Category Management Views from Coen Oil, Fifth Dimension, and

Category Management Association Certification Driving Retailer and Supplier Collaboration:
The Category Management Association is an unbiased central resource for industry information and best
practices encompasing a broad range of strategic insights and planning functions related to shopper marketing
and assortment optimization. The value of membership and participation in the global certification program are
at an all time high. The CMA has already certified many convenience channel retailers and thousands of
individuals around the globe.
The momentum behind certification continues to grow in the USA and internationally and the convenience store
channel realizes there is a compelling return on investment when a company chooses to invest in the personal
growth and development of their associates. Certification is a commitment to "Excellence" and establishes
credibility for the category management discipline while delivering industry leadership.
www.cpgcatnet.org
There are three major reasons for companies to consider certification. First and foremost is that certification
represents a commitment to an organization's people, allowing them to understand the professional qualifications necessary for professional growth. The second reason is to provide trade partners with an understanding
of the quality of your category management team and the third reason is to deliver a commitment to innovate
to provide enhanced customer value.
2015 promises to be the most successful year in CMA history. Isn't it time you and your organization join the certification revolution taking
place within the convenience channel? For more information on the Category Management Association's "Best Practices" capabilities
and certification programs please contact CMA's Blaine Ross at 630-219-3266 or [email protected].
On the preceding pages learn how leading companies have invested heavily in category management throughout their organizations in
order to support retail strategies.
How has Category Management changed in recent years
at Swisher International, Inc?
Swisher has always been recognized as a leader regarding space and business planning by our
industry. Four years ago we began an aggressive effort with the CMA to not only train but certify key
members of our sales, marketing and analytics teams. Swisher is proud to announce we have 18
individuals certified by the association with another 21 going through the training. We continue to work
with the Category Management Knowledge Group to incorporate their on-line training platform. Our
customers see certification as a vehicle to help drive collaboration while meeting adult consumer needs.
Due to the success of the certification we have earned Category Captain status at many of the largest
retail partners in the country. Our partners are confident that recommendations coming from a Swisher
International, Inc. representative are well-grounded in category management principals.
In what way are you collaborating to make an impact at retail?
Swisher’s objective is to provide our customers with the best possible product and sales experience,
while also providing needed expertise in specific market dynamics. Utilizing MSAi insights, programs
and planograms are customized to meet specific customer goals and adult consumer demands. Our Partners in Profit program is a
perfect example of the execution of that strategy. We provide our partners with revenue-generating products and promotions in all of
our OTP lines, with the objective to grow not only Swisher sales, but the full OTP category in store.
How is localization playing a role in assortment optimization for your category?
Our category faces assortment challenges based on space limitations, local taxes and consumer preferences. The ability for our
customers to understand what brands are driving their OTP category is critical. We use category management to provide actionable
insights and store level assortment planning.
What are the latest ways you are enhancing the shopper experience?
We sat down as a team and developed strategies with our mission statement and core category
principles in mind. It is our goal to stay true to our mission, “Impress and satisfy guests with every
visit and make their lives simpler.” This entails knowing exactly what the shopper wants, providing
the best offering, best price and making it easy to find. For foodservice, we are not taking a typical
QSR approach, instead we are building a menu offering from the ground up. This will include a
chicken program that shoppers will want to come into our stores for. This approach combined with
rebranding a majority of our stores to Ruff Creek Markets will help us deliver the best
guest experiences.
How is localization playing a role in assortment optimization
for your category?
At Coen Oil, we look at a lot of data segments including demographic data. We have a lot of different communities, therefore we tailor our product mix and set sizes to particular locations. For
example, in more rural areas we provide more groceries and snacks. One of the sources we use
is Infometrics, which is provided by AWMA, and our distributor set us up to see the reports. This
allows us to compare against the market and identify new items to consider.
In what ways are you collaborating to make an impact at retail?
We have a core principle, which is to treat vendors as partners. One example of this is selecting a category captain for
key categories and also working with a category validator. Collectively we review trends and apply
recommendations to sets to make sure our guests are getting the best experience in store when
they look at our product offering.
What changes have you seen in category management recently?
The practice of category management is becoming more holistic, offering the
opportunity of reinvention and innovation. Our clients on the manufacturer side are
becoming aisle and total store partners with major retailers. As a leading solution provider
active in the CMA, we represent best practices in category, aisle, department and total
store optimization.
In what ways does Fifth Dimension play a role in aisle management and total
store optimization?
We combine 3D visualization of virtual stores with space management and advanced analytical
software to provide aisle, department and total store optimization. Fully integrated macro through
micro technology combines strategic scenarios with advanced analytics and shopper insights.
What can collaboration do for a c-store chain?
Major c-store chains are realizing that they can test everything from theory to store layout and product
mix virtually without store interruption or risk. The results we provide demonstrate performance
scenarios that once implemented offer the greatest ROI. In a recent project, a key manufacturer
wanted to demonstrate total store optimization while considering limited space and maximizing assortment. The recommendations led to an average increase of $7.55 in sales per linear foot per week. For
just those six test stores, that translates to over $400,000 in annual sales. With the possibilities of
expanding the insights to over 650 stores, that can equate to additional sales revenue of over $45
million chain wide. True collaborative efforts such as these can provide phenomenal results.