By working closely
with strategic
customers, we
can create joint
business plans
tailor-made to their
particular needs.
the retailer and the supplier," Ross says.
"Our initial focus is on France, Spain, Italy
and Belgium, and in 2010, beer sales in
Carrefour in these markets were up more
than 3% compared with other retailers."
Adding Value
The work HEINEKEN is doing with
Carrefour is focused on creating a
different kind of shopping experience
for the consumer, rather than on price
promotions. Ross tells us, "Using price
promotions to drive category value is
an unsustainable strategy, nor is it a
way to provide differentiation between
retailers because they follow each other's
promotions very quickly.
"To really stand out, we needed to add
value in other ways and by working
collaboratively with Carrefour on an
International Joint Business Plan, we
were able to execute a broad range of
in-store initiatives. Our starting point
was to reorganise the beer shelves, not
only to make them look more attractive,
but also to make it easier to shop. In
addition, we increased the availability of
chilled beer through Heineken®-branded
fridges to improve impulse purchases.
We also created special shelves to
display the innovative DraughtKegs and
Initiatives range from simple
fundamentals such as improving
fixtures and shelf layout to
introducing new innovations and
the more dramatic in-store theatre.
we really made the most of our global
sponsorships, like the UEFA Champions
League, by offering consumers a truly
memorable shopping experience through
themed in-store events."
FIEINEKEN's cooperation with Carrefour is
an internationally coordinated approach.
It combines conversations at international
level with building the business at local
level. "The joint business-planning process
is a 'bottom up' process as opposed to a
'top down' one," Ross explains. "Our local
teams have to build the best plans to
grow the category at local level, deploying
our brands and category leading
initiatives, and then those plans are
consolidated to create an overall ambition
for the customer. Our local teams know
their consumers best, so we want to use
their knowledge to create a joint business
plan that works for us, the retailer and the
local consumer."
Geographical Advantage
"The advantage of working on an
international level with a company such
as Carrefour is that both companies can
leverage their geographic footprint,"
Ross goes on to say. "Compared to our
competitor's HEINEKEN has a unique
footprint in Europe which closely matches
Autumn 2011 World of HEINEKEN 9
