A Top 5 CPG Brand Evaluated Six Vendors. They Picked Vision Group.
The brand needed image recognition that could scale across 25,000 stores and eight divisions, from frozen food to pet care. After evaluating six vendors, they chose Vision Group for flexibility, partnership, and recognition accuracy that worked even when products weren't perfectly faced.
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Overview
The client's Retail Sales team employs more than 500 people in the U.S., supporting eight divisions from frozen food and beverages to baby food and pet care. The field team executes in over 25,000 large-format stores, ensuring their strategies come to life at the shelf.
The Challenge
Manual shelf audits slowed execution and limited sales opportunities.
- Shelf checks took 15–20 minutes per section.
- Existing image recognition vendors were costly and rigid.
- Field reps lacked real-time insights to correct distribution voids during store visits.
The Vice President of Retail Sales, explained:
“It’s not about the product offering. It’s about who’s willing to roll up their sleeves and solve business problems with us.”
The Solution
They selected Vision Group (then Maxerience) after evaluating six vendors. The decision was driven by Vision Group’s flexibility, partnership, and technology that outperformed competitors.
- Image recognition at scale: Deployed across all eight divisions in 25,000 stores.
- Data integration: Shelf audit images are processed by Vision Group, cleansed, and stored in their data lake for analysis.
- Rep Insights: Near real-time feedback (under 60 seconds) allows reps to identify missing SKUs and sell to store managers on the spot.
- Advanced recognition: Vision Group’s tools recognize products even when not perfectly faced, solving a challenge other vendors couldn’t.
They summarized the value:
Spreading that logic over 25,000 stores, you can imagine the power of having boots on the street to push insights and close the sale.
Results
- Time Savings:
Reduced shelf audits from 15–20 minutes to just a few minutes. - Productivity Gains:
Hundreds of reps now reclaim time daily, which translates into more selling opportunities. - Revenue Growth:
Faster identification of distribution voids drives incremental sales. - Category Insights:
The company's category teams now use the data lake to compare shelf share and uncover selling stories against competitors. - Trusted Partner:
Vision Group continues to co-create new capabilities like Rep Insights, proving direct impact on sales.
Why Vision Group
The differentiator was partnership and adaptability.
“The gold standard is collaboration and solving business problems. The team doesn’t say no. They come back with solutions.”