Tim Bowen Category Management 2020

Disruption is the new normal in the supermarket industry. Increasing sales of hard discounters, P/L (private label), small brands and online have changed the structure of the industry. The increasing power of shoppers and consumers will continue to change how the industry operates. New entrants with online expertise, such as Amazon, will continue to disrupt the industry. Also, new supply chains, such as direct to consumer, are changing the industry dynamics. So how do manufacturers and supermarkets compete?This book highlights that a category management mindset (not a process) is key to being competitive in this challenging environment. The concept of what category management is explained plus why manufacturers and supermarkets should adopt this thinking. Finally, a simple model is presented to illustrate how category management works.