Nick Peksa examines the importance of data in a retail context, especially when dealing in categories subject to commodity price volatility. This article appeared in ESM Issue 5, 2018.
Over the years, category management has developed into a systematic process designed to maximise category value by segmenting spend into similar supply and usage factors (shelf space).
Through the use of market intelligence and other analytical tools, we can analyse a lot of data, ranging from supply cycles, cost drivers, supplier cost structure and competing suppliers, to future trends in the market.
