The Category Leadership Conference: What Matters, What’s next on shelf

“Category management is not another new buzz word, nor is it something that is just nice to do for business. Rather, it is a strategic imperative if you plan to remain in business.” — Fred J. Lewis The Quaker Oats Company

Keeping up with shopper needs has never been more challenging. Transforming your management processes into a leadership role can help you turn your ideas into reality – implementing the most profitable/productive mix. Are you ready to take category management to the next level and craft agile strategies that stay relevant to the ever-changing shopper?

National brands and mega retailers leaders will come together at – The Category Leadership Conference. With insights as the backbone to transformational retail strategies, you’ll hear real world case studies for achieving new revenue through innovative merchandising, assortment, pricing and shelf management practices. Join senior-level executives from Kimberly Clark, Barilla America, Microsoft, The Coca-Cola Company, Burt’s Bees, Ace Hardware and many more.

The Category Leadership Conference
September 27-29, 2010
Hotel Sax – Chicago
• Brochure download
• Register today
- Join our LinkedIn group for exclusive discounts!

A PREVIEW OF THE PRACTICAL & ACTIONABLE PRESENTATIONS:
10 Mistakes To Avoid as a Category Leader
Bob Wong, Director of Category Leadership, DEL MONTE
People are not typically born with all the necessary skills and perspective to do category management well. It usually happens over time… through trial and error, along with some training, mentorship and even luck. As a seasoned veteran and an industry leader, my hope is to give back some words of wisdom. This session will provide some helpful guidance to both new and experienced category management professionals.

From the Shopper to Shelf: How Shopper Insights Drive Targeted Marketing and Merchandising
Solutions
Dard Neuman, PhD., President of Insights, SMARTREVENUE
By working back from the point of purchase, manufacturers and retailers can understand the “why” behind the “what” of purchase decisions and effectively and efficiently drive targeted marketing and merchandising strategies. Based on a recent in-store study, this session illustrates how new shopper-centric shelf and aisle strategies are built on understanding the “why” of purchase decisions and how best to identify the why:
• Capture shopper behaviors ethnographically at the shelf, aisle, and store levels to drive optimized shelf sets and store layouts
• Link shopper segmentation to existing consumer segmentation to develop strategies that optimally target pre-store and in-store decisions

Strategic Clutter: Putting Product that Sells a Lot Where People are A Lot
Chris Huot, Director, Category Management, ACE HARDWARE
Hilary Bloch, Category Manager, ACE HARDWARE
In a retail world dominated by mass stores with cavernous power aisles, endless end caps and robust stack outs of product, smaller independent hardware stores struggle to present their consumers with a relevant assortment of products at a perceived value in the stores’ high traffic zones. Ace Hardware has taken a unique approach, utilizing innovative category management techniques, to fill the power aisle space with everyday core merchandise that catches the eye of the mission-based customer and gets them to add one more item to their basket.

We look forward to meeting you in Chicago!

Cheers,
The Category Leadership Conference Team