For years, manufacturers have had limited insight or understanding of how merchandising decisions were made by retailers. This fact is especially true at Checkout or Front of Store. While retailer merchandising decisions have always had a tremendous impact on business, manufacturers have traditionally had limited participation in the decision making process.
We understand the decision-making process retailers undertake when building a new checkout program. IMC tracks the lifecycle of these programs (timing), how and why the decisions are made (process), and who the real decision makers are (key contacts). This knowledge coupled with experience, analytical rigor and design services are the foundation of our value proposition for our manufacturer clients. Our expertise, insights, and services provide clients with a significant competitive edge.
IMC supports sales, marketing, and brand teams to advance merchandising initiatives by:
Providing clients with merchandising information/insight on more than 300 grocery, mass, drug and convenience accounts in North America
Providing clients with their proprietary Retailer Fixture Profiles; pictures and important information of current merchandising fixtures and programs
Designing and conducting appropriate tests to build new learning at checkout
Developing in-store merchandising solutions to drive increased off-take, sales and profitability
Identifying and capitalizing on immediate, in-store merchandising opportunities
Developing cost-effective economic models to maximize profitable merchandising solutions
Training management on how to compete with traditional and non-traditional market forces
Providing support as an industry expert on front of the store merchandising solutions
Creating intermediate and long range plans to improve in-store merchandising
With IMC’s help, manufacturers can offer solutions to their retail customers that encompass all relevant categories at checkout, increasing sales for both the manufacturer and retailer.
Below you will find some graphic examples of our supplier(cpg) capabilities:
View an example of a CAD drawing of one of the displays from above.
The checkout area has traditionally been difficult to manage due to the many diverse categories merchandised together in one location, essentially creating a “checkout category". Typically, the management and allocation of space falls under different departments creating an environment that makes the subsequent measurement and decision-making extremely difficult. In addition, the manufacturer’s insight/support of the checkout area has been limited with most recommendations centering on their own category/brands.
Other challenges include:
Increased complexity with regards to the types of checkout lanes (regular, express and self scan)
“New fixtures vs. Pay to Stay” economics issues
Emergence of new general merchandise items at checkout (e.g. DVDs, CDs, and Gift Cards etc.)
Emergence of new technology (RFID, flat screen TVs, etc.) that the change look/needs at checkout
Continued lack of best practice research, process and leadership from suppliers
As an independent third party solutions provider, we offer our retailers:
A process to manage the checkout as a business unit designed to optimize sales and profitability
Recommendations based on facts, best practices, analysis and total productivity, and not supplier placement fees
An independent "category view" of the checkout rather than many category subsets built on bias of manufacturer or rack suppliers
Insight for optimizing category allocation, location and assortment designed to impact total profitability
Fixture design services that drive total sales and profitability while remaining functional, flexible, and cost effective
Merchandising, testing, and evaluation services designed to understand current productivity and predict/model future results
Methods/ideas for tailoring fixtures by division, store size and customer base (demographics)
Organizational training on the economics of the checkout category and merchandising best practices.
Leveraging fact based information; IMC can help retailers through all aspects of the checkout decision process and subsequent management of this highly profitable area of the store.
Below you will find some graphic examples of our retail capabilities:
View an example of a CAD drawing of one of the displays from above.
