GMDC, RNG create new merchandising planning tool

ORLANDO, Fla. — GMDC and RetailNet Group have launched a new partnership tool, the GMDC/RNG Insights Portal, which helps member companies accelerate merchandise planning, benchmark retail performance and answer critical questions when building their businesses.

 

“This remarkable partnership between GMDC and RNG goes beyond sharing retail knowledge into motivating members to be marketplace catalysts,” commented Patrick Spear, GMDC president. “Members can pair the GMDC/RNG Insights Portal with additional tools the association offers, such as the GMDC/Nielsen GM Hierarchy, in order to continue on the path of growth.”

 

The new tool will better enable partners to navigate an emerging retail model, Dan O'Connor, RetailNet Group president and CEO, told attendees Saturday at the Global Market Development Center’s General Merchandise Marketing Conference here as part of a presentation titled “Re-Discover Retail.” 

 

“There are several very powerful economic, societal and political changes that will fundamentally reshape the consumer expectation,” O'Connor said. “Among these is the overall long-term movement to accelerate spending on experiences while reducing overall merchandise share of spending growth. Another factor is the changing U.S. age distribution paired with very different economic expectations across generations and social strata. Think about the impact on sales of the average millennials aging into peak consumption, while the boomers age out.” 

 

These drivers paired with ever-evolving communication technologies will continue to change consumer behavior, expectations and retail vitality at a breathtaking speed. 

 

"Digital marketplace and other direct to consumer models will move about 25% of today’s retail sales from a store-based self-service model where the consumer does the work," he said, meaning she comes to the store, picks the product, packs it and delivers it home. "In the new world we retailers will do the pick, pack and ship,” O'Connor said.

 

O'Connor described a new winning model emerging: A three-legged structure blending revenues and profits from stores, digital retail and — perhaps the most critical capability, he said — an automated marketing platform.