Solenis: Using data for deeper conversations
Strengthening the case for staying on the shelf
HTH Spa, a Solenis brand, operates in a very niche category, and the buying season for their pool and spa products is around 100 days in some markets. When they heard rumblings that their products might be delisted, they knew acting fast would be crucial to saving the brand.
The implications of their spa assortment being removed from shelves could be devastating. Their main modular is relatively small—about four and half feet of shelf space—but it represents almost the entirety of the brand.
Their first step was to reach out to their Merchant, whose own first step was to introduce them to Walmart Luminate—specifically Customer Perception and Shopper Behavior. Working in a hardline space, Solenis had never experienced first-party customer data like this before, and the insights were almost immediate.
They started with the verified shoppers in the Walmart Spark Customer Community, where they could hear directly from buyers of their products. And it turned out, their spa customers had a lot to say. They liked the brand’s affordability, availability, and the convenience of picking up spa supplies along with their groceries at Walmart. A key finding was their high level of brand loyalty that could take them out of Walmart to purchase these products.
Performance analysis in Shopper Behavior came next. Along with the feedback gathered in Customer Perception, this affirmed that their assortment was performing well. Total business was up 82%, and customer share was 80%. This helped prove their case for staying on the shelf at a majority of stores they were already in.
This effort was well-worth it. Solenis was able to prevent major delisting in about a week and better position themselves for next season. Looking ahead, they will be able to utilize Shopper Behavior in real time to analyze performance and be better prepared to have more meaningful conversations with their Merchant.
Read the Solenis case study to see how Shopper Behavior and Customer Perception enabled deeper discussions with their Walmart Merchant.
References:
Proprietary First-Party Data, Walmart Luminate 2023
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