Convenience Stores are getting more and more popular among shoppers. Although their sales activity appears to be ever-increasing, convenience stores have a high turnover rate. Additionally, it is a channel characterized by smaller volumes and other market dynamics, which makes these stores challenging to trace and categorize in updated databases.
That is why deploying sales teams' forces to Convenience Stores is often tricky as it does not guarantee any success, which is a costly tool for retailers and manufacturers. That said, understanding how to operate through and navigate Convenience Stores' channels is very important to succeed in that market.
Lucky for the retail industry, crowdsourcing is a very effective tool to stretch any company's footprint on demand, reaching most recondite places and maximizing the outcomes of the sales process cost-effectively while increasing customer loyalty within the convenience stores channels.
SmartSpotter provides your company with expertise on the shop floor, as we have been performing checks on Convenience Stores all over Australia for over five years.
Here are some reasons why the Crowd is the best ally to grow your business within the convenience channel:
Obtaining Census Data
Obtaining detailed information on all points of sale related to your business is crucial to measure distribution, sales, marketing strategies, and many other things that help your business's bottom line.
As we said, Convenience Stores are often hard to trace and categorize in databases.
Does the store still exist? Has it changed its location? Does it have proper sales equipment?
These questions can all be asked through crowdsourcing; our fully trained merchandiser crowd provides a complete overview of the distribution potential within the convenience channel all over Australian territory.
Through a crowd-conducted census, your business can have information on the following:
- Right directions in your distribution / actual sales
- Availability of coolers, premium locations, signage etc.
- Outlet info (e.g. full address, GPS coordinate Number)
- Fresh updates about market size
The Crowd helps you validate existing lists of convenience stores and even create new ones by exploring areas. At SmartSpotter, we utilize advanced location databases that are constantly updated with further information gathered by our mobile users during each visit.
Reaching recondite places
These small retail businesses are mainly local, operated by a single proprietor or family-owned, and often located in less-populated areas. Crowdsourcing allows your business to cover prioritized stores and locations efficiently and inexpensively. This implies being able to visit thousands of small retailers; SmartSpotter provides your business with national coverage of convenience stores!
Route-to-market evaluation
Route-to-market strategy determines which distribution channels a business deploys to increase footfall and target customers. It is a key tool for accelerating growth in a specific market, especially when navigating convenience channels.
With SmartSpotter, your business can engage in dialogue with store owners or managers to identify the RTM of convenience stores by connecting retailers and suppliers to an unrivalled network of field reporters and merchandisers who provide the eyes, insights and hands that keep your retail execution perfect.
If you are interested in knowing more about our Crowd, don't hesitate to contact us!
