Many co-op buyers have a strong sense of which products appeal to their core customers, but in the new normal of increased competition, relying on a hunch when determining mix is not good enough. Taking a “bring it in and see” approach with assortment is a risky bet that can cost you money twice with poor product investment and monopolized shelf space. To make informed assortment decisions, you need cold, hard data.
NCG partners with SPINS, the single source information provider for the natural and specialty products industry, to provide co-ops with exactly the data they need to make knowledgeable category decisions in real time. SPINS collects weekly point of sale (POS) scan data from thousands of retail locations, including NCG co-ops, so users can quickly analyze product popularity and success among health and wellness shoppers in their markets, regionally and nationwide. SPINS data can help you determine which products move the best for your store, look at what is working well for peers and adjust your mix for maximum sales with confidence.
In addition to concrete product data, SPINS allows you to look at overall consumer trend data, as well. You can evaluate the sales performance of organic, gluten free, fair trade, non GMO, vegan and other values attributes to identify opportunities to better serve your shoppers and generate excitement with on-trend items.
NCG member co-ops are required to submit POS data to SPINS each week, directly out of their POS system. Reports are then made available through a convenient online portal, SATORI. Dashboards allow users to view data dynamically and quickly conduct category assessments and assortment reviews.
Access to SPINS data is available to any co-op staff member who has been approved by their general manager and who has completed SATORI training. Currently SATORI trainings are offered via webinar on a weekly basis. Please note that SPINS passwords change every 90 days to keep access to data restricted and secure.
NCG has two SPINS on-site business consultants located in the St. Paul, Minnesota office that are here to support your co-op’s use of SPINS. Do not hesitate to contact one of us with questions as we are here to help you!
Kelly Hanson
SPINS Retail Insights Manager
khanson@spins.com
Aly Stahlman
SPINS Retail Insights Manager
astahlman@spins.com
Kasey Jorenby
SPINS Retail Insights Manager
kjorenby@spins.com
