Shelf Inspection AI for retail merchandising - effective product display

Posted: 2023-04-04
Written by: Artur Zawadzki

As the studies show, the way goods are placed on store shelves impacts the effectiveness of their sales and improves the shopping experience. Sales managers are often required to follow product display guidelines of certain brands.

Shelf Inspection AI is a fully customizable artificial intelligence-driven system for verifying planogram accuracy almost in real-time, more efficiently, and automatically. It allows for the minimization of the risk of financial losses resulting from incorrect exposure. Read on and find out whether this solution works for your business!

The importance of merchandising

In-store Merchandising is a set of activities intended to influence the consumer’s behavior by optimizing item exposition, in accordance with the prepared planograms.

Why is the planogram so important? Firstly, following its guidelines we avoid upsetting the suppliers. Secondly, proper exposure translates into better sales results.

In order to achieve high merchandising effectiveness, we need to use displays, place promotional products in key locations on the shelves, expose the right quantities of products or include additional marketing materials.

Solution

One of the most important causes of low sales in brick-and-mortar stores is ineffective merchandising, often inconsistent with the guidelines. So, there is a way to improve the indicators significantly. At Solwit, we have created Shelf Inspection AIretail software that verifies the exposition of all product categories placed on the shelves.

How does Shelf Inspection AI work?

The employee responsible for merchandising at the outlet receives a request from the headquarters with a planogram. They take a photo of the shelf using the app. The system uses artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms,  to analyze the content of the photo and informs immediately if the products have been placed correctly. AI recognizes the type and number of products, but also other elements in the photo, and compares them with the planogram with high effectiveness.

Shelf Inspection AI allows to:

  • verify the arrangement of products in accordance with the planogram,
  • monitor multiple goods on shelves and check their order,
  • control proper labelling of promotional campaigns,
  • generate extensive and transparent real-time reports, which can be used internally and for settlements with partners.

As we collect data through At Solwit, we care not only about effective implementation, we are able to analyze exposure and merchandising in real time. In addition, they let you share the data with your product suppliers continuously. You can also archive reports and photos of the exposition.

How does Shelf Inspection AI benefit your merchandising?

Supporting merchandising with the Shelf Inspection AI system brings tangible benefits to the entire company.

We will customize Shelf Inspection AI to suit the needs of your retail chain and the products you sell. This system allows you to:

  • 99,5% correctly identified products in the photo,
  • duration of the exposure analysis process of less than 60 seconds,
  • immediate exposition verification,
  • report preparation,
  • lowered cost of merchandising analysis,
  • high efficiency through the use of artificial intelligence
  • total flexibility of the system, which is taught to recognize new products when you change your product line.

What is the process for implementing Shelf Inspection AI?

1. Profitability analysis

At the very beginning, our experts conduct workshops and analyze the current exposure verification process. During such a meeting, they also indicate areas for improvement.

2. Solution proposition

In the next stage, we propose a solution tailored to your retail chain. We show you the benefits that you will achieve by implementing the automated product exposition verification system.

3. Proof of Concept

The next step is to train the neural network model based on product exposure. This stage will be adapted to the verification requirements of a specific planogram. After developing the model, we carry out software tests to check the system’s effectiveness.

4. Implementation and support

At Solwit, we care not only about effective implementation of the solution in your company, but also about ensuring that it maximizes business benefits. Our experts support you in the process of software implementation, and then help you utilize its maximum potential to automate processes in your commercial network.

Examples of Shelf Inspection AI usage

  • Tracking marketing campaigns – professional merchandising, attention to exposition and real-time reports allow you to meet contractual exposition obligations.
  • Price control – you will make sure that the store has the current prices and price differentiators of your products in place.
  • Planogram compliance verification – with Shelf Inspection AI you can check: the quantity and sequence of products, the number of visible “faces” of the product, compliance with the planogram, product categories, price and price differentiators.
  • Shelf share analysis – you can easily check the share of your items in the entire exposition and optimize merchandising in the retail network.

In order to improve sales results in your retail chain, optimize your merchandising processes now.

Automating the process of exposition verification in retail stores means improving and accelerating the control process. Most importantly, it leads to an increase in sales rates through proper presentation of articles on store shelves. Proper presentation means compliance with the requirements of the brand manager in terms of the number of products, their arrangement, as well as proper exposition or labelling promotion.

You don’t have to wait long for the results of using the Shelf Inspection AI system. It has a positive impact on both the sales volume of a given store and business relationships with partners whose brands are sold there. Do not hesitate and contact us. You will receive a solution tailored to your needs, to not only protect you from losses resulting from improper product exposition, but also increase your sales results.

If you want to learn more about Shelf Inspection AI or book a free consultation with our experts, drop us a line!

How to leverage artificial intelligence capabilities

Written by: Artur Zawadzki,
AI/ML Team Leader

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