Ecommerce Category Management: Essential Insights To Reach Omni-Category Leadership [DOWNLOAD]

The Digital Shelf Institute (DSI) and The Partnering Group (TPG) released their 2024 ecommerce category management (eCatman) report, detailing how eCatman has become crucial for brands in the evolving omnichannel landscape.

Traditional category management helps brands better manage retailer product categories to provide customers with cohesive in-store shopping experiences. 

But with the advent of an endless aisle, ecommerce category management (eCatman) has changed the category definition. 

Omnichannel shopping experiences have become the new norm, with 49% of shoppers preferring a blend of in-store and online shopping experiences, according to Salsify consumer research. 

To help brands better understand the fundamentals of eCatman and its benefits for omnichannel success, the DSI collaborated with TPG to write “eCatman and the Path to Omni-Category Management: The Building Blocks of Ecommerce To Win in Omnichannel.” 

Why eCatman Is Valuable for Brands 

The DSI and TPG interviewed two retailers and 11 top brand leaders across categories about using ecommerce category management to compete in the current commerce landscape. 

“eCatman is the capability/puzzle piece that plugs into a traditional category management function to lift it to a fully omni-category management execution,” says Peter Leech, managing director of TPG.

eCatman proficiency helps brands deepen their retailer relationships, as retailers look for intel on overcoming the challenges presented by ecommerce category management. 

The Path From eCatman to Omnichannel Category Leadership 

If brands want to build successful category leadership partnerships, they must follow eight best-in-class success criteria, according to the DSI and TPG. 

The eight best-in-class success criteria for brands are: 

1. Approach any category work with a consumer-first mindset.
2. Assign clear roles and responsibilities for successful cross-functionality.
3. Develop an omnichannel strategy that illuminates both in-store and online behaviors and trends.
4. Define the category based on solutions that meet shoppers’ needs.
5. Formulate incremental category growth strategies.
6. Implement activation planning with retailers, along with rapid experimentation.
7. Understand how each retailer’s artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) capabilities influence personalization.
8. Evaluate performance regularly with a traditional balanced scorecard. 

Brands should determine if they’re in the crawl, walk, or run phase if they want to assess their omni-category leadership maturity and take the appropriate measures to achieve success. 

Excelling With eCatman

The DSI and TPG’s report sheds light on how brands can integrate eCatman strategies with traditional category management to win in both ecommerce and in-store environments. 

If brands want to deepen their retailer relationships, satisfy customers, and grow their omni-category leadership maturity, they should incorporate an eCatman discipline into their organization. 

Download the report to gain valuable eCatman insights for creating impactful retailer partnerships, driving superior growth, and ensuring lasting competitive advantage.