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The programme was launched in 2003 to provide free and unbiased advice to convenience retailers

Unilever is relaunching its Partners for Growth advice programme for convenience retailers.

The scheme - which offers “free and unbiased advice” to convenience retailers - has been given a new website offering ranging and “shopper mission” advice, and would better reflect the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on shopper behaviour, said Unilever.

For the first time, the programme will be opened up to other non-competing types of businesses, so that it could become the “go-to website” for retailers in search of unbiased store-wide category and business advice they can trust, it added.

Unilever claimed retailers following the advice of the programme could grow their sales significantly by relaying their fixtures in line with the recommendations.

It uses national sales data and insight from Unilever category experts and UK retailers, with the aim of growing total category sales, not just those of a manufacturer, it said.

Unilever UKI category director Kat Simpson said the brand would “urge retailers to review the new updated category insight and advice, as it is important they reflect these changes to behaviour in their ranging decisions”.

The new website will also host a range of business tools, and provide a place for retailers to exchange ideas and put questions to category experts.