www.retailnews.ie|December 2012|Retail News|35
Category Management
Bridget Quille and Andrew Bolger from Johnson & Johnson are pictured with Sarah Morris, Musgrave Retail Partners Ireland.
Analysis & Insight
Adrian Sanger, Global Head of Shopper, Nielsen, set the tone of the morning with his presentation on the savvy shopper. The extensive data he presented clearly demonstrated global market conditions. He demonstrated that while consumers are engaging in more bargain hunting and promo seeking activities, it is not only so called austerity products that are performing well. Goods traditionally seen as more luxury products that offer a compelling value proposition are performing well, even in the Irish market. Sanger highlighted the need for manufacturers and retailers to co-operate in order to deliver the right product, in the right way and pointed out the importance of engaging the savvy shopper at every part of their path to purchase. In short, that means using the huge amount of data there is on customers and their shopping habits to place the right product in their path, be that physically in a shop or online. Clodagh Ashe from Delphi Analytics expanded on the topic of data analysis. There is a huge amount of information on consumers, shopping habits and customers’ needs and wants. The challenge that faces category management and marketing is how to filter out the relevant information and then what to do with it in the real or virtual world. It is the practical implication of this knowledge that is driving the current market revolution, as Clodagh says: “It is what you do with the information that counts.”
Paul Corcoran, Range & Space Planning Manager, Musgrave Retail Partners Ireland, with Declan Carolan, ECR Ireland.
Category Strategy
Rob Mullen from Kerry Foods presented a fascinating insight into category vision in chilled grocery that ably demonstrated the practical implication of analysis and insight into category strategy. Irish consumers have been buying more sliced meats, but paying less. Research clearly demonstrated that consumers gave little thought to sliced meat purchases and engaged primarily in deal hunting, with little or no time spent making their choice in-store. Through a combination of signage, colour and suggestion, Kerry Foods developed a concept designed to
increase sales and margin on presliced meats. By focusing on four key drivers of usage – better for you, lunch, fridge snack and meal – Kerry Foods created a concept that can be easily implemented that has delivered a 20% increase on turnover in sliced meats. Kimberly Clark’s presentation, delivered by Jonathon Poole, Kleenex Marketing, and Jennifer Fielden, Category Development Manager, Kimberly Clark, showed how a combination of investment in packaging, engagement with consumers to reposition the usage of tissues, and tailoring the brand to the image of the customer, have delivered
Kellie Whelan, Next Generation, and Jill Moloney, Nestlé Cereals.