Staying Ahead in the Candy Aisle: Leveraging Category Trends for Strategic Growth

Background

A leading confectionery brand sought to strengthen its in-store execution and optimize category performance. Facing increasing competition and the need for better visibility into seasonal trends, the brand turned to Wiser for a data-driven solution to improve decision-making and maximize its market presence.

The brand previously relied on traditional methods of gathering data, which left gaps in understanding the nuances of seasonal and competitive trends. By partnering with Wiser, the team aimed to enhance its strategic decision-making and replicate success across retailers.

Challenges

Despite its strong market presence, the brand faced several hurdles that impacted its performance:

• Seasonal Variability:
  The brand’s holiday campaigns yielded inconsistent results, with some placements driving strong sales while others underperformed. Without clear insights, replicating successful configurations was a challenge.
• Share of Shelf Decline:
  Increasing competition from alternative categories, such as healthy snacks and beverages, led to a decline in shelf presence, threatening the brand’s visibility and market share.
• Merchandising Complexity:
  Traditional field checks lacked the comprehensive insights needed to uncover new merchandising opportunities, such as cross-merchandising potential in underutilized areas like bakery and floral sections.
• Inventory Gaps:
  Limited shelf space at key retailers caused frequent stockouts, resulting in significant lost sales opportunities. These issues disrupted shopper demand and cost the brand millions annually in potential revenue

Solution

Wiser provided a data-driven solution to tackle these challenges. Through its platform, the brand gained:

• Real-Time Insights:
  Detailed data from 6,000 store visits allowed the team to monitor the competitive landscape, shelf stock, placement trends, and planogram compliance.
• Seasonal Optimization:
  Data analysis across 5 key selling periods and channels revealed high-performing configurations, enabling the team to adjust holiday campaigns for maximum impact.
• Competitive Visibility:
  Insights into 150,000+ annual data points helped the brand understand shifting market dynamics and identify opportunities to improve category share.
• Actionable Merchandising Strategies:
  Wiser highlighted cross-merchandising opportunities, helping the brand expand its presence into underutilized store sections and align with shopper behaviors.

Results

The partnership with Wiser delivered measurable outcomes:

• Seasonal Sales Growth:
  Data-driven strategies improved the performance of key holiday campaigns, such as Valentine’s Day displays near florals and Halloween displays at checkout lanes.
• Expanded Merchandising Opportunities:
  Over 150,000 data points revealed new cross-merchandising possibilities in underutilized sections like bakery and floral, improving shopper engagement and extending category reach.
• $6M in Annual Inventory Savings:
  Real-time insights helped address frequent shelf stockouts, optimizing replenishment processes and reducing missed sales.
  
  
  By leveraging Wiser’s actionable insights, this confectionery brand not only overcame its challenges but also set a strong foundation for sustainable growth.

“Once you try [Wiser REM], you'll love it. It's easy, efficient, and versatile, a complete tool for the whole team.”

Alexandre Comtois

National Sales Director