Retail and distribution company optimise its category management process across UK supermarkets

Retail and distribution company optimise its category management process across UK supermarkets

Bel UK is now using Aldata’s Assortment Management and Optimisation software for category and market insight and strategic assortment planning across its product range.

The software will allow Bel UK, which is responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of major cheese brands such as The Laughing Cow, Mini Babybel, Boursin and Leerdammer, to advise retail partners more effectively on shopper buying patterns and maximise category performance within the cheese section of UK supermarkets.

Consolidating disparate data

The Kent-based subsidiary of the Bel Group is using the assortment optimisation software to identify market opportunities from shopper purchasing behaviour and make tailored recommendations based on simulating category changes before placing products at the shelf. With Aldata, Bel is now also able to reduce time spent unifying data from disparate sources to quickly and accurately advise retailers on how to optimise category performance and maximise profit on every day, snack and premium cheeses.

“Aldata’s solutions have given us the tools to develop accurate category insight, but have also cut the headaches around integrating data from disparate sources. We used to spend up to 30% of our time cleaning and formatting data,” said Dani Busseni, Bel UK category controller. “With Aldata, we have now generated 11 range reviews in eight weeks and are able to focus more time on providing assortment recommendations to retailers rather than crunching numbers.”

Visibility of space planning

The provider said that Bel UK is also considering using its space planning product to visualise category and assortment strategies, analyse space performance and increase the speed by which it delivers tailored planograms to its retail partners.

“Shoppers today are more informed and connected than ever before and with changing economic conditions, customer engagement is becoming increasingly difficult.” said Matt Robinson, Market Development, Aldata. “This means that it is crucial for retailers and manufacturers to work together to fully understand sales trends and buying behaviour. By using category optimisation tools and having the right mix of products on shelves, tailored to local shopper requirements, retailers can support their brand and build a loyal customer base.”