By looking at the two charts to the left, you can see how using a Surface Chart to analyze distribution can instantly give you a visual report card of how well an account is doing with distribution voids. Conclusion Getting distribution of products into a retailer can be a daunting task, and keeping track of all of your items across all accounts can be even more troublesome. Using Distribution Grid Tables and Distribution Grid Surface Charts can make the job of keeping your eye on what is happening in your accounts much easier. Remember that your distribution in your accounts is directly proportional to your sales. Only by being well informed about what is going on in an account will you be able to effectively bolster your sales and create new business.
Segmentation is a subdividing of items into groups that share common attributes.
The same products might be segmented in other ways, such as by flavor or brand. Alchemy s Segmentation Hierarchy allows you to organize all products within the category into levels based upon a sequence of nested segmentations. For instance, you may decide that the most distinguishing segmentation level for a category is the size of the product, then the brand name of the product and finally the flavor. Using the Segmentation Hierarchy, you can drill down to any level when selecting items for your analysis components. In the next issue of The Kenosia Report , we ll discuss the impact a retailer's Category Management template has on category analysis and ways that analysts can prepare for more demanding templates in the future.