A big thank you to the AFGC for organizing their Sales Summit Event which was a great opportunity to network, talk industry dynamics and hear from some excellent speakers.
For those not able to make it, here were some of our take aways:
#1 Whilst the market has been challenging for many, there are reasons to be cautiously optimistic and green shoots are emerging.
Ben Gilbert from Jarden talked to market forecasts of 5-6% growth next year as well as a surprisingly resilient sector this year… with inflation and rates being a big factor.
Alistair Leathwood from Circana shared some great examples of latest QTR performance starting to show vol and unit growth returning… but called out a need to engage shoppers around innovation given current disengagement around npd.
#2 Whilst progressed as a capability, RGM remains a key focus and an opportunity for many.
Amanda Winchester from Mckinsey shared her deep expertise in RGM, talking to the commercial opportunity and competitive advantage RGM represents as well as some of the approaches to embed RGM across the business.
Our very own Matthew Freebury talked to our learning’s across Promotional Optimization and the importance of data and data scientist capability in accelerating RGM capability and unlocking promotional opportunities… plus how different and dynamic retailer support for categories and suppliers is.
Both Ben OBrien and Caroline Waite reflected on their learnings over the last 12 months such as the balance between volumes and price and how these learnings are impacting their current focus.
#3 In terms of future thinking and planning as a business the role of retail media and how companies manage this will become a critical capability.
Steve Andrews talked to UK and US examples of how pivotal this has become as profit contributor to retailers as well as a key differentiator for suppliers.
Genevieve Piedade gave some really thoughtful & thought-provoking views on how to think about retail media, especially as a small business… seeing it as an opportunity but needing to be super clear up front how it’s allocated and not being afraid to renegotiate if needed.
Well done to all the excellent speakers & great to see such a good cross section of our sales teams in person
