Empowering Retail with Image Recognition : A Conversation with Sean Hughes

 

 

 

As businesses begin to gradually replace their usual ‘way of doing things’ to seamlessly integrate advanced and innovative technology, it’s clear that the adoption of this technology is vital for brands and retailers concerned with progress and future thinking. One of the most recent developments that appears to be revolutionising many different industries is image recognition technology. 

This clever technology has proven itself by allowing businesses to gather and analyse vast amounts of data, empowering them to make better-informed business decisions. 

Though it may sound complex, many of us interact with image recognition tech in everyday life without knowing – its use is greatly varied and can be seen in many forms, from allowing self-driving cars to navigate safely and efficiently, to providing automated image organisation of visual websites, and even improving security measures with face identification on social networking websites.

Because of its innate versatility, image recognition has been welcomed with open arms by those who understand its benefits. Highlighting this, the statistics show that the global AI image recognition market was valued at $3.33 billion in 2022, and is expected to grow at an annual rate of 24.91%, reaching $12.65 billion by 2028.

What Does This Mean for the World of Retail?

In retail, this in-store technology solution is revolutionising how tasks are performed. 

Thanks to advanced algorithms and machine learning tech, brands can analyse store and product images rapidly, offering valuable insights into product placement, stock levels, and planogram compliance. With a quick scan, retailers can instantly detect out-of-stock situations, identify competitor products, and ensure that their shelves are organised for maximum impact.

At Tactical Solutions, we utilise cutting-edge image recognition technology through Reapp’s Vision platform, which integrates effortlessly with our full range of retail solutions. This seamless connection enables us to deliver in-depth, actionable insights, helping clients elevate their in-store performance like never before.

Reapp Vision analyses detailed in-store images to generate insights that guide retailers in assessing product placement, ensuring shelf compliance, and optimising visual merchandising strategies. These insights empower retailers to make informed, data-driven decisions that boost product visibility and increase sales.

In this blog, we sit down with Sean Hughes, Senior Business Unit Controller at Tactical Solutions, to gain deeper insight into our innovation and the launch of our innovative new image recognition platform – Reapp Vision. We discuss the difference this platform is making to our clients and why it is truly a tool to be reckoned with below…

Q: Hey Sean! Thanks so much for chatting with us today. How does the integration of image recognition with Reapp’s existing tools, like Reapp Perform and Insight, revolutionise the way teams interact with data in-store?

A: Adding image recognition to Reapp’s existing tools, like Perform and Insight, is truly a game-changer for modern retail teams. This integration significantly transforms how they interact with in-store data.

For starters, the ability to capture and analyse data in real-time is a major benefit. Your field teams can simply take a quick snapshot of your shelves to gather accurate information, eliminating the tedious manual checks that often slow them down. This not only saves time, but allows your field teams to redirect their energy towards tasks that truly enhance their return on investment.

When combined with Reapp Insight, image recognition makes it effortless to collect in-store data. This information feeds directly into our custom dashboards, offering valuable insights at a glance and even suggesting specific actions. With this guidance, your field sales teams can engage customers more effectively and enhance their overall shopping experience.

Additionally, by automating data collection, team members can shift their focus to more strategic initiatives instead of routine tasks. This streamlining of operations enables your retail teams to prioritise what really matters and get things done more efficiently.

Ultimately, having reliable, up-to-the-minute data empowers brands to make informed decisions that drive growth. With these insights, your teams can implement strategies that align with their overall goals, ensuring they meet customer expectations effectively.

In essence, Reapp Vision is about helping your teams to work smarter – not harder. This cutting-edge technology can revolutionise your in-store retail operations by providing insights that lead to quicker, more informed decisions, resulting in happier customers and improved brand performance.

Q: Since the launch of Reapp Vision, what kind of feedback have you received from customers, and how has it improved their in-store operations?

A: Since launching Reapp Vision, the feedback from our customers has been overwhelmingly positive. They’ve highlighted key areas where the platform has made a real difference to their in-store operations, including efficiency, accuracy, and speed. The automation Reapp Vision offers is enabling their teams to work smarter and shift their focus from manual, repetitive tasks, to more strategic activities that add real value.

Another improvement customers have noticed is increased accuracy. With Reapp Vision’s precise image recognition technology, product identification has become faster and more reliable, meaning fewer errors and clearer reporting. This level of detail has allowed them to generate insights they can act on almost instantly.

The immediacy of real-time data has been transformative too. Now, from a quick photo in-store to data availability within Reapp Insight, the process is seamless and instantaneous, meaning your teams can respond to trends and issues right away without waiting on lengthy data transfers.

And all of this adds up to a clear impact on ROI. By optimising these in-store processes and minimising the time spent on manual tasks, brands are finding they get more out of each visit – whether that means making meaningful in-store interventions or covering more stores each day.

Q: Can you share a specific example of how a customer has successfully implemented Reapp Vision to enhance their store productivity or ROI?

A: One of our brand partners has found incredible value in using Reapp Vision to streamline how they track and analyse shelf space in stores. In the past, gathering data on product facings involved a lot of manual counting, as someone would need to count each product facing for both the brand and its competitors within a category, which often took more than 10 minutes per store. This process was not only time-consuming, but also limited how many stores a rep could visit each day.

With Reapp Vision,  image recognition technology has replaced manual counting, reducing the time needed to just under a minute per store. That’s a saving of roughly nine minutes per store, which adds up to a substantial productivity boost. By freeing up this time, your field reps are now able to visit an additional five stores per week – or 20 extra stores every four weeks – allowing your brand to cover much more ground without losing track of critical metrics like share of shelf space.

Q: What sets Reapp Vision apart from other image recognition technologies on the market, particularly in terms of its retail-focused design?

A: Reapp Vision is uniquely designed to meet the specific needs of the retail sector, setting it apart from other image recognition solutions by seamlessly integrating with our broader suite of tools, including Reapp Insight and Reapp Perform. 

This tight integration allows Reapp Vision to function smoothly in real-world retail environments, making the image recognition process much more efficient and intuitive. By automating and enhancing field data collection, it not only reduces operational friction, but also maximises your return on investment. The real power of Reapp Vision lies in its ability to deliver actionable insights almost instantly, empowering retailers to make data-driven decisions in real-time. 

Q: How has Reapp Vision impacted the day-to-day operations of field teams, particularly in reducing call times and increasing the number of store visits per day?

A: Reapp Vision has transformed field operations by automating the image analysis of store shelves, which streamlines routine tasks and frees up valuable time for our field teams. By providing real-time, AI-driven insights directly from shelf images, Reapp Vision reduces the average time each representative spends in a store by approximately 9 minutes. 

This time reduction not only allows your field reps to make impactful interventions, but also empowers them to add more store visits to their daily schedules, ultimately boosting both efficiency and productivity. The platform’s sales alerts ensure that reps can proactively address stock and display issues as they arise, maximising the return on each store visit and enhancing overall team performance.

Q: How do you see AI-powered technologies like Reapp Vision shaping the future of retail over the next five years?

A: AI-powered technologies are set to transform retail in the coming years by enhancing customer experience and operational processes. With tools like image recognition, retailers can offer highly personalised shopping experiences, such as tailored recommendations and virtual try-ons, making shopping more engaging for modern consumers.

Operationally, AI image recognition tools will optimise your inventory by providing real-time insights, ensuring that popular items are always available, as well as reducing waste. Streamlined checkouts (powered by image recognition), will also make shopping faster and more convenient. Additionally, insights into customer movement will allow for smarter store layouts, enhancing the shopping journey and boosting sales.

AI is also poised to strengthen sustainability efforts by refining demand forecasting and helping to reduce overproduction and waste. And with Reapp Vision, retailers can integrate both the online and offline shopping experience, giving customers real-time updates and personalised offers across channels.

Overall, AI-powered image recognition will reshape retail, driving efficiency, customer satisfaction, and profitability.

Reapp Vision is a powerful tool that revolutionises retail operations through AI-driven image recognition and real-time retail data analysis. Its advanced features, such as planogram compliance verification, shelf space measurement, and seamless integration with Reapp Analytics and retailer EPOS data, provide retailers with comprehensive insights into their in-store performance. 

By offering immediate feedback and actionable insights, Reapp Vision enables field teams to quickly address in-store issues, optimise retail merchandising strategies, and ensure consistent brand representation. 

If you’re interested in seeing how Reapp Vision can work for you, get in touch today and book a demo!