One of the more popular uses of meta today is for the meaning best described by the formula “meta-X equals X about X.” So, if we take the word “data” for our X, and add the prefix meta- to it, we get metadata, or “data about data.” A meta-text is a text about texts, metacognition is thinking about thinking, and a meta-joke is a joke about jokes. But that’s still not the meta most of us come across today. When they used it, meta meant “beyond,” “after,” or “behind.” The “beyond” sense of meta still lingers in words like metaphysics or meta-economy. Which products resonate with consumers? Which promotions and displays are most effective? What do they consider good value for a product in this category? Brands and retailers need to survey shoppers regularly to find out or turn to data providers to gather information on consumer behavior and buying trends.Meta is a word which, like so many other things, we have the ancient Greeks to thank for. Lastly, it’s a must to have high-quality insights into shopper behavior. This way, category managers can provide the most value to both their customers and their companies. Category tactics will often include price changes, so it’s necessary to know how other products are priced, what other stores are doing, and what the market trends and consumer expectations are when it comes to price. Stakeholders will also want to monitor prices on the products in their categories. This can be data on planogram compliance, out-of-stocks, display compliance, facings, adjacencies, and much more. Therefore, they need accurate, real-time store insights on their categories. Professionals need to know what is going on at the shelf-level. Implementing the plan and measuring the resultsĮffective category management can then rely on a wide range of tools and resources in the retail industry.Planning changes and improvements to the category.Understanding the market and consumer behavior.With that in mind, a category manager job could easily involve: Managers need to know the data behind their category-what is working, what isn’t, and what can be done to improve. Beyond that, this type of category role also includes in-depth analysis. How the planograms look, which displays and promotions drive the most sales, and which products are most desirable for consumers. For some, it’s all about procurement: purchasing the right products and services for that category that will generate the most sales and profit for the business.įor others, it’s also about the category on the shelf. How a company approaches this strategic concept really depends on the organization in question. They can launch new promotions, planograms, and much more across a single business unit. Furthermore, management can make changes at the category-level. In grocery, for example, most stores are organized by category (dairy, produce, meat, and more) which makes it easy to navigate stores and find specific products. That can simplify negotiations with suppliers and save the business time and money.Ĭategory management can also be used to improve the customer experience. This can centralize procurement under one person or team. What does category management look like in real life? This concept gives category managers multiple options to solve retail challenges.įor starters, an organization can procure goods on a category level, not a product, brand, or store level. For instance, this approach can help retailers lift profits on similar products in multiple ways, including by organizing procurement efforts under a single category instead of by individual brand or supplier.Ĭategory management is the process of bundling like products into a singular category, or business unit, and then addressing procurement, merchandising, sales, and other retail efforts on the category as a whole. In general, category management is the process of bundling like products into a singular category, or business unit, and then addressing procurement, merchandising, sales, and other retail efforts on the category as a whole.Ī central idea behind this strategy is to emphasize the benefits of the category for the consumer and remove inefficiencies and unprofitable competition among brands and suppliers within a category. Category Management Definitionįirst of all, what is category management? This is one of the harder retail concepts to define, as category management can mean different things to different people. In reality, there is much more to category management. As we all know, this isn’t as simple as it sounds. At a broad level, category management is simple: to improve the customer experience, drive efficiencies for businesses, and deliver quality products and services that generate profits.