In the constantly changing and fast-paced consumer products industry, our clients are increasingly focused on developing and deploying best practices. TPG has been an integral partner in helping identify and shape industry Best Practices throughout the globe. TPG has developed Centers of Excellence for retailers and manufacturers in the consumer products industry with a concerted effort in the following areas:

  • Identifying or developing emerging and leading practices
  • Advocating retailer and manufacturer collaboration and interface productivity
  • Leading industry studies, forums and publications focused on Best Practices

Today TPG has established the following Centers of Excellence:

  • Strategy
  • Innovation
  • Marketing
  • Ecommerce
  • Customer Development
  • Category Management
  • Shopper Marketing
  • Supply Chain
  • Organization Development
  • Training and Certification

TPG has accumulated a reservoir of resources and intellectual property in each of these Centers. For greater detail, review our Consulting Services section or contact us for further information. Listed below is the TPG library of industry reports and publications that have been created by our Centers of Excellence.

Center of Excellence Library of Publications:

Joint Business Planning

An Industry report that highlights key findings for launching and/or improving the Joint Business Planning (JBP) process. This report was commissioned by NACDS and written by The Partnering Group. The report was created through collaboration with a number of industry suppliers and retailers through a series of sharegroups on this critical topic.

Inside we share how their companies are using JBP to strengthen relationships and improve business results. This report includes detailed examples of the methods currently being used.

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Category Management 2013 Industry Report

The survey uncovers 6 key findings and offers a suggested Path Forward:
1. Category Management continues to deliver results for the industry
2. Common issues & hurdles impede industry results
3. Leading edge companies are building targeted capabilities to separate themselves in a crowded marketplace and deliver an ROI
4. Sr leadership’s vision & commitment are key factors for successful Category Management companies
5. Path-to-Loyalty is the emerging framework for identifying and managing shopper insights
6. Collaboration accelerates growth

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2012 Social Commerce Study with Shop.org and com Score

Listed below are the key findings of the study:

Social Commerce.
• Consumers show some decrease vs. 2011 in following retailers within social platforms (e.g. Fan/Follow). Information sharing and privacy are leading reasons why some consumers choose not to follow a retailer via social media and concerns regarding privacy have increased over the prior year.
• The rapid growth of social player Pinterest is a natural social commerce platform for retail. Consumers are interacting with this emerging social platform like an online window shopping event – albeit a window shopping experience set by the consumer, not by the retailer.

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The Consumer and Shopper Journey Framework -ECR Europe Report

The Consumer & Shopper Journey Framework initiative was developed and facilitated by The Partnering Group and em-nos working with leading retailers and manufacturers from ECR Europe.

The Consumer & Shopper Journey Framework has been developed by representatives from retailing, manufacturing, experts in loyalty card analytics and specialized consultants from the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) business for ECR (Efficient Consumer Response) Europe.

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Shopper Marketing Best Practices – A Collaborative Model for Retailers and Manufacturers

The Shopper Marketing Best Practices: A Collaborative Model for Retailers & Manufacturers report was created by the Retail Commission on Shopper Marketing which is facilitated by The Partnering Group, The In-Store Marketing Institute and was sponsored by Coca Cola.

Shopper marketing is the next evolutionary stage in strategic retail marketing, and a mandatory component of effective consumer marketing in general.

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2011 Social Commerce Study with Shop.org and com Score

Listed below are the key findings of the study and some simple next steps to consider as a retailer.

1) The U.S. online shopper has gone social. Our study focused on the adult online population of the U.S. The study identified that 77% of the online adult population has adopted social platforms. Clearly the critical U.S. consumer for ecommerce is already social.

2) Consumers are ready and willing to shop “socially”. 42% of consumers have “followed” a retailer proactively. This means that they have sought out the Facebook, Twitter or retailer blog for a given retailer and opted-in to be contacted by that retailer via social channels.

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Advanced Category Management – A Pizza Case Study

This Advanced Category Management Report – A Pizza Category Case Study was developed by the Category Management Process Improvement Group and The Partnering Group working with leading retailers and manufacturers in North America and was sponsored by the Efficient Consumer Response Committee.

This report shows how to create an advanced, consumer-oriented category business plan. It provides insights to suppliers and distributors regarding their organizational capability to create such a plan through a real life example of advanced category management planning. The reader will come away with an understanding of the steps taken, information gathered and benefits accrued from the development of a collaborative management business plan.

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Category Management II – Building Organizational Capability

The Category Management II – Building Organizational Capability report was developed by The Partnering Group working with leading retailers and manufacturers in North America and was sponsored by the Joint Industry Project on Efficient Consumer Response.

Common Language and Foundation for CM
In the past three years, category management has grown significantly to the point where it is now identified as one of the industry’s top priorities.

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Efficient Assortment – The Process and the Benefits (North America)

The Efficient Assortment – The Process and the Benefits report was developed by the Category Management Subcommittee, the Category Management Process Improvement Group, the ECR Operating Committee and The Partnering Group. The project was sponsored by the Joint Industry Project on Efficient Consumer Response which includes various Trade Associations in the grocery industry in North America.

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Beyond Food service – How Consumers View Meals

The Beyond Food Service report was authored by The Partnering Group and the Category Management Process Improvement Group working in conjunction with leading retailers and manufacturers in North America. The report was sponsored by Hobart.

Introduction

“Meal solutions” is the supermarket industry’s response to the consumer’s need for easier meal preparation. From chef-prepared, ready-to-eat meals to the in-store bundling and merchandising of related items centered on a single meal occasion, meal solutions provide the answer to “what’s for breakfast, lunch and dinner.” The popularity of the concept has led to extraordinary coverage by the media, to lengthy industry discussion and to major customer interest.

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Category Management – Best Practices (Europe)

The Category Management Best Practices Report was a major initiative of the consumer packaged goods retailing and manufacturing industry in Europe. It was sponsored by ECR Europe. The Partnering Group, led by Dr. Brian Harris, was the principal architect of the report and the recommended model for Category Management contained in the report. The Best Practices model was based on the Category Management Report previously written by The Partnering Group for the ECR initiative in the US. This model was adapted for the European environment and was successfully pilot tested as part of the ECR Europe initiative. This report has been the largest selling report published by ECR Europe and it represents the most comprehensive description of Best Practices Category Management methods and enabling components yet published.

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Category Management – Enhancing Consumer Value (North America)

The Category Management-Enhancing Consumer Value in the Grocery Industry Report was a Joint Industry Project on Efficient Consumer Response and was developed by the Category Management Subcommittee, the ECR Best Practices Operating Committee and The Partnering Group, with Frank Grossi and Dr. Brian Harris as primary authors. This project was sponsored by various trade associations in the grocery industry in North America.

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Efficient Assortment Best Practices (Europe)

The Efficient Assortment – The Process and the Benefits report was developed by the Category Management Subcommittee, the Category Management Process Improvement Group, the ECR Operating Committee and The Partnering Group. The project was sponsored by the Joint Industry Project on Efficient Consumer Response which includes various Trade Associations in the grocery industry in North America.

This report describes an approach that can assist retailers, wholesalers, brokers and manufacturers in developing a product assortment for a category that is uniquely efficient given their target customers, category strategies and financial objectives. To achieve this objective, the efficient assortment approach:

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Efficient Product Introductions – Developing Value Through New Products

The Efficient Product Introductions: Developing Value Through New Products report was authored by The Partnering Group and Ernst and Young working with Category Management Process Improvement Group and other leading retailers and manufacturers in North America. The project was sponsored by the Joint Industry Project on Efficient Consumer Response.

Developing efficient methods for introducing new items into the supply chain remains one of the least realized opportunities associated with Efficient Consumer Response (ECR). Each year, the average grocery industry distributor may see as many as 20,000 new U.P.C.’s, ranging from minor package changes and bundle packs to truly new products. Efficient Product Introductions (EPI) is a multibillion dollar opportunity that can benefit any and all associated with the grocery supply chain.

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Enhanced Line Review – Hard Parts

The Enhanced Line Review- Hard Parts was developed by The Partnering Group working with the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) Enhanced Line Review Work group and was sponsored by AAIA.

To say that the application parts business is a challenge to manage for both suppliers and distributors is an understatement! A huge number of applications (currently 40,000 unique vehicle platforms and 215,000,000 passenger cars and light-trucks in the United States alone) is driving high inventory investments. In addition, a large number of relatively small retail/jobber auto parts outlets selling to the final consumer, limited market data at the application level, and major consumer service challenges are leading to significant product returns in many categories.

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Enhanced Line Review – A Guide to Managing in the Auto Aftermarket

The Enhanced Line Review- A Guide to Managing Categories in the Aftermarket was developed by The Partnering Group working with the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) Enhanced Line Review Work group and was sponsored by AAIA.

The purpose of this guidebook is to provide the automotive aftermarket with:

– A “how-to” manual for implementing a modified version of Category Management called “Enhanced Line Review” (ELR).

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Gerenciamento por Categorias (Brasil)

The ECR BRasil Gerenciament por Categorias (Portuguese) report was developed by The Partnering Group and Integration working with leading retailers and manufacturers in North and South America and was sponsored by the Association ECR Brasil.

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Whose Shelf Is It Anyway?

Whose Shelf Is It Anyway? – In-Store Implementation: Enhancing the Competitiveness of the Independent Retailer was produced by The Partnering Group, Inc. working with leading retailers and manufacturers in North America for Food Distributors International.

The Setting for the Study
The U.S. grocery products industry is in the midst of significant change, which is challenging all segments of this industry – retailers, wholesalers, suppliers, and sales agents alike. These challenges include consolidation, a widening spectrum of competitors, complex technology investment decisions, and achieving growth in a business environment of lower inflation levels. These business realities demand strategies that are both innovative in design and superbly executed.

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In-Store Implementation Guidebook – Enhancing the Competitiveness of the Independent Retailer

The In-Store Implementation Guidebook – The Companion Guidebook to the ISI Study was developed by The Partnering Group working with the Project Leadership Committee and leading retailers and manufacturers in North America and was sponsored by Food Distributors International.

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Informe Sobre La Administracion de Categorias (Latin America)

The Informe Sobre La Administracion De Categorias (Spanish) report was developed by The Partnering Group working with leading retailers and manufacturers in North and South America and was sponsored by the Joint Industry Project on Efficient Consumer Response.

Resumen Ejecutivo

Definicion de la administracion de categorias

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Integrating Loyalty Marketing and Category Management – Developing Consumer Partnerships

The Integrating Loyalty Marketing and Category Management report was developed by The Partnering Group and the Category Management Process Improvement Group with the support of The Coca-Cola Company
and The Procter & Gamble Company and other leading retailers and manufacturers in North America and was sponsored by the Joint Industry Project on Efficient Consumer Response.

The objective of this report is to show how to integrate loyalty marketing and category management, present the benefits and suggest a set of next steps for suppliers and distributors.

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Menu Service Programs

The Menu Service Programs – Organizing Menu Service in the Grocery Industry report was developed by The Partnering Group working with leading retailers and manufacturers in North America and was sponsored by the Joint Industry Project on Efficient Consumer Response.

One key to the success of the Efficient Consumer Response (ECR) initiative has been the grocery industry’s willingness to develop and implement tools and processes to improve operations among all industry players. For example, because of activity based costing (ABC), the industry has a better understanding of how to evaluate the value and costs of services between trading partners.

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Category Management – Okad kundnytta inom dagligvarubranschen (Sweden)

This Category Management – Swedish report which is written in Swedish was authored by The Partnering Group – Nordic working with leading retailers and manufacturers in North America and Sweden and was sponsored by FMI – Food Marketing Institute.
Category Management
Ökad kundnytta inom dagligvarubranschen
Background
Category Management, kategoristyrning, har under ett antal år varit en av de hetaste branschfrågorna i USA.

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