Plum Market is an independent grocery retailer recognized as one of the top 10 Regional Operators in 2022 by Progressive Grocer. The business is committed to providing the best quality organic groceries from local suppliers. Plum Market is rapidly expanding and continuously opens new stores across multiple states. However, growth also presents new challenges, such as limited resources in terms of staff, system knowledge, and time. To ensure a smooth launch of new stores, Plum Market required well-trained personnel, streamlined store planograms, and robust communication processes between departments and stores. Plum Market focused on improving the system's efficiency rather than investing additional resources. The company's management considered it a more robust strategy in the face of rapid expansion.
As the business evolved, Plum Market recognized their need for advanced analytical tools to support informed management decisions in merchandising. They have partnered with LEAFIO to implement an automated planogram system - LEAFIO Shelf Efficiency solution. This has resulted in accelerated store opening preparation and increased productivity of their merchandising teams.
Results of LEAFIO Implementation: Efficiency and Transparency
The implementation of LEAFIO has brought significant improvements to Plum Market's operations:
- The company has developed a centralized approach to planogram generation and management, ensuring consistent standards across the chain. Currently, all the planograms are digitized and stored in one place, making it easy for the team to optimize and control them.
- Notably, the implementation has accelerated the launch of new stores. Planograms for more than 14,000 SKUs for the recently opened store in South Florida were prepared in just 4.5 days instead of the two full weeks that were previously necessary.
- The implemented analytics module allowed the assessment of the store’s performance. It can be challenging to understand whether a display works for your chain, but the solution's in-depth analytics module has made it easier to demonstrate progress and track performance. Additionally, the LFL report and insights for changing facings have also been helpful at this stage.
- The user-friendly mobile app enables employees to use the program with minimal training. This feature is crucial for non-English speaking employees. The app's visual interface reduces human errors. It allows employees to complete tasks more efficiently, including submitting photos of completed work via the app to speed up the workflow and ensure planogram compliance across the entire chain.
Moving Forward: Collecting Analytics and Optimizing Displays
Looking ahead, the software's ability to optimize planograms based on collected sales data in each store will unlock further productivity benefits. With planogram generation automated, resources previously allocated to this task can be redirected to higher-value activities that require human creativity and problem-solving skills. The LEAFIO Shelf Efficiency solution will automatically generate planograms and optimize them based on sales, and turnover, maximizing profit and enhancing the customer experience.
Finally, the macro space optimization feature offered by LEAFIO will enable Plum Market to digitize floor plans, monitor performance, and optimize space planning. This aspect further solidifies the LEAFIO Shelf Efficiency solution as a top-tier merchandising software solution.
In conclusion, Plum Market's partnership with LEAFIO has significantly improved its operations, including increased efficiency, consistency, and transparency. With the implementation of the LEAFIO Shelf Efficiency solution, Plum Market has been able to reduce store planning time, assess store performance, and optimize displays to improve the customer experience. Looking ahead, the level of automation provided by the software will allow Plum Market to significantly increase profitability through the intelligent utilization of shelf space and human resources.
