Online struggles of CPG Retailers given new perspective.

Today’s connected consumers are using the Internet to make everyday purchase decisions. Yet, the majority of the brick-and-mortar retailers from whom they make their purchases continue to struggle to establish a complete online presence.

“This position paper will help retailers understand the battleground and help them prepare for it now.”

Now a new industry position paper, Digital Readiness for CPG Retailers, examines the factors that have led to the rise of the informed shopper. Published by Gladson, the leading provider of syndicated consumer package goods (CPG) product images and information, the paper also provides insights on what retailers and manufacturers need to do to develop a seamless shopping experience that will put them in the best position to earn the trust and loyalty of the informed shopper in today’s digital world.

“In the Age of Informational Retailing, it is no longer enough to use advertising and marketing campaigns to influence shoppers,” said Steve Cole, Chief Marketing Officer at Gladson. “Informed shoppers make purchase decisions before they reach the shelf or checkout line – decisions that are based on comprehensive information that the smartest retailers are making available online today.”

One of the biggest challenges retailers and manufacturers face is a lack of consistency in CPG product data. That is a critical factor for informed shoppers; research by SymphonyIRI estimates that 65 percent of CPG shoppers prepare lists before heading to the store.

“Informed shoppers expect the product they see in the store to be consistent with what they see online,” Cole said. “Retailers and manufacturers today struggle to keep this constantly-changing data synchronized, yet there are plenty of examples highlighted in Digital Readiness for CPG Retailers of successful retailers using a consistent data approach across channels to win the digital battle for the CPG shopper.”

Digital Readiness for CPG Retailers includes a self-assessment that retailers can use to understand their own state of digital readiness. The position paper also takes a fresh, detailed look at the forces driving the online revolution in the CPG industry, including:

* How retailers such as Meijer, Wal-Mart, Safeway and Target are already using informational retailing to their advantage
* How Google’s newly-coined “Zero Moment of Truth” concept compares to Procter & Gamble’s “First Moment of Truth”
* How smartphones and mobile applications are affecting shopper purchasing decisions
* Ways retailers can gain an advantage in building deeper shopper relationships by highlighting information such as which products are gluten-free or low sodium
* Why gathering information internally or relying on category captains to obtain full product information is no longer sufficient
* What it will take to win the battle for shoppers over the next few years – and not just survive but thrive

“The battle for shoppers’ loyalty and wallets will be fought market-by-market,” Cole said. “This position paper will help retailers understand the battleground and help them prepare for it now.”

To download report CLICK on link below;
http://gladson.com/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=kW4yCF1sIYA%3d&tabid=170>