Leveraging the Retail Front-End

For over 70 years DCI Marketing has been a leader in retail design and customer experience transformation.

In 2013 DCI merged with sister division Cannon Equipment – a leading manufacturer of front-end retail wire fixtures and merchandising systems.

Though the economics of domestic manufacturing of front-end fixtures was no longer appealing the organization wanted to continue to compete in the front-end retail business.

Ascension was engaged to evaluate the economics and competitive dynamics of the grocery retail front-end business. The results was an asset light go-to-market strategy that could position the company as a viable retail front-end provider without direct manufacturing capabilities.

Ascension designed and implemented custom shopper research as well as conducted one-on-one in-depth exploratory interviews with “C” level retail executives nationwide.

Ascension also provided comparative grocery margin data showing the attractive margins associated with front-end volume and its impact on average grocery retailer profits.

The client was provided with an innovative go-to-market new business model that could leverage existing internal capabilities combined with select external vendors to create a fully integrated front-end retail transformation company.

The project included the development of a prioritized list of retailers and suppliers deemed likely embrace a company with both strategic and executional retail front-end transformational capability.