Page 59 - Retail World March 2021

WATCH THIS SPACE TO GET SMARTER AND FASTER Understanding the strategic and competitive advantages of a well thought out and well executed space plan in a category management context is critical for both retailers and suppliers, as this interview with an expert in the field, David Haley of Haley Group, attests. BWy ShopAbility Director Peter Huskins. hat used to be the capability of predominately FMCG-based grocery retailers and their selected supplier partners is now expanding into other channels and other retailers, and therefore out to their supplier base as well. The technologies, skills, processes and procedures that have been well proven over the years in grocery are all shifting outwards to a broader and willing multi- channel audience as the benefits to all participants are realised. Some of you may know David Haley from Haley Group, from previous roles he has successfully held in the local FMCG industry. Haley Group provides category and space management solutions for both retailers and suppliers and delivers results in major transformation projects, strategic category development, category reviews and planograms, implementing and training/development in supply chain platform Blue Yonder (formerly JDA). Who better to talk to about space than someone who has ‘been there and done that’ and currently ‘does that’? How did you make your start in the FMCG industry? I started my career in supermarkets, learning from the ground up and moving through to running a store. I was then truly fortunate to be offered a role with Cadbury Schweppes as a sales rep, which gave me the opportunity to advance my skills in sales, and in particular shelf layouts. I moved into a role as a category exec under the guidance of one of the greats of industry, building on my skills I learned at store level and applying them nationally to planograms. Throughout my career I broadened my skills through different sales and category management roles, I found that I enjoyed the category and space management discipline the most, and focused my career path on it. I was extremely fortunate to have great companies to work for, including Cadbury Schweppes, Twinings both here and in the UK, and with General Mills here in Australia. What led you to launch Haley Group? After spending most my career on the supplier side, I was looking for a new challenge and started my own agency focusing on category and space management in FMCG/CPG, both in Australia and overseas. Haley Group was born out of today’s rapidly changing dynamics in space management. Advancements in technology, changing ways of approaching planograms with shopper focused approaches and supply chain TO PAGE 58 CATEGORY MANAGEMENT MAR, 2021 RETAIL WORLD 57