Perfect Shelf Offers 3D Modeling For In-Store Merchandising

As more consumers use digital channels to research products and complete transactions, solutions such as 3D modeling and visualization tools are helping to make brick-and-mortar stores the star once again.

The Perfect Shelf offering from Dassault Systèmes was designed to give retailers and consumer packaged goods manufacturers access to 3D visualizations of retail aisles, including shelves, fixtures, products, lighting and promotional materials. Additionally, the solution incorporates and connects a variety of business scenarios in the areas of category management and space planning, such as new packaging introduction and category assessment. As a result, organizations can create new store designs and shopping experiences more quickly and cost efficiently.

Before a 3D model is developed, organizations utilize information-gathering methods available via Perfect Shelf — such as market research and social listening — to better understand consumers’ expectations of in-store shopping experiences. From there, companies can develop store models that deliver upon these wants and needs via category and shelf space strategies.

Virtual product representations then are built from 2D photos, creating “stocked” 3D digital shelves, helping brands and retailers to design shelf layouts more efficiently. Shelves can be augmented based on size and format to fit local store designs. This capability helps retailers and CPG companies make more informed decisions around category management and space planning.

Data on store shelf performance is collected in real time and compared to prior results, providing a first-hand perspective on model effectiveness. “To win on the shelf, companies need to realize their consumers’ perspective, understand their purchasing behavior inside a store,” said Rosemary Grabowski, Global Marketing Director, CPG-Retail, Dassault Systèmes, “and apply that real-time feedback to deliver better products and improved shopping experiences.”