Category: Partnerships

Shwapno, Bangladesh’s leading Modern Trade retailer with 490 stores, has announced a strategic partnership with Hypertrade. Through this collaboration, Shwapno will leverage Hypertrade’s Data Collaboration Platform to share valuable and actionable category performance and shopper insights with its suppliers.

Unveiling Granular Customer Insights for Stronger Partnerships

This partnership empowers Shwapno’s suppliers with a complete, actionable, granular, and accurate view of category performance and shopper behavior within Shwapno stores. Equipped with this data, suppliers can develop data-driven brand and category strategies alongside Shwapno. This collaborative approach will ultimately lead to a more delightful shopping experience for customers nationwide.

Shwapno’s Commitment to Innovation and Collaboration

The agreement reinforces Shwapno’s position as a leader in innovation, technology, and collaboration. By fostering a data-driven ecosystem, Shwapno benefits both suppliers and shoppers.

Highlighting the Partnership’s Value

• Sabbir Nasir, Shwapno’s Managing Director: “Innovation and collaboration have always been at the core of Shwapno. As we enter a new growth phase, Hypertrade’s Data Collaboration Platform will be instrumental in helping us and our suppliers continuously improve our offerings for Bangladeshi shoppers.”
• Frederic Etienbled, CEO of Hypertrade: “Since 2019, we’ve had the privilege of collaborating with Shwapno on various projects. We’ve witnessed their incredible progress and dedication to market improvement. This new step, leveraging technology for collaborative, customer-centric decision-making, feels like a natural progression in Shwapno’s journey.”

About Shwapno

Shwapno is Bangladesh’s leading Modern Trade retailer, operating 498 stores nationwide. The company is committed to providing customers with a convenient and enjoyable shopping experience through a wide range of products, competitive prices, and exceptional service.

About Hypertrade

Hypertrade is a retail tech company provides AI-powered software solutions to retailers and manufacturers to optimize their operations and customer engagement.

This partnership between Shwapno and Hypertrade signifies a commitment to leveraging data and collaboration to deliver superior value for businesses and, ultimately, delight Shwapno’s customers.

Interview with Frederic Etienbled (CEO of Hypertrade) and Peter Jozefiak (Managing Director of Comosoft) 

Introduction 

In this insightful interview, we connect with Frederic Etienbled and Peter Jozefiak, the driving forces behind Hypertrade and Comosoft, to explore their strategic partnership. Hypertrade, celebrated for its comprehensive retail solutions, and Comosoft, a leader in multichannel marketing software, are joining forces to innovate the retail sector. Their collaboration aims to introduce integrated solutions that cater to the evolving demands of retailers around the globe, signaling a new chapter in retail excellence. 

Unveiling the Vision and Objectives 

Can you both describe the vision behind the Hypertrade and Comosoft partnership?  

PJ: Comosoft and Hypertrade complement each other perfectly with their products and create value along the entire value chain in the retail sector. Hypertrade expands the service portfolio of Comosoft and the software product LAGO to include the data analysis part. LAGO as a multi-channel production software stands for the efficient production of advertising in all marketing channels. Hypertrade complements the efficiency of LAGO by qualifying product data. 

FE: Despite doubling down on creating captivating promotions, Hypertrade clients often struggle with streamlining production.  LAGO bridges this gap by seamlessly aligning promotion planning and strategies with flawless omnichannel production and communication.  Our partnership empowers them to automate the end-to-end promotion process, boosting customer experience while reducing costs. 

What are the main goals you aim to achieve together? 

PJ: The result of the partnership is very easy to describe! With the solutions from Hypertrade and Comosoft, relevant products are made available to end customers at the right time and with minimal production effort in a wide variety of marketing channels. Time savings of 50% and a sales increase of 10% can be realized in retail with these solutions. 

FE: In addition to what Peter shared, the partnership between Comosoft and Hypertrade will empower several retailers to plan, work and engage their customers “like the big guys”, opening for them a new horizon of possibilities and growth. 

Highlighting Individual Expertise and Synergy 

How do Hypertrade’s solutions enhance Comosoft’s omnichannel offerings?  

FE: Hypertrade simplifies, automates, and optimizes retail processes to ensure a consistently exceptional customer experience. With same focus as Comosoft on data management and data quality, our machine learning and AI-powered solutions go beyond suggesting the right products: they measure performance with precision, continuously refine selections, and integrate shopper behavior changes. This is where LAGO’s technology comes in – it seamlessly translates these optimized offers across all marketing channels. 

In what ways do Comosoft’s omnichannel capabilities enrich Hypertrade’s retail solutions?  

PJ: With Hypertrade’s evaluation of purchasing behavior, the data in LAGO’s PIM app can be enriched with sales-promoting texts and USPs. The LAGO DAM links the product data records with the image data and is transferred to the respective marketing channels via the LAGO planning module. The central data management ensures the consistency and synchronization of the product data in the various marketing channels. The decisive factor here is that Hypertrade’s data analysis means that the products are not assigned to the marketing channels based on a gut feeling but are the result of a sales evaluation. 

Addressing Challenges with Success Stories 

What challenges in retail are you aiming to solve with this partnership? 

PJ: Retailers almost always have the same challenge. High production costs in advertising production, reacting quickly to changes in products, prices and availability, logistics and procurement, as well as the storage of products. The solutions from Hypertrade and Comosoft meet these challenges. 

FE: In today’s fast-paced market, retailers need agile teams that can make quick decisions while addressing diverse customer needs. Comosoft and Hypertrade provide solutions that empower retailers to meet these very challenges. 

Looking Forward: Innovations and Future Prospects 

With the retail landscape constantly evolving, how does your partnership offer a competitive edge to brick-and-mortar retailers? 

PJ: The demands on the retail sector are indeed changing from year to year. Nevertheless, the focus remains on retail customers. Knowing what the customer’s product preferences are, which price segment the customer is in, which marketing channels the customer wants product information in or simply when the customer prefers to shop helps retailers to match the product range with the customer’s preferences. 

FE: Throughout the history of commerce, understanding customer needs has been a critical factor in a merchant’s success. This focus on customer-centricity is amplified by the Comosoft and Hypertrade partnership, which translates complex data into actionable insights, making it even more relevant for businesses today and tomorrow. 

What future developments can clients expect from this partnership?

FE: The increasing power of technology often comes with growing complexity. Comosoft and Hypertrade share a vision to cut through that complexity, prioritizing user-friendliness. Flawless execution and time-saving features are hallmarks of our progress. Ultimately, our partnership thrives on making life easier for retailers and marketers, while continuously enhancing their customers’ shopping experiences.

Dive into the range of innovative solutions at Comosoft.

Hypertrade, a leading retail software solution provider, and OPENCatman, a leading cloud-based collaborative planogram solution provider, today announced a strategic distribution agreement that will bring together their complementary retail and category management expertise and expand their reach to retailers and suppliers across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and South America.

“We are thrilled to partner with OPENCatman to offer our clients a comprehensive suite of retail solutions that address their needs from end to end,” said Frederic Etienbled, CEO of Hypertrade. “This alliance will provide retailers and suppliers with the tools they need to increase their collaboration to jointly optimize their product placement, improve customer engagement, and streamline their operations.”

“In an era where collaboration and execution are critical for retail success, OPENCatman is excited to partner with Hypertrade to expand our reach into the important markets of Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa,” said Frederic Gautier, CEO of OPENCatman. “Our cloud-based collaborative planogram solution will complement Hypertrade’s existing offer and provide retail players with a complete solution for optimizing their store layouts and merchandising strategies.”

Complementing Expertise for Retail Collaboration

Hypertrade offers a suite of retail software solutions that help retailers and suppliers jointly manage their product assortment, optimize their product placement, and automate their promotion workflows. OPENCatman provides a collaborative cloud-based planogram solution that allows retailers to create and manage floor layouts, ensuring that products are displayed in the most effective and appealing manner.

This strategic alliance will combine Hypertrade’s expertise in category management, assortment optimization, and retail CRM with OPENCatman’s expertise in planogram creation and management. This combination will provide retailers and suppliers with a comprehensive suite of solutions that can help them:

· Increase product visibility and sales: OPENCatman’s planogram solution will help retailers optimize their product placement, leading to increased product visibility and sales.

· Improve customer engagement: Hypertrade’s CRM and Promotion workflows automation solutions will help retailers create personalized customer experiences, leading to improved customer engagement and loyalty.

· Streamline operations: OPENCatman’s planogram solution and Hypertrade’s other solutions will help retailers streamline their operations, reducing costs and improving efficiency.

A Commitment to Customer Success

Both Hypertrade and OPENCatman are committed to providing their clients with the best possible solutions and support. This alliance will allow both companies to leverage their strengths to deliver even greater value to their clients.

Words from the CEOs

“Collaboration between retailers and suppliers has been driving our software development and partners selection. In addition to being a simple and efficient solution, OPENCatman share the same philosophy about empowering retailers and their suppliers to jointly take decisions. We are confident that this strategic alliance will be a great success for both companies and their clients,” said Frederic Etienbled, CEO of Hypertrade. “We look forward to working closely with OpenCatman to bring our innovative solutions to a broader market.”

“I am excited to partner with Hypertrade to help retailers and suppliers achieve their retail objectives,” said Frederic Gautier, CEO of OPENCatman. “This partnership is a testament to our commitment to providing retail players with the best possible solutions to enhance their collaboration to increase operations’ efficiencies and customer satisfaction.”

This strategic alliance marks a new era of retail efficiency and customer satisfaction. By combining Hypertrade’s comprehensive retail software solutions with OPENCatman’ s planogram expertise, retailers and suppliers will have the tools and seamless experience they need to thrive in today’s competitive market.

Discover the Power of OPENCatman Planogramming! 

Elevate your retail layout with expert guidance. For retail inquiries, contact Philippe, our Retailers Expert, or for consumer packaged goods (CPG) insights, reach out to Matthew, our CPG Expert. 

Connect with our specialists today for innovative planogram solutions! 

Contact Philippe | Contact Matthew

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Are You Setting Up Data-Driven Category Management in 2024?

The challenges faced by retail players during the last 3 years have now made it very clear that data-driven decision-making is no longer a luxury but a necessity.

‍ Retail players of any size can no longer afford to operate in silos of data, making decisions based on intuition or gut feeling. By embracing data-driven Category Management, it becomes possible to gain a deeper understanding of customer behavior, market trends, and product performance, allowing them to make more informed decisions that drive sales, improve margins, and enhance customer satisfaction.

The cost of technology has significantly decreased, making it more accessible to businesses. Additionally, there is a wealth of knowledge available on category management principles and best practices, making it easier for retailer players to implement data-driven approaches.  

If you have put Data-Driven category management at the top of your 2024 agenda, this five-step progressive approach provides a roadmap for retail players willing to embark on their data-driven category management journey, starting with the foundations and building upon them over time.

A simple Planning of this 5 steps approach is available at the end of this article.

1. Define Your Rules: Establish a Data Governance Framework

Often forgotten or considered too lightly, before diving into data-driven decision-making, the establishment of a robust data governance framework is crucial. This involves identifying data sources (for example: ERP, POS, E-com website, Loyalty…), defining data quality standards, and establishing data access protocols. A well-defined data governance framework ensures data integrity and consistency, enabling informed category management decisions.

To Start now:

• A comprehensive data governance policy (a word document for example, that can be improved little by little) data quality standards, and data security measures. Later, data ownership and access protocols can be added. Focus your first efforts on Data Quality Standards: it starts with defining how to write an item description, quantity and packing, and how to attach a product to a category!
• Deliverable 3: A data quality assessment plan to identify and remediate data inconsistencies, missing values, and errors.

Within 6 months: A data inventory identifying all data sources, including point-of-sale systems, CRM systems, market research reports, and external data providers.

2. Collect and Consolidate Retail Data

Retailers collect vast amounts of data from various sources, such as point-of-sale systems, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, and market research reports. The key is to collect, aggregate, and cleanse this data to create a unified data repository. This repository serves as the foundation for data analysis and category management insights.

To Start now:

• A data integration strategy outlining the process of collecting, aggregating, and cleansing data from disparate sources.  
• A data warehouse or data mart that serves as a centralized repository for consolidated retail data (it can also be a simple space on the cloud to start with!)

3. Identify Key Metrics and Analyze Category Performances

Once you have started to collect, organize and structure your data, it is now the right time to define the key performance indicators (KPIs) relevant to each category. These KPIs could include sales figures, margin analysis, customer satisfaction metrics, and competitor performance data. By analyzing these KPIs, retailers can gain insights into the performance of individual categories and identify areas for improvement.

It is reasonable to start analyzing loyalty and customer data at this stage to integrate them in Category Performance analyses.

At this stage, you will have already identified a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) to track the performance of each category. You will have also collected and consolidated relevant data from various sources, including point-of-sale systems, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, and market research reports.

For example, by analyzing loyalty data, retailers can identify which customers are most profitable and loyal to the store. This information can be used to develop targeted marketing campaigns and promotions that appeal to these high-value customers.

To Start now

A comprehensive set of KPIs for each category, aligned with your business objectives. Start simple and focus on a few of them. Learn more on E Category Performance.

• A Training program to ensure all Teams have equal knowledge on the selected KPIs: their meaning, how to read them and what decisions-making they can support.
• A data visualization dashboard that effectively presents key performance indicators and category trends.
• Define simple processes to describe how you want E Assortment Planning and E Promotion Planning to be executed.

Within 6 months

• A root cause analysis of performance gaps, identifying specific factors contributing to underperformance or opportunities for improvement.

4. Enrich your Data: Develop Category-Specific Data Models

Another word for data model is data template. At this stage, the objective is to enrich your data. As you started capturing, organizing, and using data, you can further enhance your data-driven insights by developing category-specific data models. These models can incorporate factors such as product attributes, customer preferences, and market trends to create a deeper understanding of each category’s dynamics. This allows for more granular and actionable insights. In other words, add more details to your data so you can access better insights later on with machine learning and AI algorithms.

For example

• Data models that capture the relationships between product attributes, customer preferences, and market trends for each category.
• Anomaly detection tools that identify unusual data patterns or outliers that may require further investigation.

5. Integrate Data-Driven Insights into Category Management Processes

Assortment management and promotion planning should be directly informed by data-driven insights. This means using data to identify the best product mix, optimize pricing, and develop targeted promotional campaigns. The data-driven insights should be embedded into the decision-making processes for these two key functions.

For example:

• Continue improving what you started in step 3 Category management playbooks that outline data-driven strategies for pricing, assortment, promotion, and merchandising.
• Plan and execute regular category reviews that assess performance against KPIs and incorporate data-driven insights into decision-making (once every quarter for your Top 10 categories is a good starting point)
• Make the use of data a part of your culture: make data the necessary common collaboration language across Teams to explain and substantiate their decisions.

By integrating assortment management and promotion planning throughout the five-step progressive approach, medium-sized retailers can ensure that these critical processes are aligned with the overall data-driven category management strategy. This approach will lead to more effective assortment decisions, impactful promotion strategies, and ultimately, improved category performance.

Once you have planned and communicated these 5 steps, shared with the Teams the benefits they can get (from time saving to the satisfaction of delivering better performances) and are together embarking on this journey, you will realize that you just opened and Ocean of Opportunities:  dynamic pricing, effective promotion workflows automation, data-driven collaboration, …You too can achieve what large retailers do.

The hardest is to start.

Table 1: Example of a Data-Driven Category Management Journey

Stage 3 is a pivotal stage: it transforms the preparation work done during steps 1 and 2 and prepares the foundations for continuous improvements in step 4 and 5.

Hypertrade is a leading 1-Stop-Shop software for retail players seeking to optimize their operations and customer experiences across all touchpoints. Hypertrade comprehensive retail software solutions approach ensures that it provides clients with personalized support throughout their journey, tailoring solutions to their specific needs and capabilities at each stage.  

Present across 3 continents, Hypertrade addresses the critical needs of omnichannel retailers and manufacturers across the entire retail value chain.

• Category Management
• Assortment Optimization  
• Planograms
• Promotion Workflows Automation
• Demand Planning

Is the setup of Data-Driven category Management one of your Priorities in 2024? 

If yes, we are happy to help – Contact us

Comosoft, a leading provider of promotion workflow automation solutions, has announced its strategic partnership with Hypertrade, a renowned expert in category management automation. This partnership marks a significant milestone in delivering unparalleled technology solutions to the Southeast Asian market.

Comosoft specializes in streamlining promotion workflows across diverse channels, empowering retailers to optimize their marketing efforts efficiently.  

Meanwhile, Hypertrade excels in automating category management, providing businesses with cutting-edge tools to enhance product visibility and sales performance.  

Both companies boast unparalleled retail expertise, integrate AI and ML engines in their solutions and share a genuine passion for commerce and shoppers.

Revolutionizing Retail Operations with Unified Solutions

The collaboration between Comosoft and Hypertrade aims to combine their respective strengths to offer a comprehensive solution that seamlessly integrates promotion workflows, category management and CRM for retailers and agencies. Comosoft has selected Hypertrade as its partner to distribute its advanced technology solution across Southeast Asia.

Benefits for Customers: Unleashing Unprecedented Integration

This partnership promises retailers and businesses a one-of-a-kind integration of promotion automation and category management. Clients can expect optimized workflows, improved product visibility, and increased sales efficiency through this joint offering. The amalgamation of Comosoft’s promotion automation expertise with Hypertrade’s category management prowess will empower businesses to elevate their market presence and drive growth.

Key Executive Insights: Unveiling the Collaborative Vision

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‍Peter Jozefiak, CEO of Comosoft, expressed excitement about this partnership, stating, “Teaming up with Hypertrade signifies a crucial step in our commitment to providing comprehensive solutions. Strong with robust expertise gained in Europe and the US, together, we’re poised to help retailers in Southeast Asia make giant steps in the automating category management and promotion workflows in very advanced omni channel retail environments.”

‍Frederic Etienbled, CEO of Hypertrade, added, “Our collaboration with Comosoft signifies our dedication to offering holistic automation end-to-end solutions to help retailers delight their shoppers across all their channels. This partnership represents an exceptional opportunity to drive innovation and efficiency across Asia, one the most digital savvy population in the world.”

The partnership between Comosoft and Hypertrade signifies a unified mission to empower Southeast Asian businesses with cutting-edge technology solutions. As they combine their expertise, they are set to redefine promotion workflows and category management across the region.