The New Mechanics of Retail:
Moving Your Business Forward

Category Management continues to evolve, expand, and integrate into the key drivers of retail and manufacturing today. The new and rich sources of information flowing in have extended the process to look further into the motivations of the shopper to make a trip, enter the store, walk to the shelf, and afterwards to evaluate—and interact with—the experience and products.

Shopper Insight has proved to be a crucial area that generates valuable information--but insights need activation to make a difference. It’s up to Category Management to execute and make the insights operational.

Social Media is the next area that is now starting to provide new means for making the process more dynamic and effective. Are you ready to integrate the larger Virtual World into your efforts?

Beyond the Shades of Gray
John Rand, Director of Retail Insights, Kantar Retail
Retailers and suppliers together have pushed technology, analysis, and retail optimization forward for almost two decades…and in doing so, created a dynamic business process that homogenized much of retail decision-making and increased standardization. But now, many key stakeholders are learning to move beyond the efficient and optimized retail world to one that may be more effective. In this opening  speech, John Rand considers the overall US retail environment, offers a review of some of the bigger developments in the evolving retail decision process, and sets the stage for a fast paced day of colorful discussion.

New Information Into New Process: Category Management Expands
>David Marcotte, Director of Retail Insights, Kantar Retail
In the past 5 years, there has been a revolution in the sources and forms of data being generated that can directly impact category management.  Hardly limited to in-aisle tracking, these now include social media buzz, on-line graphic analysis, GPS changes in traffic flow, real-time product quality assurance, and data mining engines that cross over from the web and into the stores.   David Marcotte explores each of these—and others—in the context of their potential impact, issues, and anticipates how they will move into the execution flow of category management processes.

Brand and Retailer Collaboration at the Point of Sale
Michael Stich, Group Director of Strategic Planning, Bridge Worldwide
Brands and retailers are both scrambling to digitize the shopping experience, each with mixed results. As all sides race to be first in the store, the best brands and retailers are collaborating to optimize the digital shopper experience. Join Michael Stich as he maps out the principles for success in collaborative, digital category management.

Trade Transformation – A Shopper-Centric Approach
Todd Bortel, Principal, Kantar Retail Americas Consulting
Trade promotion is a USD 176 billion annual business, but for years it has been considered a “necessary evil” in the world of consumer packaged goods.  Optimization has been the singular goal of trade practice as CPG manufacturers worked to make their trade spending as efficient as possible.  And yet, the leading performers in the CPG industry this decade will be those who can look around the next corner and react earlier than their competitors to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in the area of trade promotion.  Todd Bortel will share best practice examples and recommendations on how to harness trade promotion as a strategic marketing tool to influence retailer and shopper behavior. 

Redefining the Shelf with New Economics and a New Shopper Category
Steve Mader, Analyst, Kantar Retail
As we move forward into a more dynamic era of retailing, retailers are looking to simplify their stores, shoppers are demanding a more engaging experience, and suppliers are stuck somewhere in the middle. Winning at retail will not only entail mastering the art of “doing more with less” but will require a holistic view and shared ownership of the shopper and the shelf. Category Management, combined with a unique Shopper Insight offering, is something vendors can leverage in their negotiations. Steve Mader examines the new shopper and her evolving expectations, evaluates the best practice strategies retailers are using to simplify their operating models while trying to excite this new shopper, and details how vendors can win in this environment.

Retailing 2016: Putting Category Management of the Future in Context
Mary Brett Whitfield, Senior Vice President, Kantar Retail
Though 2016 is only a few short years away, the environment for retailing will be dramatically different. Retailers will have to consider everything from smaller, more locally relevant store formats to mobile marketing and m-commerce. Going forward, they will have more options for making a connection with shoppers than ever before. E-commerce will continue to evolve, as the definition of multi-channel retailing will grow to encompass more than just the combination of stores, catalogs, and an online presence. And, the battle for retail floor and shelf space will continue. As 2016 approaches, further penetration of private brands will challenge suppliers to find growth opportunities in new products, promotions, and merchandising, all while forging different kinds of relationships with their retail customers. The impact of technology on the retail supply chain and the consumer shopping process will be profound and pervasive. Mary Brett Whitfield details the top trends that will challenge retailers and suppliers in the coming years and delivers insights on how your organization can best navigate the road to 2016.

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