The ECRA Board sponsored the development and execution of ECRA’s third Winning’ project – Winning at the Shelf: Key Insights into Causes of Out of Stocks at the Shelf.
At output of this work stream was the recognition that back of store areas can, at times, be congested and difficult to work in. Unless your product is clearly recognisable it can be difficult to find and subsequently may not be replenished on the shelf in a timely fashion.
A set of industry guidelines, developed to address this issue, deliver practical suggestions on how to label cartons to ensure the choice of the correct product and rotation of stock through the supply chain is achieved. The guidelines focus on distribution centre, back of store and shelf replenishment processes.
The aim of the guide is to help to produce cartons that are easy to identify to assist in the shelf replenishment process and ensure product is available for sale when the shopper wants it. The guide is relevant to all grocery retail categories.
The Guidelines have been endorsed by Coles and Woolworths in a joint presentation at the ECRA Annual Retailer and Supplier Convention. The Guidelines are an adjunct to (not a replacement of) the retailer specific specifications.
The Guidelines can be downloaded from the ECRA website http://www.ecraustralasia.org.au/toolkits/
ECRA acknowledges IGD from whose original Easy ID Guidelines (www.igd.com/easyidguidelines) the document is adapted.