IRI Integrated Merchandising Solution

Information Resources has formed a strategic relationship with UK software and consulting company The Fifth Dimension to provide consumer packaged goods (CPG) retailers and manufacturers with a fully integrated shelf-to-store merchandising solution.

Under the global agreement, the two companies have integrated IRI's Apollo shelf space merchandising and management suite with the store planning and visualization capabilities of The Fifth Dimension's TotalStore suite of applications. This new solution aims to provide clients with insights into where product sales and retail stores are succeeding and where the opportunities for business growth exist. Clients can examine and enhance product, space and category performance, plan and analyse potential
improvements, and develop and test implementation ideas from single product level up to complete store level, to cross-store analysis covering the entire retail chain in one integrated process.

'In today's competitive marketplace it is more important than ever to minimize inventory costs and increase sales while maintaining a rock steady in-stock position,' said Michael Letchford, Chairman of The Fifth Dimension. 'The integrated Apollo and TotalStore solution will, for the first time, fully equip IRI's customers with the tools they need to achieve these goals. By working together we can realize the potential power of IRI's data and turn the insights gained from it into action at the shelf/store level. IRI's clients will be able to swiftly respond to the dynamics of consumer demand with accurate, fact based merchandising decisions that can be rapidly implemented to achieve significant incremental growth from their current shelf space.'

The integrated Apollo and TotalStore solution has been created in response to manufacturer and retailer requests for a comprehensive solution to merchandise and space planning needs. More and more products enter the market place every week, each competing for the same finite amount of display space. This leads to constant pressure on shelf and store space and so it becomes critical to know that current space is always performing at its optimum.

All articles 2006-22 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.

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