ECRM’s Retail Group was formed to take a strategic account approach with its Tier 1 retail clients that impact all ECRM’s category specific events. By doing so, ECRM is able to develop individualized plans to help retail clients go to market faster and alleviate any of their daily challenges, whether those challenges are coordinating competitive line reviews or helping source new suppliers.

“We are able to take a deep dive into each of our retail clients current process,” says Laura Fontana, ECRM’s VP of Retail. “We work to gain an understanding of their go to market strategy, to then apply ECRM’s business process, tools, and technology to save buyers and category manager’s time , reduce redundancy, while providing world class business intelligence.”

ECRM’s Retail Solutions are not a cookie cutter process; it’s 12 team members work strategically with retailers to determine their objectives and areas of focus in order to achieve maximum value.

The Retail Group helps clients:

• Coordinate competitive line reviews with both current and new suppliers. 
• Source & qualify new vendors for strategic initiatives such as owned brand sourcing opportunities, white space opportunities, and innovation. 
• Coordinate meetings with strategic vendor partners to facilitate the development of current and new marketing programs and promotional activity
• Ensure productive meetings through supplier education
• Ensure supplier compliance with forms and planning spreadsheets
• Enable retailers to make item selections and decisions at events through private review rooms, and the collection of product samples
• Support retailer line reviews by setting planograms at events
• Utilize ECRM Marketgate technology to send out supplier follow up 
• Execute a customized review based upon retailer’s needs and strategic focus