With hundreds of products and thousands of promotional activities each year, in-store execution remains an ongoing challenge for Nestlé Belgilux. Since 2024, the group has partnered with Shelf Service to strengthen its in-store presence at Carrefour and Delhaize. A look back at a collaboration that highlights the added value of outsourced merchandising for a major FMCG brand.
A partnership born ou of an internal reorganisation
For Nestlé Belgilux, working with a merchandising agency is nothing new. However, in 2018, the company reorganised its sales teams with the aim of creating a single structure covering all Nestlé categories across Belgian retail. This involved a portfolio of 700 to 800 SKUs, ranging from coffee and chocolate to mineral water, pet food and culinary products, all requiring an intensive and perfectly coordinated in-store presence.
The objective was clear: to enable sales advisors to focus on negotiations, product launches and promotional sales, rather than on the physical set-up of displays and promotional materials at the point of sale. “What we expect from our sales representatives is commercial value,” explains Vincent Tasiaux, Field Operation Planner NROC at Nestlé Belgilux. In 2024, following a tender process, Nestlé selected Shelf Service as its field merchandising partner.
Collboration as a key competitive advantage
Why choose Shelf Service over a competitor? Above all, because of its established field presence: Shelf Service visits around 2,500 points of sale across Belgium every week. Since merchandisers are already in stores carrying out other assignments, they can incorporate Nestlé’s requests into their existing routes. “When a merchandiser already visits a hypermarket twice a week for other activities, adding a Nestlé assignment does not require any additional travel,” explains Kathy De Maesschalck, Project Managers Coordinator at Shelf Service. “This creates immediate operational efficiencies that translate into added value for the client.”
This regular presence also fosters a better understanding of each point of sale. Shelf Service ensures that the same merchandisers are assigned to the same stores. As a result, they know the department managers, internal procedures and specific characteristics of each location. “This trust is built over time. If you send someone different on every visit, you lose that advantage. A merchandiser who knows the store can respond more quickly and deliver better results,” the team explains.c
“At first glance, these may seem like simple tasks, but they have a significant impact, both visually and in terms of consistency across the entire retail network,” emphasises Vincent Tasiaux. The impact on execution volumes is measurable. “A few years ago, we set up around 200 displays for a Perrier activation linked to Roland-Garros. Today, we reach 300 to 350 installations, thanks to improvements in efficiency and execution quality,” says Vincent Tasiaux.
Digital integration that accelerates in-store execution
Another key pillar of the partnership is the integration between the two companies’ systems. Requests from sales advisors are entered directly into Nestlé’s CRM and then automatically transferred to Shelf Service’s system. Once an assignment has been completed, the data, photos and results are automatically sent back to Nestlé’s CRM. “In the past, sales representatives would fill in an Excel file and send it to their manager, who would then forward it to the agency,” recalls Vincent Tasiaux. “Today, a request can be created in just a few minutes. We save around two hours per week per sales representative.” Thanks to integrated dashboards, Nestlé teams can then track completed activities, budgets spent and displays installed in near real time.
The partnership has since been extended for several more years. At a time when in-store activations are increasing and commercial resources remain under pressure, this collaboration highlights the value of a partner capable of delivering fast, standardised and large-scale execution while maintaining consistently high standards.
