Analyse2 software boosts retailers' and suppliers' profits

To maximise overall sales, retailers and suppliers must have a mix of products that answers to shoppers' needs and demands in every store location. Analyse2 Assortment Planning solution does the process with ease and accuracy. The solution taps into a retailer's process to organise data, revealing shoppers' preferences and behaviour. It then advises on the best combination of products to put on the store shelves. As a result, retailers and suppliers are able to avoid shortages and overstocking of products, remove duplicate items and win market share. "We help our clients understand what kind of shoppers they have for them to plan their customer-centric strategies," says founder and CEO Janne Anttila. Focused on fast-moving consumer goods, the company delivers its programs as a web-based service to cut costs for clients. Its software offerings have helped retail chains and more than 100 suppliers across Finland and other Nordic countries, Russia and Mexico. The results are impressive. For Finnish retail chain Kesko Food, which handles up to 25,000 store items, sales grew by 5 per cent, while gross margins improved by 1 per cent. This translates into an annual extra income of more than Euro40 million (HK$353 million). With Asia's booming consumer demand, Analyse2 wants to share such benefits with the region, especially with China. The company would like to explore the country through channel partners, similar to its existing strategy in the United States. Analyse2 is also growing to offer solutions for other category management processes. "We plan to double our revenues every year for the next five years by investing overseas," Anttila says. "We are eager to meet investors and companies with market linkages or solutions that complement our offering."