Colruyt Group's Secret
to Private Label Quality

 

Maintaining High Private Label Standards

In today’s competitive retail landscape, private label products are more than just an alternative to national brands—they reflect a retailer’s identity

A NielsenIQ report highlights that private labels accounted for 19.4% of global FMCG sales in 2023, with the figure climbing to 26% in Western Europe. As inflation drives shoppers to seek affordable yet quality options, private labels continue to grow in both value and market share, signalling a shifting dynamic in the retail landscape.

Shelf filled with private label products at a retailer

For companies like Colruyt Group, ensuring the quality of their private label products is not just about meeting customer expectations, but also about maintaining brand integrity and staying ahead of the competition.

But how do you consistently ensure your private label products are on par with or better than the competition? 

This was the challenge Colruyt Group’s Service Center Product Quality department faced.  With 13k private label products to manage, monitoring quality, especially against competitors, is crucial. 

The Need for Competitive Comparison

As private labels gain popularity, comparing them with competitors’ products becomes crucial for several reasons:

  • Brand Reputation: Customers often associate private labels with the retail brand itself. A mediocre product can negatively impact the entire brand.
  • Media Comparisons: Media outlets frequently compare private labels against each other and national brands, providing free but potentially critical publicity.
  • Product Improvement: Regular comparison helps identify areas where a product can be improved to meet consumer expectations better.
Private label vs competitor product

For Colruyt Group, ensuring that their private labels are competitive is not just important—it’s essential.

The Problem with the Old System

Before Daltix, Colruyt Group relied on an in-house built system. While it was a step up from manually collecting product data in Excel, they had significant limitations:

  • Manual Data Entry: Product information from competitors had to be manually entered into the system, requiring over 1.5 full-time employees just for data management.
  • Infrequent Updates: Due to the workload, updates were only possible once or twice a year, leading to outdated information and potential blind spots in quality control.
  • Limited Insights: The system didn’t provide comprehensive insights, especially when it came to competitors like Aldi and Lidl, who don’t have online stores for easy data collection.
Outdated excel file, old computer and complicated computer operations

This process was not only time-consuming but also prone to errors and inefficiencies, which could impact the quality control process.

Streamlining Quality Control with Daltix

Working with Daltix revolutionized how Colruyt Group managed its private label quality control – making a difference in key areas:

1. Automated Data Collection

Daltix automatically scrapes data from competitors’ websites, drastically reducing the need for manual data entry. This not only frees up employee time but also ensures that the data is more accurate and up-to-date.

2. Frequent Updates

With automated data scraping, updates happen more frequently, allowing Colruyt Group to stay on top of market trends and make timely adjustments to their products.

3. Reduced Environmental Impact

By eliminating the need to purchase competitor products physically, Colruyt Group has significantly reduced food waste and lowered its eco-footprint—a win for both the company and the environment.

4. Comprehensive Insights

Daltix provides detailed insights that were previously difficult to obtain. For instance, product comparisons, taste tests, and pre-selection processes for consumer testing are now more streamlined and data-driven.

A Game Changer for Private Label Quality Control

For Colruyt Group, partnering with Daltix has been a game changer.

They’ve moved from a cumbersome, manual system to an efficient, automated one that saves time and resources and also provides more accurate and actionable insights.

Other retailers facing similar challenges with their private label products can learn from Colruyt Group’s experience—automating and optimising your quality control processes can lead to better products, happier customers, and a stronger brand.

Colruyt Group building

Looking forward to boosting your process too? Reach out now 👇🏽

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