IRI can be your eyes in-store
It has long been accepted that successful new products are the lifeblood of a dynamic FMCG category. So it’s no surprise that, globally, 182,000 new products were launched last year. But when only two out of ten new products launched in Europe succeed, ensuring your product is one of the best can be challenging. IRI can help you predict success at every stage of your launch process. IRI Field Services can help you prior to your new product launch by using test marketing. Doing this before a national launch can be critical to fully understand if there are any refinements that are needed to the product, packaging, price or positioning. Product failure can be costly if it is not properly tested first.
Once the product is fully launched, IRI Field Services can collect information in-store to provide essential details of whether the launch is performing according to your plan, and that retailers are implementing what has been agreed. IRI has over 270 retained Field Workers who visit circa 400 multiple grocers weekly and 900 independent stores (grocery, impulse channels, and pet stores) monthly. TEST MARKETING
Minimise the risk of launching a new product by Test Marketing it on shelf in-store prior to launch. There is no substitute for results that involve real shoppers shopping in real stores making real decisions and spending real money.
IRI can manage the whole process including:
- Statistically matched store selection by using chain census data
- Retailer authorisations
- Product warehousing & distribution
- Merchandising
- Stock delivery
- In-store audits for compliance
- Using IRI store level data to provide accurate numbers for strategic decision making
Test marketing case study
A client wanted to test the effect a secondary display of their products had in store before a national roll-out. IRI were asked to measure sales in 25 test stores that included the new fixture, compared to 25 similar stores that did not.
The IRI Field Services team were able to monitor the test stores on a weekly basis. The results showed that the stores with the new displays enabled the whole category to grow by 13%, great news for both the manufacturer and retailer. The brand involved saw a sales uplift of 35%. IRI were also able to monitor the effect the new display had on existing fixtures and monitor the resulting shrinkage.
Using this real life data, the client were able to make an informed decision on whether the secondary fixtures should be rolled out to all stores and retailers.
POST LAUNCH
If you have already launched a new product, valuable information can be collected in-store to provide evidence on why it is performing well or not. There may be issues in-store that you cannot see through data alone. IRI can ‘piggy back’ regular store audit visits to keep costs at minimum and collect information required including:
- Price
- Availability and stock levels
- Retailer compliance
- Space allocation
- Promotions
- Photos of products on shelf
Post launch case study
A major grocery manufacturer had a number of new product launches they wanted IRI to monitor. IRI were given a list of new product launches by the client, along with a date when it was planned that the new products should be present in the market place.
Using the IRI Field Service during actual store visits, the client was able to gain distribution checks ahead of the weekly scanning sales data. One product had very low sales moving through a particular retailer, which could have looked like it was not being distributed correctly. The IRI Field team returned to the stores and established that the initial stock had been held back due to a pack size error. The retailer had sold the incorrect packs to staff, hence the initial sales data! The client was able to rectify the problem quickly and ensure the right packs were in the store.
Contact
If you would like to find out more about how IRI Field Services can help you make your new product launches more successful, please contact your account representative or,
John Kirk
Field Services Director
John.kirk@infores.com
Tel: + 44 (0)1344 746090
Mob: + 44 (0)7774 158970