Retail Sales Execution. The Right Product. In the Right Place. At the Right Time

Retail sales execution, digital sales, digital marketing, and primary sales duties are accomplished differently for different companies and industries. Regardless of the route to market, consumer goods wholesalers must have a retail sales execution strategy at the individual store level because if the product needs to be merchandised correctly and promoted effectively, the consumer is more likely to purchase from a competitor. Despite efforts to improve in-store retail sales execution over many decades, success still needs to be achieved. Many consumer goods wholesalers tell us they are unsatisfied with their ability to sell retail at the store level.

The Ai2 platform creates a lasting strategy for sales retail execution

Once implementation is complete, CPG wholesalers can ensure that their products reach consumers at the right place and time, ultimately increasing their top line.  By leveraging sales and order enablement technology by Ai2 in the hands of sales rep/ field personnel during any in-store visit, purchasing and management can see what is being sold, where and how it is merchandised, how much it is being sold for, and create plans for continuous improvement.

You Can’t Fix What You Can’t See

Many suppliers struggle in one way or another with store-level retail sales execution, whether it pertains to merchandising, price changes, promotional campaigns, or, in general, achieving adequate in-store visibility to monitor their retailers’ operations.    Most of these challenges are connected by a single root problem: distance.  Distance separates suppliers from their on-shelf products and point-of-purchase marketing, undermining suppliers’ control over their retailers’ operations and giving rise to many challenges brands face with retail execution.

What brands do inside the store, particularly at the shelf, matters. Manufacturers, suppliers, and retailers have consistently reported a much higher return on investment from in-store marketing activities, trade promotions, and merchandising than other aspects of their marketing mix. Sales enablement technology and retail sales execution powered by Ai2 sales rep management software allow wholesalers to give their suppliers a store-level visibility strategy, giving them more confidence to try new strategies with that wholesaler and increasing the opportunity for growth through the execution.

Ai2 sales rep management software technology Boosts Sales Retail Execution and Compliance by Category:

A) Merchandising Compliance –

Includes on-premise promotions compliance, display tracking, trade promotions compliance, and planogram compliance. Ai2 sales rep management software allows Mobile Merchandising Compliance to ensure planograms and integrity by capturing photos, videos, and other forms of information to either confirm or alleviate these worries and empower suppliers with the data to execute winning merchandising initiatives consistently. Photos and well-placed questions track the look of merchandising execution primarily by checking compliance on shelf execution (planograms) as well as execution of seasonal programs and promotions (store signage, unique displays, counter displays and ads, seasonal pricing and labels, and sales associates’ awareness and compliance with in-store programs).

B) Pricing Compliance –

Wholesalers can initiate a pricing management strategy by utilizing barcode capture via Ai2’s order enablement apps for CPG suppliers. Effective price management compliance is a critical component of retail success. Brands may question whether their retail partners are implementing price changes—from price increases to temporary price reductions—in a timely, accurate manner. Ai2 pricing audits and surveys will help suppliers ensure retail shoppers see the prices they’re supposed to see at any given time in any location.

C) Display Compliance –

Ai2 sales rep management software enables display audits and surveys – Brands spend billions of dollars annually on point-of-purchase marketing, including displays, signage, demos, etc. But how do they know these investments aren’t being squandered, that retailers and other partners are properly executing these expensive promotions? Photographic evidence of these displays and stock levels allows for real-time data collection and strategy adjustments based on retailer and consumer response.

D) Competitor Intelligence Gathering –

Utilization of field data capture, including product by category SKU and pricing, to better understand the complete landscape, including their positioning, store layout, promotional signage, checkout experience, and more, and refine in-store strategies.

E) Survey Handling –

Ai2 sales rep management software in A to D, above, is accomplished via targeted surveys or audits – think of these as “guided workflows” and comprehensive checklists and best practices to enable reps to conduct required tasks efficiently. The survey should also be considered an “execution tool” – not just a measurement tool. Surveys are used to improve retail execution at the point of sale. Surveys should be created by account segment or chain specific with “target” answers and “points” awarded for correct answers (think gamification). Surveys should set the actionable objectives for the account while the rep is at the account. Results should be tracked and measured against each objective (“wins”) with data aggregation, reporting, and visibility across all accounts.

The benefits of conducting retail audits are two-fold

On the one hand, they serve as a tool for suppliers to ensure that retailers comply with pre-established product placement, pricing, and promotion agreements. And second, they allow brands and suppliers to measure their success in the retail environment accurately.
Equally advantageous is the priceless commodity of data that audits provide. By aggregating data from various retail locations over time and comparing results, managers can make actionable decisions that reduce inefficiencies and drive sales.