How Yooji Achieved Double-Digit Growth in the French Drive Circuit with Wiser

Background

Yooji, a French baby food brand, is redefining the market with small-portion, frozen, organic meals inspired by homemade recipes. Designed for Millennial parents, Yooji emphasizes convenience, health, and sustainability. A cornerstone of its growth strategy is the French Drive circuit, a grocery pickup service akin to Walmart’s curbside pickup in the U.S.

“The Drive aligns perfectly with our brand’s DNA,” says Marine Sallenave, Category Manager at Yooji. “It allows us to meet parents where they are, offering them healthy, convenient food for their children while ensuring strong visibility across key departments.”

With Drive accounting for over 5% of grocery sales in France and one in four baby food sales made via Drive or home delivery, this channel is critical for Yooji. “As a frozen baby food product, the Drive allows us to be present in three key departments: baby, organic-baby, and frozen,” explains Sallenave. Recognizing its importance, Yooji partnered with Wiser to streamline operations and support its rapid expansion. “When our expansion into the Drive circuit really took off, we evaluated several tools,” says Sallenave. “Wiser stood out because it met our needs and offered a strong return on investment. It helped us stay ahead of the curve during a critical growth phase.”

Challenge

Yooji faced several key challenges in managing its growing presence across the Drive circuit:

• Manual Monitoring: Tracking product availability, pricing, and stock levels across thousands of Drives was labor-intensive and inefficient. “Before Wiser, we had to visit each Drive location and manually check product availability, pricing, and stock levels. It was a tedious process that consumed significant time,” shares Sallenave.
• Scalability: Expanding from a few dozen Drive locations to over 2,000 points of sale required a scalable solution to maintain operational consistency and effectiveness.
• Promotion Tracking: Ensuring successful promotions while addressing issues like stockouts or underperformance in real time was a critical need to stay competitive and meet customer expectations.

Solution

Yooji transformed its operations with Wiser’s comprehensive solution:

• Optimized Management of Listings: Wiser provided real-time insights into product availability, ensuring accurate and up-to-date listings across Drive partners. This eliminated inefficiencies, minimized errors, and allowed Yooji to maintain a seamless shopping experience for its customers.
• Improved Promotion and Inventory Oversight: Wiser delivered a clear view of promotional performance and inventory levels, enabling Yooji to address stockouts and optimize underperforming campaigns. “With Wiser, we can spot gaps in availability or pricing discrepancies in real time,” says Sallenave. “For example, if a specific Auchan Drive location lists only 12 products instead of 15, Wiser helps us pinpoint the issue so we can take immediate action.”
• Field Action Prioritization: Wiser’s data-driven insights allowed Yooji’s field team to focus on high-impact tasks, addressing pressing issues with precision and efficiency.
• Exceptional Support: Sallenave praises Wiser’s responsiveness: “The Key Account Managers are incredibly supportive. If I need specific data beyond existing reports, they’re always ready to help. Their expertise is invaluable.”

“With Databrand, we not only gained efficiency but also credibility. It allows us to track promotions, manage stockouts, and prioritize our commercial actions.”

Marine Sallenave

Category Manager

Results

The impact of Wiser’s tools on Yooji’s operations has been transformative:

• Double-Digit Growth: Yooji achieved sustained double-digit growth in the Drive circuit, solidifying its position as a category leader. “The efficiency gained through Wiser has allowed us to stay ahead of competitors and continue expanding our brand presence,” notes Sallenave.
• Improved Efficiency: Automation replaced manual processes, saving time and resources. “We’re now better equipped to manage listings, monitor pricing, and handle stock shortages. Wiser also helps us prioritize sales reps’ efforts with real-time data,” says Sallenave.
• Real-Time Adjustments: Wiser enabled Yooji to adapt quickly to promotions, ensuring stock availability and maximizing sales potential. “In one click, I can see where our products are available, their pricing, and whether any gaps might affect our performance. This real-time intelligence is a game-changer,” says Sallenave.
• Enhanced Sales Forecasting and Retailer Collaboration: Wiser’s insights allowed Yooji to align supply with demand, improve production planning, and develop long-term strategies. Field teams used the data to ensure product availability, while retailers valued Wiser’s unbiased perspective, fostering stronger partnerships. “We also rely on Wiser to make accurate sales forecasts, which help us plan production at the factory level. This foresight is critical as we continue to scale,” explains Sallenave.

Conclusion

Yooji’s success in the Drive circuit underscores the brand’s commitment to innovation, efficiency, and strategic growth. With Wiser, Yooji transformed manual, time-consuming processes into data-driven actions, enabling them to thrive in a competitive market.

By turning challenges into opportunities, Wiser has provided Yooji with the tools to meet the needs of digital-savvy parents, strengthen retailer relationships, and expand its presence in a key distribution channel. As Yooji continues to scale, Wiser remains a vital partner, empowering the brand to grow with precision and confidence.