Vision Group Retail
AI on the Aisle

In the fast-paced consumer-packaged goods (CPG) world, shelf space is prime real estate. Brands compete for visibility, retailers strive for efficiency, and both share a common objective—higher sales. Vision Group Retail is enhancing retail execution with AI-driven intelligence, transforming how manufacturers and retailers approach category management and assortment optimization.

Gone are the days of manual shelf audits and guesswork. Vision Group harnesses advanced image recognition technology to provide real-time insights into shelf placement, pricing compliance and share of shelf space. A simple image capture grants retailers invaluable data on product positioning, planogram compliance and competitive benchmarking.

“Image recognition was once an emerging technology, but today, it’s a must-have in retail. AI and machine learning empower brands to make smarter, faster decisions at the most crucial point of contact—the shelf,” says Jason DeRienzo, chief revenue officer.

Unlike traditional syndicated data providers focusing solely on sales figures, Vision Group uncovers the ‘why’ behind sales performance. Understanding product placement, adjacency impact and planogram effectiveness helps brands refine their retail presence.

A prime example comes from the digestive health category, where a major manufacturer had a top-selling product placed on bottom shelves. Vision Group’s image recognition demonstrated that moving the product higher—eye-to-waist level—can increase sales by 20 percent. This increased branded SKU sales while also positively affecting the retailer’s private label alternative—a win-win scenario.

Optimizing Retail Execution with AI-Powered Solutions

Vision Group offers AI-driven solutions that streamline data analysis, optimize assortments and ensure compliance at the store level.

Its PictoPOG solution converts shelf images into editable planograms, providing deep insights into product distribution and simplifying data analysis. Complementing this is EZPOG, a web-based planogram tool that integrates seamlessly with Vision Group’s image recognition system. EZPOG transforms captured shelf images into interactive planograms, enabling brands to optimize their shelves better.

Image recognition was once an emerging technology, but today, it’s a must-have in retail. AI and machine learning empower brands to make smarter, faster decisions at the most crucial point of contact—the shelf

Expanding its capabilities further, Vision Group acquired Hivery, a machine learning and AI-driven assortment optimization solution. This helps manufacturers and retailers select the right mix of SKUs at the store level. Analyzing shelf space and sales data recommends an optimized, space-aware assortment to improve efficiency and maximize sales.

Turning strategy into action is crucial for success. This is where Store360, another key Vision Group solution, comes in. Store360 automates retail audits and tracks execution across promotions, pricing and product facings using image recognition. A major pizza brand leveraged Store360 to enforce planogram compliance across its retail chain. Research showed that front-facing pizza boxes increased sales by 20 percent, but audits revealed that 70 percent of stores failed to implement it correctly. With image-based proof, the brand quickly rectified display issues, leading to a significant sales boost.

A Trusted Partner for Global Brands

With AI-powered assortment optimization, real-time retail execution tracking and intelligent planogram solutions, Vision Group helps brands and retailers enhance efficiency, increase sales and improve execution. Its proven expertise in large-scale deployments allows it to solve complex retail challenges.

As a partner to global leaders, such as Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Kenvue, Henkel, L’Oréal, Bayer, Mars, Opella and Redbull, Vision Group has successfully optimized retail execution across thousands of stores. Its industry experience led to the development of innovative features like real-time image validation, ensuring only high-quality, actionable data is captured. Unlike other platforms that struggle with blurry or poorly angled photos, Vision Group’s technology instantly notifies users if an image is unsuitable, eliminating inefficiencies.

More than Technology
Beyond technology, Vision Group fosters true client partnerships. Its team of industry veterans understands the challenges CPG manufacturers and retailers face. Combining technological innovation with strategic expertise, the company provides tailored guidance for effective implementation.

“Technology empowers, but people inspire,” says DeRienzo. “We build trust through our industry expertise, working closely with brands to deploy solutions that drive impact.”

As AI and ML transform retail, Vision Group empowers brands and retailers with data-driven decisions to enhance execution, improve sales and elevate customer experience, setting a new standard for retail intelligence. For brands seeking a competitive edge at the shelf, Vision Group is the partner of choice—where technology meets execution excellence.