3 Ways Better Execution & Compliance Drives Retail Performance

Starting in 2020, one of the world’s biggest CPGs expanded their use of Survey as a fast, flexible solution to measure and improve shelf space, enable impulse purchases, and gain control in the convenience channel during the worst months of the pandemic. Here’s how.

1.Keep shelves stocked with an on-demand, audited workforce

We chose Survey because of their speed, coupled with their merchandising expertise. Survey helped us out of a tough spot 

-CPG retail merchandising executive

When the pandemic struck, a major CPG brand needed to provide additional boots on the ground as store staff couldn’t handle the elevated turns in stock needed due to increased COVID demand.

The brand turned to Survey Execution & Compliance, which was able to cover a wide geographic area — and fast. In just one week during the peak of the pandemic, Survey reached 9,384 stores across 4,295 zip codes to restock 21,000 cases of different SKUs.

In total, the Execution Network delivered 27,000 hours of labor over nine weeks, with 10 cases merchandised every hour for a total of 286,000 cases stocked. The cost of the CPG brand’s investment into Execution & Compliance was just 10% of the revenue generated.

This success was made possible through Survey’s Execution & Compliance solution, powered by the Survey Execution Network. Unlike traditional fixed-route merchandising models, Survey combines real-time visibility, targeted execution, and rigorous quality assurance to ensure every store visit delivers measurable value. Brands gain complete visibility into project progress, execution quality, and results, while tasks are assigned to the most qualified field professionals based on the specific requirements of each engagement. This approach helps ensure faster issue resolution, stronger compliance, and improved retail performance at scale.

Importantly, for the CPG, which was urgently seeking to avoid out of stock-induced loss of sales, Survey was deployed and scaled across the US in just days instead of the weeks or months it takes traditional third-party merchandisers. During one of the biggest availability crises in retail memory, Survey was ready and able to keep shelves stocked for the American consumer.

The use of Survey Execution & Compliance has now become the playbook for this CPG when faced with a shortage of frontline workers. In January 2022, as the Omicron variant caused more out of stock challenges, the brand once again contracted the Survey Execution Network with thousands of hours of pack-out relief.

2.Enabling impulse purchases to boost sales

With available shelf space being limited at impulse locations in store, the CPG needed to find an innovative way to grow sales for its products meant for immediate consumption. So, Survey deployed its Execution Network to drive impulse purchases at high traffic locations — the point of purchase — in the outlets of a major US retailer.

With intuitive secondary displays installed in the checkout lanes by the Execution Network, the CPG achieved higher visibility with impulse shoppers. The points of distribution rose from 1,600 to 5,000 and resulted in a double-digit lift in sales across the retailer’s stores. The CPG was also awarded Supplier of the Year by the retailer for the successful implementation made possible by Survey.

3.Gaining control in the convenience channel via real-time data from a wide-ranging annual audit

Survey’s unique difference is their ability to react quickly, within a week, and touch the entire country

-CPG retail merchandising executive

The convenience channel is tough to manage given the pace of change and the vast network of stores and lack of reliable, timely data. In addition, COVID-19 led to a switch in shopper behavior — they started using the channel for making regular home goods purchases instead of just on-the-go convenience.

Amid this landscape, the CPG needed to conduct an audit of the convenience channel to measure contract compliance by the retailer regarding space and range, and to identify equipment and point of sale (POS) opportunities.

With Survey Dynamic Merchandising, the CPG was able to audit 25,000 stores across the convenience channel. The data was also received in real-time, compared to other data sources in the channel which can experience a lag of up to six months.

This data audit was of strategic importance to the CPG, enabling smarter category management decisions, reduction in wasted POS materials,​ and more productive resets.

3.Adapting to changing market conditions and shopper behaviors

Brands and retailers must be able to respond quickly to changes in the market. With changes in shopper behavior and increasing supply chain issues due to a growing labor shortage, both manufacturers and distributors need to rethink their merchandising models.

The major CPG featured here is not alone. Nearly 500 other consumer goods brands (from the world’s biggest CPGs to founder-led and challenger brands) have deployed Survey Dynamic Merchandising since 2020. Every month, the Execution Network calls upon 100,000 stores.

By garnering the ability to fulfil hyper-local activities with precision and measurement, brands and retailers can equip themselves with the right set of tools to win retail now and in the future.