Unilever is setting out to improve on-shelf availability as it forms a new partnership with Trax, a leading global provider of computer vision solutions and analytics for retail, and Roamler, a European technology company specializing in crowd-supported solutions for field marketing. The new partnership will provide consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies in Europe with a store auditing service that combines the power of computer vision and the gig economy.
“Together, Trax and Roamler offer CPGs superior value by providing a cost-effective, scalable, and fully integrated store auditing service,” said Karine Eloy, Managing Director for EMEA at Trax. “Our joint solution empowers companies to address issues affecting retail execution and product availability quickly and efficiently.”
According to a release, Trax and Roamler are collaborating to help Unilever improve on-shelf availability in hundreds of stores across Belgium and Italy. Trax analytics and insights derived from shelf images captured by Roamler’s workforce allow Unilever to detect anomalies in-store, take action, and measure results. As a result, Unilever’s own sales reps and merchandisers can focus on higher-value tasks, expand store coverage, and prioritize stores with maximum sales opportunity.
“We are thrilled to provide our CPG customers an agile, crowdsourced workforce for better operational flexibility and enhanced insights, powered by Trax’s computer vision,” said Martijn Nijhuis, Co-Founder of Roamler. “With Trax, we can provide visibility to shelf conditions in a granular and actionable way.”
As noted in a post by Trax, a 3 percent increase in OSA leads to 1 percent growth in revenue for a large-sized CPG company.
Roamler leverages a crowd-based workforce to capture images of retail shelves. The images are processed by Trax’s proprietary computer vision platform to provide manufacturers with an accurate snapshot of in-store shelf conditions. Roamler pairs experienced retail workers with CPG customers based on location, skill, and experience level.
Available to CPG companies in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, and the U.K., Trax and Roamler’s fully integrated store auditing service acts as a cost-effective, flexible extension to brands’ salesforce and field network. This service enables companies to access timely insights, identify performance gaps, take corrective action to improve shopper experiences, and make informed decisions to drive revenue growth.
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