Co-op is trialling making planogram data available to branded suppliers, ahead of a rollout to its full supplier base.
The convenience retailer is working with retail technology company VST on the initiative. Initially five suppliers will be able to access live planogram data via VST’s Planogram Publisher platform as part of a four-week trial.
The work means Co-op’s suppliers will be able to see “exactly how and where their products are merchandised across its estate – helping to drive better investment decisions, faster activation, and ultimately growing category sales”, VST said.
Planogram data is available to suppliers but typically on an ad hoc basis. The platform replaces an otherwise “slow and fragmented manual process”, VST added, giving brands’ “commercial, insights, category and field teams the visibility they need to align activations with real-world store layouts – unlocking opportunities in retail media, execution efficiency and strategic collaboration”.
The project is being led by Co-op’s recently formed group commercial and logistics division.
“As the leading UK convenience retailer, our aim is to run the best small shops providing quality products and great value for our members and customers, and to do that we need cutting-edge processes and data access behind the shelf edge,” said Tom Bradley, commercial director at The Co-op.
“This new partnership will give brands direct sight of planogram data, which will remove friction and create transparency, enabling smarter conversations and more agile execution,” he added.
As previously reported by The Grocer, Tesco’s media platform – Tesco Media & Insight Platform powered by Dunnhumby – also provides planogram data to suppliers. In 2022 it launched the platform to provide “in-depth insights” from Tesco’s 3,500-plus stores, and “deliver significant efficiencies especially in field sales activities”, Dunnhumby said.
“The insights it provides will help sales teams make smarter, faster, and better-informed decisions about their product portfolio, using rich and reliable data taken straight from the source,” said then Dunnhumby MD Dan Hodgkiss, at the time.
The Co-op partnership reflects a sector trend for retailers to “monetise and operationalise their shelf data, enabling brands to act faster and more effectively in response to shopper behaviour”, VST said.
“For years, planogram data has been an underused asset in retail,” said Nick Theodore, CEO and founder at VST. “We’re excited to announce our launch of Planogram Publisher in partnership with Co-op. It’s a big step forward in making Co-op’s planogram data available to their most strategic CPG partners to unlock category growth across their stores.”
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