Avant la lettre: AMP analyzes and predicts newsdealers’ sales

To analyze in-store sales – a whopping two million every day – AMP has been working with SAP for decades. The collaboration makes it possible to reveal each store’s specific needs and forecast sales.

“Those insights allow us to customize each store’s specific offering,” says Tom Vermeirsch, Commercial Director at AMP. “If they’re close to a school, for example, we’ll advise the owner to stock up on calendars or phone chargers. Since we can distribute almost any product or service, many FMCG brands use AMP as an extra sales channel. Thanks to us, they can basically reach everyone, including people who are not online all day.”

Win-win

Additionally, AMP has developed Distriweb, a user-friendly B2B portal where newsdealers can place their orders for the following day. With smart cash registers, connected to a digital accounting system, all stakeholders learn more about what the market wants.

“Those sales figures are extremely valuable,” adds Tom. “Stores return their unsold magazines and newspapers, so we can use that information to predict future sales and reduce publishers’ printing costs. As a result, drivers carry around less cargo, while newsdealers only have to store what they need. It’s a win-win situation.”

The connection between the different stakeholders also allows for a panoramic overview of all activities, so errors can be corrected the moment they arise. “When a customer contacts AMP, the request is automatically registered in the system,” explains Bruno Demedts, Senior Consultant at delaware. “Everyone in the service center will be able to see it, even if the message arrived through another channel.”

Towards a better customer experience

Moreover, the data analyses could enable AMP to proactively determine supply shortages and inform newsdealers of a solution before delivery. Suffice it to say, data will keep playing a vital role in maintaining a great customer experience.

“Technology is a catalyst, yet in-house operational excellence is just as important,” says Bruno. “All data sources and customer contact points must be perfectly synchronized to guarantee that everyone receives the right information at the right time. Customer experience is the result of a company’s internal organization and solid customer knowledge.”

AMP organizes specific training sessions as well, which teach newsdealers how to further improve their customer experience. After all, traditional newsdealers – where you’ll only find newspapers, magazines, tobacco and lottery tickets – are an endangered species. “Their survival is in everyone’s interest,” concludes Tom. “Even with all the data in the world, there is only one person who truly knows the customer: the actual shopkeepers.”