Simbe, the global leader in retail shelf digitization, has officially announced the launch of Simbe for Merchants, which happens to be a new suite of premium capabilities designed specifically for merchandising teams.
According to certain reports, the stated solutions suite arrives on the scene bearing realograms i.e. auto-generated, to-scale diagrams of what’s actually on shelf. Beyond that, there will be real-time planogram dashboards and chain-wide visibility into product placement and availability.
More on the same would reveal how, when leveraged together, these tools can tread up a long distance to help retailers improve vendor collaboration, spot issues before they impact sales, and strengthen performance where it matters the most.
To understand the significance of such a development, we must take into account one Coresight Research study where it was revealed that retailers lose nearly 5.5% of sales and 5% of margin to in-store inefficiencies, with shoppers citing out-of-stocks and pricing errors as top frustrations. A separate line of data, provided by DataSense Market Research, also goes on to reveal that, on an average, no more than 60% retailers are fully compliant with the established regulations, something which costs them billions of dollars annually.
“Retailers win or lose at the shelf, yet actual shelf visibility has always been limited to spot checks and occasional store visits,” said Tom Gehani, VP of Product at Simbe. “With Simbe for Merchants, merchandising teams have access to the daily insights they need to ensure the right products are where they belong, displays are set right, and vendors are aligned on execution unlocking measurable sales and margin gains.”
Talk about Simbe’s new capabilities on a slightly deeper level, we begin from the promise of a multi-store view. You see, one can come expecting to instantly compare shelf conditions for any product, brand, or category across stores. As a result, multi-store view happens to be the perfect avenue for assessing execution of new items, seasonal sets, and vendor programs without travel.
Next up, we must expand the availability of realograms that, on their part, are auto-generated, to-scale diagrams well-equipped to show near real-time item location, facings, and brand/category share. These realograms are ideal for resets, audits, and redesigns.
Another detail worth a mention is rooted in Simbe’s bid to provide Comprehensive Planogram insights. Leveraging bleeding-edge planogram insights, the underlying technology is able to show you which stores are in or out of compliance down to the SKU. The idea here is to help teams correct drift before it costs sales.
Complementing that would be the introduction of dedicated vendor and brand dashboards. These dashboards basically deliver at your disposal centralized reporting on availability, as well as item and store counts by vendor or brand to enable better supplier accountability and planning.
Simbe also took this opportunity to unveil Simbe Mobile 2.0, which is understood to be a redesigned app built from associate feedback and modern workflows. This new app is essentially built to deliver a faster, more intuitive experience with streamlined navigation, smarter task management, instant store health snapshots, and multi-store toggling, making it easier for every role, from store associate to district leader, to resolve issues with confidence.
 As for the availability, the solution will be available for download in app stores next month.
“Solutions like Simbe’s can’t just live with store operations,” said Sean Spillane, former SVP of Strategy & Real Estate at Stop & Shop and a strategic advisor at Simbe. “Reflecting on my experience, I recommend bringing merchants into the shelf digitization program early. They have so much to gain from this data, and the value is undeniable.”
