A missing stand and a fallen stand have the same cost to you. And your dashboard won’t be able to tell the difference between the two. Field visits are meant to check the ‘eyes on the shelf’ to uncover the ‘silent gaps’ in your retail compliance plan.
Check the Planogram Position First
When an agent visits a store the first thing they should do is to find the exact shelf bay or floor position as specified in the planogram for that retail location. The agent should compare what they find with the planogram reference photo on the agent’s brief sheet. This is more accurate than referring back to the planogram on the retailer’s website.
Look at Secondary Locations Too
Secondary locations, for example, a till-area stand up for promotional activity as well as a main fixture point, must also be checked for absence. A reputable Data Collection Company who are operating systematic field programmes will include all agreed locations on the visit checklist, therefore don’t assume a display is fine just because the primary point of sale is being used correctly.
Confirm POS Materials Are Intact
Check that printed materials, such as header cards and shelf-edge labels, are present on the display, are undamaged and are facing the correct direction. Stock that has been left on the floor or that is not facing the correct way has not been left on the floor or turned around to face the correct way with the correct quantity of printed materials.
Spot Rival Brand Colonisation
Products of rival brands may have been secretly placed into the agreed space for your displays. Check the SKUs displayed against your store visit brief for the respective store. Note and photograph if there is any facing by a competitor that has been placed in the space agreed for your displays.
Document Everything With a Timestamp
A time-stamped photo is a fact – a silent gap turns into a documented fact that can be acted upon by retailers who operate under retail compliance expectations. They require to be able to prove consistent compliance with their plan and photos provide the evidence to support any subsequent conversation over reinstatement of missing fixtures or displays.
Data Collection Company is covered in more detail at https://shepper.com.
Field visits turn a silent gap into a documented fact you can act on.
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