How next-generation data solutions are elevating category management

In today’s fast-paced, omnichannel retail environment, category managers need accessible, real-time data to make informed decisions and drive sustainable growth.

At this year’s Category Management Association (CMA) SIMA conference, the power of data-driven insights in the modern retail landscape was a central theme. From keynote presentations on navigating economic trends to breakout sessions on innovative analytics tools – plus an increase in attendance by IT teams – the emphasis on data was clear.

That’s because today’s category managers require heightened visibility to navigate unprecedented challenges: managing a complex omnichannel landscape, contending with increased competition, and adapting to evolving consumer behaviors. To thrive in this dynamic environment, forward-thinking category managers need new solutions alongside the analytics tools they’re accustomed to.

Here, we’ll discuss how data plays into daily life for a category manager and explore the cutting-edge solutions that can help them make that day easier – all while wowing merchants and buyers in a new way.

Day in the life of a category manager

Traditionally, the grind of a category manager has been defined by a struggle to wrangle data. Hours are spent downloading information across multiple retailer portals, manually consolidating spreadsheets, cross-referencing syndicated data reports, and making sense of it all.

This fragmented process offers limited visibility and hinders the ability to spot emerging trends or proactively address challenges within a category.  

Whether you’re a category manager focused on your own brand’s performance, or a category advisor (aka category captain) guiding multiple brands, access to clean, actionable data insights is vital. 

While syndicated data reports have long been the go-to source for understanding category performance and competition, the retrospective nature (4-6 weeks) and lack of granular, store-level details can create blind spots. 

Fortunately, new technologies are changing the game, empowering category managers to streamline workflows, centralizing syndicated data with invaluable point-of-sale (POS) and inventory insights for a complete picture, and helping to reclaim hours each week. These tools and time-savings enable category managers to embrace a more strategic role, transforming them into the data-driven partners their retail buyers need.

While syndicated data reports have long been the go-to source for understanding category performance and competition, the retrospective nature (4-6 weeks) and lack of granular, store-level details can create blind spots. 

Wow your retail merchants with real-time insights

Mastering modulars

Modulars, also known as planograms, are the blueprints for retail shelves, dictating brand and product placement, and overall assortment for each category. In the past, managing modulars has been time-consuming and reactive. CMs and advisors relied on manual reports and dated data, making it difficult to spot opportunities or propose changes with confidence.

Today’s data resources, combined with automated technology solutions, empower you with real-time, granular insights. Ad-hoc reporting capabilities let you drill into UPC-level and store-level data on demand – insights that previously took hours to compile (or were simply unavailable). 

Armed with this data, category advisors in particular can propose data-backed modular changes to retail buyers that optimize shelf space, boost sales, and improve shopper experience.One-stop decision-makingArmed with this data, category advisors in particular can propose data-backed modular changes to retail buyers that optimize shelf space, boost sales, and improve shopper experience.

Today’s data resources, combined with automated technology solutions, empower you with real-time, granular insights. Ad-hoc reporting capabilities let you drill into UPC-level and store-level data on demand – insights that previously took hours to compile (or were simply unavailable). 

Inventory intelligence

Inventory optimization is key to retail success, and category managers play a pivotal role. However, traditional tools often only provide a siloed view of a brand’s inventory movement. To be truly strategic, CMs and advisors need a wider lens.

New solutions empower you with real-time inventory data across distribution centers (DCs). These reports allow you to forecast the category-wide impacts of potential modular changes, supply issues, or promotional activities. Used with timely sales velocity reporting, you can spot trends, opportunities, and potential issues earlier than ever before.

This holistic view of inventory is especially crucial in today’s omnichannel environment.  Solutions like Crisp Retail Analytics for Walmart Luminate provide a comprehensive view of online, pickup, and delivery sales. This ensures you have the right products in the right places to meet evolving shopper needs.

This holistic view of inventory is especially crucial in today’s omnichannel environment.  Solutions like Crisp Retail Analytics for Walmart Luminate provide a comprehensive view of online, pickup, and delivery sales.

Category reporting for advisors & non-advisors

Walmart’s Luminate Charter platform is paving the way for CM solutions, democratizing category data, and providing robust insights for both category advisors and non-advisors. Tools like Crisp Retail Analytics make this data even more actionable, empowering teams with insights tailored to their specific needs.

For Category Managers & Sales teams: Luminate provides a detailed weekly analysis of store and e-commerce sales at the UPC and store-level across a given product category. This granular data enables benchmarking, competitive analysis, and the ability to identify growth opportunities within a category. Non-advisors can leverage this data for category discussions in Walmart line reviews, bringing a data-driven perspective to their joint business planning (JBP).

For Category Advisors: Category advisors who need even deeper analytics can turn to tools specifically integrating Luminate’s all-new, advisor-focused feeds. With Crisp Retail Analytics, advisors get pre- and post-modular comparisons, days of supply analyses, and detailed modular insights at the store and item level. This empowers them to drive category-wide growth and collaborate strategically with retail buyers.

Category advisors who need even deeper analytics can turn to tools specifically integrating Luminate’s all-new, advisor-focused feeds.

One-stop decision-making

Imagine a workspace where you can access all your crucial retail data in one place. Real-time point-of-sale and inventory information from multiple retailers flows alongside syndicated reports, encapsulating market research,competitive insights, and even custom reports like weather data. This is the power of one-stop decision-making, and it’s transforming the way category managers work today.

Leveraging Crisp, CPGs can seamlessly integrate data from 40+ retailers and distributors, alongside syndicated sources like Nielsen IQ, in easy-to-use dashboards within the Retail Analytics suite, or send it directly to their preferred BI and cloud platforms including Power BI, Azure, Snowflake, Databricks, and more.