, enabling a comprehensive understanding of category dynamics. - Detailed In-Store Analysis:
The collected data was analyzed to uncover critical performance drivers, focusing on key areas:- Product Ranging: Identified gaps in availability for top-performing SKUs and ensured consistent shelf presence.
- Shelf Layouts: Evaluated product organization, including brand blocking and aisle flow, to optimize visibility and customer engagement.
- Share of Shelf: Measured the brand’s shelf presence relative to competitors, identifying opportunities to secure greater visibility and improve shelf allocation.
- Macro-Space Indicators: Assessed broader shelf dynamics, such as category bay allocation, to ensure optimal use of retail space and strengthen negotiations with retail partners.
The Results
By partnering with Wiser, the FMCG brand successfully transformed its Perfect Store strategy, achieving several impactful outcomes:
1. Identified Key Sales Drivers
The analysis revealed the specific KPIs—such as share of shelf, eye-level placement of top SKUs, and bay allocation—that most influenced sales performance. This allowed the brand to focus its efforts on high-impact areas.
2. Enhanced In-Store Execution
Field teams were mobilized with clear, data-driven priorities to address inconsistencies in execution. This included optimizing shelf layouts, improving eye-level placement for top SKUs, and ensuring planogram compliance, leading to improved visibility and accessibility for shoppers.
3. Implemented Recurring Tracking
Ongoing monitoring of Perfect Store KPIs ensured consistent execution and continuous improvement. Real-time insights enabled the brand to adapt its strategies based on actual store conditions rather than relying solely on static planograms.
4. Improved Operational Efficiency
Automated data collection and analysis reduced the need for time-consuming manual audits, freeing up resources to focus on impactful changes. This streamlined approach enhanced both efficiency and effectiveness.
5. Strengthened Retail Partnerships
Armed with data-driven insights, the brand engaged in fact-based discussions with retail partners to optimize planograms and secure a fair share of shelf. This collaboration fostered stronger partnerships and aligned efforts to enhance shopper experiences and drive sales growth.
Conclusion
Through its partnership with Wiser, the FMCG brand successfully closed performance gaps, improved in-store execution, and achieved a stronger market presence. By embracing data-driven insights and tailoring strategies to reflect real-world store environments, the brand was able to refine its Perfect Store strategy and create a foundation for long-term success.
This case demonstrates the power of using actionable insights to drive operational excellence and maximize sales, proving that a Perfect Store strategy is achievable with the right tools and approach.