AB InBev Pilots Digital Merchandising

Anheuser-Busch InBev is collaborating with Accenture on a digital merchandising pilot aimed at enhancing the efficiency of the leading global brewer’s merchandising activities at the point of sale, and increasing product sales. Financial terms were not disclosed.

 

Under the terms of the agreement, Accenture is working with AB InBev to pilot an innovative digital merchandising service to provide the brewer with access to point-of-sale data about product presence and placement that is more detailed, faster and more reliable. The pilot aims to deliver a reduction in out of stock products, improved compliance by retailers and, as a result, improved product sales.

 

The Accenture Digital Merchandising Service — part of Accenture’s suite of managed services for consumer goods companies — is a customizable solution that can help consumer products companies to improve their in-store performance by offering them a fast and reliable view of their product’s presence and placement on the shelf. Through the service, digital pictures of the products and prices are continuously collected and monitored, and translated into information and key performance indicators (KPIs) using Accenture’s capabilities, such as mobility software, market analytics, and its unique proprietary algorithms.

 

This innovative approach avoids time-consuming data collection activities and, by receiving both quantitative and qualitative information immediately, it allows sales reps to make better decisions faster.

 

The pilot is taking place in 55 stores in Russia, and the results will offer AB InBev important insights into whether the activity should be rolled-out across its Russian business or into other geographies.

 

“This pilot will help AB InBev to better understand how we can use digital merchandising techniques to enhance our performance at the shelf,” says Felipe Franco, vice president of Information and Business Services at AB InBev. “Our visit to Accenture’s Customer Innovation Center in Milan helped us to visualize the different challenges and to shape our strategy for tackling them.”