LOOK Analytics at a Leading Supermarket Chain: Optimizing Layouts to Lift Sales by 18%

A leading supermarket chain in Kenya struggled with data gaps in physical stores compared to online channels. Boldstreet's LOOK provided granular analytics to bridge this, enabling data-driven decisions that enhanced customer experiences and sales. This case study covers the retail challenges, LOOK's capabilities, deployment, results, and takeaways for African retailers. We elaborate on use cases such as layout optimization, staff reallocation, and marketing attribution to highlight the tool's impact.

Challenge

• Limited visibility into customer behaviors, leading to suboptimal layouts and merchandising.
• Difficulty attributing in-store traffic to marketing efforts like OOH ads.
• Inefficient staffing and inventory placement, impacting conversions.

Solution

• Heatmaps and gaze/dwell metrics identified hot/cold zones for layout optimization, such as repositioning high-margin items in high-traffic areas.
• POS integration tracked watch-to-conversion rates for merchandising effectiveness, revealing which displays drive purchases.
• A/B testing accelerated experiments on displays and signage, allowing quick iterations based on real-time data.

Implementation

• 1-week assessment and sensor install in 3 pilot stores.
• 3-month pilot gathering baseline data and testing changes.
• Rollout to 10 Nairobi branches with staff training.
• OOH integration for uplift measurement.

Results

• 18% sales lift from optimized layouts and promotions.
• 25% better staff allocation, reducing queues by 30%.
• Validated 15% footfall increase from linked OOH campaigns.

Key Learnings

• Real-time analytics turn physical retail into data-rich environments.
• Privacy features ensure compliance and customer trust.
• Cross-channel attribution justifies marketing budgets.