Manufacturers of goods need to be prepared for higher demand and manage the supply chain and merchandising in such a way as to avoid out-of-stock situations.
In December, people will be buying more consumer products, as there the market always experiences a feverish demand during holiday trade. Manufacturers of goods need to be prepared for higher demand and manage the supply chain and merchandising in such a way as to avoid out-of-stock situations. Therefore, experts recommend improving the merchandising process with IT solutions.
Automation of the merchandising process, adherence to planograms and putting things in order on the shelves will help to attract customers and stay one step ahead of the competition. Reports show that 41% of respondents would rather not look for a replacement for a missing product. Although 30% of people say that if they had a decent replacement, they would still make a purchase.
“During the holidays, new business opportunities open up. Companies with the right planograms are able to influence the sales of their products by distinguishing them from competitors. Therefore, it is extremely important for companies to have IT tools that help manage this process,” say retail automation experts from IBA Group.
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The display and availability of goods can be monitored with IT tools such as Goods Checker which will automatically compare the photo of the shelf with the planogram and show whether the goods are displayed correctly and whether all items are on the shelf. An FMCG company will be able to sort things out on the shelves in retail outlets and prevent any out-of-stock situations. This will help avoid compromising sales and brand reputation.
In general, through the use of automation, companies improve their business processes: eliminate the human error, speed up processes and at the same time reduce their costs. In addition, automation helps to respond faster to market changes. As in the case of the holidays, those who have already automated their merchandising will adapt faster to increased demand and changes in consumer product preferences.
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In 2021, during the pandemic, consumer spending was record high, with shoppers spending an average of $579 on holiday-related items. Today, COVID-19 is receding, but troubled political circumstances are creating new challenges: inflation, rising prices, disruption of energy supplies. Despite this, 2022 will not be an exception in terms of consumer spending: heightened demand for FMCG products is still expected.