Category, capability & in-store excellence articles and infographics

Our latest infographic looks at the importance of brands by category and the impacts of availability on suppliers and retailers. DOWNLOAD INFOGRAPHIC AS PDF >>     DOWNLOAD INFOGRAPHIC AS PDF >>

Following a difficult year for Asda, IGD’s Michael Freedman and Chris Kirkland consider how a renewed focus on innovation can help Asda to stand out from the crowd for shoppers. Asda’s Q4 2015 results reaffirmed the challenge of delivering LFL value growth amidst deflation and ongoing price investment. Andy Clarke has talked about “a difficult year” and believes these difficult conditions wi...

What does it take to be a great category manager? And what are retailers looking for from them? Find out in this infographic. DOWNLOAD INFOGRAPHIC AS PDF >>     DOWNLOAD INFOGRAPHIC AS PDF >>

    I recently wrote a biography of my career and experience. The team stressed a need to put in a personal piece around what excited and engaged me. So I wrote “keen in understanding and developing what category management means within the online channel”. The one thing that fascinates me about online is the same thing that makes understanding it elusive. That one thing is “the ...

Two thirds of insight managers believe they are experts at data analysis. But what does it take to be a great insight manager? Find out in this infographic. DOWNLOAD INFOGRAPHIC AS PDF >> DOWNLOAD INFOGRAPHIC AS PDF >>

    As Category Managers how many times have you found yourself in this situation? It’s summer and over half the company has been whisked away to some lovely hotel venue just off the M40. It can only mean one thing - brand sell in! Cue expensive agency show reels. Cue charts with the headline “Best consumer top-box scores agency X has even recorded”. Cue endless mentions of ‘game...

Over the last few days I have started to analyse the latest data from our annual survey into how the industry practices category management, in preparation for the findings to be shared at the Category Management and Shopper Marketing Summit, later this month. Our research in this area stretches back over 20 years, with such a rich history I was fascinated to understand how category manageme...

    How do suppliers get to influence the category performance across the 33,000 symbol and unaffiliated independent grocery stores* across the UK? It isn’t as simple as working with a multiple retailer where head office agreement can result in uniform implementation across their large estate of stores; suppliers need to think how they can get their recommendations to every store owner...

    I was once asked this simple and direct question by a buyer. It took me a little by surprise as it was early on in my career. Whilst I knew the range and space recommendation, I struggled to articulate a coherent answer that inspired the buyer into action. It’s that old cliché of having the elevator pitch. I find myself posing this question to a lot to people who work on the ...

  Another nail in the coffin for multi-buy promotions NHS Scotland sited the banning of multi-buy promotions on alcohol as having a positive contribution to alcohol consumption in Scotland. Along with the news of Sainsbury’s planning to phase out all multi-buy promotions in the summer you can start to think that the end of the multi-buy promotion is just around the corner.   So is t...