Let’s be honest, nailing category management in food and drink isn’t easy. It’s a big deal for your brand’s success, but it’s also easy to slip up. Here are five common mistakes we see all the time and how you can avoid them.
1. Ignoring the Shopper
It’s easy to get caught up in internal goals or what the retailer wants. But if you’re not thinking about the shopper first, you’re missing the point. Their needs should shape everything; your product range, shelf layout, and how you segment your data. Get curious. Learn what drives your customers and what they’re really looking for. Don’t rely on data providers to do all the work, clean and segment your data yourself to make it relevant and meaningful to uncover smarter insights and build recommendations that actually resonate.
2. Cramming Too Much on the Shelf
More products don’t always mean more sales. In fact, too much choice can confuse shoppers and dilute your brand’s impact. The magic happens when you have the right mix of products in the right spots. Look at what sells best and what items are often bought together. That’ll help you decide how to use shelf space for the optimum category performance.
3. Going with Your Gut Instead of the Data
Trusting your instincts is fine but it’s not a plan. Real decisions need real data. We worked with a client who felt their new product belonged in a different aisle. But retailers aren’t likely to move things around based on a hunch. Once we showed the data revealing a 17x bigger opportunity in that new spot, it was a no-brainer. Data helps you make a stronger case and gives your brand a better shot at success.
4. Same Strategies Across Stores
What works in one store might flop in another. Different retailers have different shopper profiles, and your strategy needs to reflect that. The challenge? Each retailer’s data lives in its own portal, with its own quirks. Pulling it all together into one view helps you compare, spot trends, and act faster.
5. Not Collaborating with Retailers
If your brand isn’t aligned with your retailer’s goals, you could miss out on listings or worse, get dropped. Collaboration is key. Make sure your product fits with what the retailer is trying to achieve. Understand their shopper missions and demographics so you can recommend the right products in the right places.
Quick Actions You Can Take Today:
- Put the shopper first: Review your data with their needs in mind.
- Clean and segment your data: Don’t wait for someone else to do it.
- Use data to back up your ideas: Especially when pitching to retailers.
- Tailor your strategy by store: One size doesn’t fit all.
- Talk to your retailers: Understand their goals and align your pitch.
Want help making sense of your category data or building a shopper-first strategy? Reach out to one of our team here at Levercliff, we’ve got your back!
We combine people power with AI and new tech to help food and drink brands like yours unlock sharper insights and deliver solutions that really land with buyers.
Why? Because we’re passionate about smart category management. We’ve seen how powerful it can be, whether it’s refining your range, understanding shopper behaviour, or making your pitch to retailers stronger, we’re here to help you turn data into action.
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