Wakefern Taps Dunnhumby to Power Category Management and Merchandising
Retailer-owned supermarket cooperative Wakefern Food Corp. has selected customer data science provider dunnhumby as its strategic platform for category management and merchandising.
Under the new partnership, dunnhumby will leverage its expertise in customer data models, along with consumer-led insights and collaboration, to help Wakefern make merchandising decisions aimed at improving the shopping experience and spurring engagement and growth across the co-op’s supermarket banners, which include ShopRite.
“Our customers remain our singular focus,” noted Steve Henig, Wakefern’s chief customer officer. “The tools and process that dunnhumby brings to the vendor relationship will allow us to increase product/service offerings delivering the best shopping experience our customers deserve. dunnhumby is a global industry leader that uses data and insights to understand evolving customer needs and help retailers deliver the products and categories that meet those needs.”
The platform will build upon Wakefern’s existing merchandising and data analytic capabilities, with the goal of putting the customer at the heart of the decision-making process.
“We are honored to have been selected by Wakefern as their strategic partner for category management and merchandising,” said Grant Steadman, president of North America at Chicago-based dunnhumby, which employs 2,000 in offices throughout Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. “Wakefern and its cooperative members have a long history as customer-centric and innovative retailers. Like them, we are passionate about improving the shopping experiences for customers and creating life-long loyalty.”
Clients of dunnhumby include Tesco, Meijer, McDonalds, Unilever, Nestlé, Procter & Gamble and PepsiCo.
The largest retailer-owned supermarket cooperative in the United States. Keasbey, N.J.-based Wakefern Food Corp. comprises nearly 50 members that independently own and operate 363 supermarkets under the ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer, Dearborn Market, Gourmet Garage, and Fairway Market banners in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. The company is No. 23 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2021 listing of North America’s top retailers of food and consumables.
