CategoryWins #8: December Store visits
Simon Dunn
Expert fractional Category Management | Category Director | FMCG / CPG | Growth Strategy & Execution | Training | Outsourced support
I worked as a Buyer at Sainsbury's & Tesco for over 10 years, before going on to specialise for the next 10 in Insight, Category Management & Growth Strategy.
This newsletter is here to share some of my experience and give practical insights & tips about how to use Category Management principles & thinking to unlock new growth for both Category & Brand, as well as (having been one myself) better engage Retail Buyers.
Sometimes the focus may be a key Category principle, other times we'll cover more real-life examples of how the principles are applied in practice, or a perspective on how Grocery Retailers & Buyers actually work - all with a view to helping you identify new ways to grow.
This week's focus is Store Visits - how time invested getting round key Stores now will pay big dividends once you see December sales data next month.
Also this week : Shelf Trays vs SRP (Shelf Ready Packaging) in Grocery
Thank you for reading & I hope you enjoy...
Simon.
December Store visits : Why they are so imporant & Checklist of what to look for...
December is a critical month for many categories, from Confectionery & BWS to Gifts & Party Food. With Shoppers (hopefully) splurging for the holidays, stakes are high for both brands and retailers alike.
While sales data published in January gives a quantitative view of the season, December Store visits provide invaluable qualitative context.
These visits help explain the WHY behind the numbers, offering insights that spreadsheets alone cannot provide.
Whether you’re in Category Management, Marketing or Sales, December presents a critical opportunity to observe in-Store realities, gather insights & inform strategies for the year ahead....
Why Store Visits Matter in December
Sales reports will capture what products shoppers bought, but Store visits reveal why they bought them - or, equally importantly, why they didn’t.
Shoppers are completing a variety of shopping missions, whether it be the big Christmas shop, a personal treat or searching for last minute gifts, while Retailers are landing complex trade plans, trying to move the dial on market share, as well as trying to optimise availability & stockholding through the big peak week and out the other side.
Observing these dynamics first-hand provides invaluable insights, helping to assess in-store execution, reveal missed opportunities in range & merchandising and better understand shopper behaviour during this critical period.
Checklist : 5 Areas of Focus for December Store Visits
1. Check Execution of Your Plans
Start by evaluating how your promotional & merchandising plans have been implemented. Walk the store with a critical eye and ask:
Are the agreed displays in place? Ensure that FSDUs, gondola ends & other secondary locations are where they were supposed to be.
Are all your products in stock? Seasonal peaks & intense pressure on the supply chain can easily lead to out of stocks. If shelves are empty, what is the cause?
Are pricing & promotions all clear & correct? Are labels correct & is the agreed POS in place? Is the POS that has been agreed effective in drawing the Shopper’s eye & communicating the deal?
Do Displays look good? Well-stocked, tidy displays engage shoppers; cluttered ones can drive them away.
Use this information to understand if execution issues (rather than consumer demand) could have influenced Shopper engagement & December sales performance.
2. Evaluate Competitor Activity
Competitors are equally focused on driving festive sales, so December is a prime time to gather intelligence on their strategies:
Promotions: How are they promoting & are their offers more compelling than yours?
Display locations: Have competitors secured better in-Store positions, and how are Shoppers responding?
Innovation: Are they offering any new, unique products or seasonal treatments that seem to be drawing attention?
Detailed understanding of competitor activity will help you interpret market share changes & identify gaps or opportunities for next year.
3. Observe Shopper Behaviour
High traffic in Store makes it the perfect time to observe how Consumers are actually shopping in your category:
What products are being picked up? Are Shoppers buying your featured SKUs or being drawn away to competitors?
How do Shoppers interact with promotional displays? Are they engaging with secondary placements & retail media, or just walking past without noticing them?
Shopping patterns. Are Shoppers genuinely browsing the fixture to make their choice, or are they on auto-pilot & going straight to the product they want?
First hand observations of Shopper behaviour can help you contextualize sales data & refine your strategies for packaging, placement & promotional planning.
4. Assess main fixture Range & Merchandising
December is often a time when Retailers expand or adapt their range to cater to seasonal demands. During your visit, check:
Are the right SKUs available? Are all your core products & seasonal lines available and well-represented?
Category blocking: Is your Brand blocked effectively, or is it lost among competitors? Is the fixture still compliant to the planogram in the key trading period?
Stock depth: Is the Retailer carrying enough stock for peak periods, or are gaps emerging?
Insights here could be key to drive an in-flight response through Supply Chain & Merchandising teams, as well as give additional context to your sales analysis and inform planning for the next range review.
5. Look Beyond Your Category
Not all insights will be specific to your brand or category. Look holistically at the Store environment to really understand the trading context, as well as spot opportunities that could inspire future strategies:
Shopper frustrations: How busy is the Store vs other fascias you have visited? If it is busy, how well is the Store dealing with the traffic, and what areas are getting the most focus?
Innovation in other areas: Are there standout product ideas, packaging, or POS treatments in other categories which you think could work in your own?
Other locations: walking the whole Store, can you see any new locations to target, or find other products / brands you think you may be able to exploit a synergy with?
After the Visit: Turning Observations into Action
Store visits are only valuable if the insights gathered are acted upon, so after visiting Stores, take these steps:
Document Your Findings - Organise observations into categories such as execution issues, shopper behaviour & competitor activity. Include photos to illustrate key points.
Cross-Reference with Sales Data - When January sales data does become available, use your December findings to interpret the trends. For example: 1) Did poor display execution correlate with underperformance? 2) Were sales spikes in certain SKUs linked to shopper behaviour you observed?
Debrief with Retailers - Share your findings with Retail partners, particularly insights into key successes, execution challenges or missed opportunities. Use this as a chance to collaboratively plan for next year.
Summarise the Key Action points for Next Christmas - Once the data is in & you have the complete view, start shaping your 2025 strategy while everything is still fresh. What new ideas have you uncovered, and what opportunities exist that you can capitalise on?
Key Takeaway
Getting into Store is essential to really understand the key drivers of category & brand performance.
While sales data provides the hard numbers, Store visits offer the qualitative insights needed to interpret those numbers with confidence.
By analysing execution, monitoring competitors, observing Shoppers & spotting broader opportunities, you can craft strategies that drive growth & strengthen retailer relationships for the future.
In short, preparation for next Christmas begins now - so get out there & make those visits count!
Other Post : Shelf Trays vs SRP (Shelf Ready Packaging) in Grocery
At Optima Retail we are Category Management experts so if you need any advice, or just want a quick chat to explore options for how to address a particular challenge please do get in touch.
Together, we can help your Buyers see what’s next.
That's it for now - see you again next week...
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Experienced retailer helping stores and their suppliers Sell More for Less
2wImportant to vary stores geographically as well - going into the local ones all the time won’t give you a real view of what’s happening!
CEO Interim MD/Retail Director at Seven Fathoms
2wChristmas is won in the year, not December. Great to see how the guys execute and manage the volume. And what sort of Christmas each retailer has. based on this year consistency we already know the winners before a piece of tinsel is hung.
CEO at Grocery Insight - transforming retail with global expertise - focused on giving retailers and their teams processes that actually work. Board level exposure. We don't see stores, we see opportunities.
2wImportant all year round!
CEO/Founder at AiM. #FMCG's unique Predictive Commercial Planning Platform. Guaranteed 3% extra profit pool gain or no charge.
2wA great checklist for any CatMan, Sales or Trade Marketing Simon. Always great to have the 'Who did what and when' evidence for when the numbers raise a question.
Expert fractional Category Management | Category Director | FMCG / CPG | Growth Strategy & Execution | Training | Outsourced support
2wI’ll go : about 3x more FSDUs - they’re everywhere! Seen many Stores with 2 on every end as standard, all the way down the Christmas aisle and any other available space … Gone are the days of clear aisles - welcome back proper trading!