Independents’ day is upon us

The convenience marketplace is a growing sector that brands can no longer afford to ignore. As the multiples continue to focus their efforts on promoting ownbrands at the expense of suppliers’ products, FMCG brands must diversify and shift their focus towards the independent stores.

The question is, presented with 50,000 convenience stores across the UK, how are brands going to deploy their sales and marketing resources most efficiently?

Sales data for the convenience marketplace is now available. Armed with this insight – into distribution gaps, sales, category and regional performance and more – brands can target their resources efficiently.

Sales forces are often small, and marketing budgets suffered the second deepest cut in the history of the IPA Bellwether Report in Q1 2009. Against this setting, no brand can afford to send a sales and marketing force into the convenience marketplace without this data.

With more insight and focus on this sector, FMCG brands could find the independents their biggest opportunity to deliver a strong return on investment.

Marcus Vallance
Chief executive
SalesOut