Closing Retail’s Data Gap with Smarter Shelf Intelligence

As shoppers, we all expect our favorite products to be on the shelf when we visit a store. For retailers, meeting this expectation is crucial for ensuring customer satisfaction and driving sales. Top grocers like Schnuck Markets and Wakefern Corp. use advanced technologies to gain near real-time shelf intelligence, making sure items are in stock, priced correctly, and in the right location. However, many retailers rely on third parties—such as Direct Store Delivery (DSD) partners, CPG brands, national manufacturers, and smaller brands represented by brokers—to keep shelves stocked, set up promotions properly, and ensure compliance with planograms and displays.

These partners often have no real-time visibility into important details like which products are consistently out of stock, the out-of-stock rate at each store, or if the products remained in stock throughout an entire promotion. As a result, brands invest heavily in in-store promotions only to find out later that execution was flawed, forcing them to spend additional resources on manual compliance checks.

Ideally, these vendors would have the same access to real-time data as retailers, allowing them to better serve the stores and respond to issues as they arise. But traditional data sources provide outdated information weeks after it’s needed, making it nearly impossible for vendors to verify pricing and promotion execution, manage stock levels effectively, or adjust strategies in a timely manner. This lack of visibility leads to missed sales opportunities, wasted resources, and a poor shopper experience. Without timely insights, vendors are left reacting to problems, rather than preventing them—ultimately hurting both sales and the shopper experience.

Closing the Data & Insights Gap

Store interiors are the last remaining data desert in retail, and top retailers are turning to automation and AI to drive substantial change. But effective automation is only as good as the quality of data that powers it.

Simbe Brand Insights addresses these challenges head-on, creating a competitive edge for early adopters. Traditionally, data syndication companies aggregate information from sources like point-of-sale systems and provide it to vendors the following month. By that time, issues have already impacted sales, and the opportunity to correct them is long gone. This lag not only affects in-store execution but also creates a disconnect between retailers and their vendor partners.

With Simbe Brand Insights, retailers can now provide near real-time data-such as SKU level shelf availability, out of stocks, precise item locations, restocking, and promotion execution- to their partners through daily reports and an easy-to-read dashboard. This high-frequency, reliable information allows everyone to work off the same accurate dataset, making it easier to spot trends, optimize operations, and make smarter decisions quickly.

The benefits extend beyond operational efficiency. Retailers can now accurately measure the effectiveness of their promotions and pricing, identifying which investments are truly driving sales. This unprecedented visibility also lays the groundwork for impactful retail media strategies, enabling both retailers and their vendor partners to create more targeted and effective campaigns.

Who Benefits from Simbe Brand Insights?

Store Category Managers

Having real-time, store-level insights is a game-changer for Store Category Managers. Instead of relying on outdated reports, they can use current data to refine product category performance and make informed decisions about resets and schematic changes. This means less guesswork and more precise actions that directly impact sales and customer satisfaction.

Key Questions Answered:

• How are SKUs performing against the category?
• Are our planograms being executed correctly?
• Do we need to adjust shelf space for high-performing products?

Merchandisers

Merchandisers often need to make quick decisions about restocking and product placement. With Simbe Brand Insights, they have a clear idea of what’s happening in every store before they even step foot in the aisle. Whether it’s checking on promotional displays or identifying out-of-stock items, they can adjust their inventory plans in advance, ensuring that every visit is efficient and impactful.

Key Questions Answered:

• What products are out-of-stock in each store?
• Are promotional displays set up correctly?
• Is everything in stock and priced right?

Brands and Account Managers

For Brands and Account Managers, understanding product performance and promotional execution is crucial. Simbe Brand Insights provides visibility into in-store conditions, helping them ensure their promotions are being executed as planned and that products are in stock throughout the entire promotional window. This data not only supports better negotiations on shelf space but also helps optimize promotional strategies to achieve better results.

Key Questions Answered:

• Did stores execute the display as planned?
• What are my in-stock rates across stores?
• How is my product performing in each location?

Building Stronger Partnerships

One of the biggest advantages of Simbe Brand Insights is how it gets retailers and vendors on the same side of the table. For the first time, all parties have access to the same real-time data, which helps eliminate confusion and fosters a more collaborative approach to problem-solving. Vendors can see exactly what’s happening in stores and adjust their strategies accordingly, while retailers can hold their partners accountable with clear, measurable KPIs.

For example, a national brand manufacturer can use Simbe Brand Insights to monitor the performance of a new product launch in real time, identifying which stores are selling out quickly and which need additional support. Meanwhile, a smaller brand represented by a broker or agency can leverage this data to negotiate for more shelf space based on actual performance metrics rather than estimates or outdated sales reports.

Expanding ROI with New Revenue Streams

Simbe Brand Insights doesn’t just solve operational challenges; it also offers a new way for retailers to generate revenue. By selling these valuable insights to their vendor partners, retailers can unlock new monetization opportunities that provide an additional return on their investment in store intelligence solutions.

A Win-Win for Everyone

A more effective retail ecosystem starts with reliable data and improved visibility. Simbe Brand Insights helps retailers, vendors, and brands work together more effectively, making it easier to achieve shared goals and drive business forward. By closing the data gap and offering real-time, actionable insights, Simbe is helping to create a more connected, efficient, and successful retail environment.

In the end, it’s not just about the data—it’s about what you can do with it. As AI and automation become critical drivers of retail competitiveness, embracing these technologies will be essential for market leaders of tomorrow. Simbe Brand Insights equips retailers and their partners with the tools to make informed decisions and build a more responsive, data-driven organization, turning insights into strategic actions that set industry leaders apart.