Gene Detroyer

FD Buyer: Let's Try Coordinating the Time of Category Reviews

March 8, 2010

FROM RETAILWIRE:
Let's say you're a manufacturer with a new product breakthrough, and you're ready to present it to the trade this month. But let's also say that several of your key retailers won't be reviewing your category until the following January. Would an effort at standardizing which categories are reviewed when be beneficial for the industry?      [more...]

There is no issue here. Most new products introduced into retail are not especially new and innovative and most do not have a great consumer oriented effort behind them. There is no urgency for a retailer to react. On the other side of the argument, I do not know of a retailer that will not make exceptions for new and innovative products or those with substantial support behind them. I do recognize that the folks who are introducing Double-Stuffed, Golden Oreos might disagree, but let's all be realistic about how many needs are filled by a new product. And, the smart product manager always makes sure that the coupon for New! Super Extra Strength Excedrin is also good on Extra Strength Excedrin.

Planned category reviews make sense if only for the retailer to adjust to a more profitable and appealing shelf mix. The retailers have some rationale for their scheduling and even with categories that are not seasonal, the reviews are surprisingly similar in time frame across channels.