The InfoScan advantage; now there is a better alternative for marketing information

Drug Store News, Oct 14, 1991

Before Information Resources turned UPC scanning data into actionable tools for decision-making, suppliers and merchants had to base their product marketing and merchandising decisions on the older system of warehouse withdrawal counts and store audits. Those systems have no tactical decision-making-value and simply can't compare to the kinds of multi-dimensional, rapid-response sales analysis programs made possible by InfoScan and IRI research.

Consider the advances in a single decade. In 1980, the best marketplace information available provided marketers with marketwide movement reports in hard copy, based either on warehouse takeaway or bi-monthly shelf audits. It was a pretty good way to get a general feel for brand performance and market conditions on a delayed basis, and a rough way to measure market-wide promotion response.

Comparing that kind of sampling with the kind of scanning-based information and analytical tools now available from IRI is comparing two different eras in market information. With IRI's resources, decision-makers and sales people can tackle their marketing questions to gain a tactical advantage in today's fast-changing, complex marketplace.

What's more, they can address those questions with the kind of precision and UPC-level detail that weren't possible a few years ago. Their data are updated weekly, and available through a wide array of access options including personal computers and summary reports.