Control of the product layout and the presence of competitors
Aim
To implement full control over the presence of products and promotional materials in supermarkets according to the established requirements and reduce the cost of the process.
Context:
Marketing Logic was approached by one of the largest food distributors in St. Petersburg with the task of optimizing the process of placing products on the shelves of partner supermarkets. The standards for the layout and presence of goods were determined by the customer's agreements with FMCG manufacturers, while supermarket employees often made mistakes when placing products, did not have time to monitor the timely replenishment of shelves or completely forgot to move some items from the warehouse to the sales floor, and did not always update the price tags in time. The same applied to the placement of marketing materials, including advertising booklets and banners with special offers. At the same time, the human factor also interfered with the client's checks, and the control staff overlooked some of the layout inconsistencies with the specified standards.
Key indicators
Solution
Our team studied the range of products and FMCG manufacturers that the client works with, and formed a database of images for training the system. It includes company logos and specific product names, as well as product photos taken from different angles and under different lighting conditions. Separately, we have collected images of the shelves of various supermarkets, so that the system can learn to distinguish between shelves and price tags. All these materials were uploaded to the system so that it could learn to recognize specific objects. For the most accurate recognition of products, we have also supplemented the database with self-made photos from the missing angles. Based on the layout standards and the presence of products on the shelves, Marketing Logic analysts wrote scripts-focusing on them, the system learned not only to find specific objects, but also to determine whether they are in the right order, on the right shelf and in sufficient volume. Taking into account all this data, we have developed a mobile application that allows the client's employees to control the layout of products in supermarkets. To check it, just go to the app, point the smartphone camera at the shelf and follow the pop-up prompts: recommendations appear on the screen, whether you need to get closer or change the shooting angle. When the examiner finds the right angle, the app lets you take a photo. The system analyzes the received photos, compares the received data with the layout standards and indicates in which supermarkets and on which shelves violations were committed. The information is provided promptly and in a structured manner, which significantly improves the efficiency of the client's work with partners. Since the time spent by the distributor's monitoring staff at the inspection site and the number of errors has been significantly reduced, the costs of this process have also decreased.
Result
The Marketing Logic product allows you to reduce the cost of controlling the display of goods in supermarkets by 70% in the future due to the automation of the process and the introduction of user-friendly software.