Chicago-based market intelligence firm SPINS and data company IRI created the tool in response to more and more consumers shopping in multiple channels—natural and conventional—for the products they want.
“This new solution combines the powers of tools heretofore only available in the conventional channel with the extensive, granular view of Natural Channel innovation and trends that SPINS provides,” SPINS Executive Vice President of Business Development Kathryn Peters told FoodNavigator-USA.
“It gives natural retailers an unprecedented advantage in anticipating and providing what shoppers desire,” she added.
Curating for the customer
The tool is a combination of SPINS’ natural product attribution database with IRI’s Consumer Network panel, which consists of 100,000 consumer panelists. On top of that, data from shopper loyalty programs are fused for more depth.
“The combined effort integrates survey responses with of-the-moment buying behavior, layered with SPINS’ unique market segmentation,” SPINS said in a press release. “The result provides a comprehensive and expanded view of consumer shopping habits and bridges the gap between trusted conventional channel tools and the burgeoning opportunity of the natural channel.”
According to Peters, it’s not just retailers but also consumers who can benefit from this tool. “Consumers benefit from the curated selection of products that comes from a hyper-informed partnership between manufacturer vendors and retailers,” she said. “The in-store experience will better reflect and satisfy consumer interests in natural and healthy choices.”
Sprouts: the pilot
Sprouts Farmers Market will be the first company to use the tool. “Our history with SPINS is rooted in a commitment to the growing natural products industry,” Kim Coffin, vice president of non-perishables at Sprouts, said in a press release.
“Sprouts will leverage these sophisticated tools that combine the strengths of both Conventional and Natural Channels. We believe this new solution will better inform our category management decisions and help us deliver with precision what Sprouts customers want,” she added.