Certco Adopts Platform to Optimize Product Visibility to Independent Grocers

Fitchburg, Wis.-based Certco Inc., which services more than 200 independent grocery stores throughout Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota and Iowa, is adopting new grocery technology to help ensure product attributes are best represented to its retailer network.

Partnering with Chicago-based ItemMaster, a cloud-based product content platform company, the grocery wholesaler and distributor is asking its manufacturer suppliers to also team with the platform to build a repository of of core product information, including product images. 

"This commitment ensures that "Certco and its entire ecosystem of retailers and vendors have accurate and robust product content, which we know drives more sales," said David Ryman, VP of sales and marketing.

According to Ryman, some of the key factors contributing to Certco's decision include:

• A flexible approach to onboarding and managing product content, meeting the capabilities and requirements of both CPGs and independent grocers
• Six- to 10-day delivery of bringing a new product to market, representing accelerated speed to market
• Applied advanced technology such as OCR, artificial intelligence and machine learning, leveraging bleeding-edge technology to enhance speed and accuracy, and enable enhanced attribution
• Centralized, complete and comprehensive product attributes streamlining Certco workflows, reducing resources required to acquire and deploy accurate and quality content

"Consumers want to shop the way they want for their tastes, lifestyles and nutritional needs," noted Dev Ganesan, CEO of ItemMaster. "The requirement from the consumers drives an evolution in what product information brands, wholesalers and retailers provide. Certco can now look forward to a streamlined workflow with retailers, by delivering complete and comprehensive product attributes, which will drive best-in-class shopper experience both online and in store."