Food Distribution Sector
The food distribution industry faces numerous challenges, particularly in terms of price setting and supply chain management.
Consumers are highly sensitive to prices and food availability. Consequently, it becomes crucial for distributors to strike the right balance between affordable prices and sufficient profit margins to ensure their competitiveness and profitability.
Simultaneously, supply chain management is also a major challenge for food distributors as it involves coordinating multiple stakeholders, from farmers and processors to retailers (franchisees or independent).
Main challenges in the food sector
Strong dominance of private labels
Large food distribution brands very often offer their own brands. This can therefore limit the diversity of choices for consumers and thus create challenges for national brands. They must therefore compete with these private labels in terms of price and positioning.
Varied pricing across stores
Food brands often prefer not to manage their pricing strategy at the national level. Stores therefore have a certain autonomy in setting prices. Additionally, this can lead to significant price variations from region to region.
Fierce local competition
Hypermarkets and supermarkets compete to attract consumers. This leads to pressure on prices, but also to an intensification of differentiation efforts. In addition, retail players must be innovative and responsive to remain competitive locally.
Short expiration dates
Use-by dates (DLC) in food are therefore often very short, requiring supply chain and distribution players to manage their stocks effectively. In fact, this helps avoid losses linked to product expiration.
Intense cannibalization
The cannibalization of products and stores is indeed a significant problem in the food market. Brands and retailers must therefore face internal competition. But also to similar products or stores that compete with each other. Which can affect profitability and overall performance.
Raw material supply issues
Variations in weather conditions, logistical problems or shortages of raw materials can have a direct impact on the availability of products in stores. Additionally, it can affect customer satisfaction and requires proactive supply chain management.
Inflation as a key concern
Finally, fluctuations in raw material prices, production costs, regulatory or economic changes can lead to an increase in the prices of food products. These challenges therefore require innovative solutions to guarantee efficient, sustainable and profitable food distribution.
Optimix solutions for the Food Sector
Data collection (online or in-store)
Data collection from the internet (Price Scraping) and/or in physical stores (using a smartphone).
Learn moreProduct matching & range consistency
Linking of competing products (automatic based on EAN or compared using a proximity score).
Learn morePricing strategy and price elasticity
Design, configuration, and implementation of your pricing strategy.
Learn moreSales forecasting & AI
Immediate analysis of your data through customized dashboards.
Learn moreOrder forecasts
Reliable suggestions that meet all your company's requirements.
Learn moreStock and transportation optimization
Reduce inventory levels and increase the availability of your products.
Learn moreTestimonials
« Optimix XPA is a very interesting tool. It has already allowed me to identify and correct pricing anomalies shortly after taking over my new store in Nice. I have just discovered that I can automate the generation of my analysis projects. I can't wait to use it for my other local stores. »
« Optimix is a highly effective pricing tool that enables us to adapt our pricing to our competitive context and margin objectives. Optimix offers the option to work at the item, category, or even based on national top sales, either individually or simultaneously, as well as on private label products, national brands, and regional products. »
« The Optimix Pricing XPA solution enables us to track the daily fluctuations in internal purchase prices as well as our competitors' selling prices so we can swiftly adapt our pricing strategy to ensure we achieve our desired margin or gain a competitive edge in the market. »
Our clients in the Food Sector
