Sales territory planning: An essential task for any company

DISTRICT 10: Optimal support for logistics planning

GfK Roper Consumer Styles: Your target groups at a glance

Consultancy: Investment strategies for investors and banks

Download: Germany's top 10 retail locations

 DISTRICT 10: Optimal support for logistics planning

DISTRICT has long been an indispensible planning tool for the logistics industry. Applications range from illustrating customer locations to analyzing workflow and planning transport routes. Learn more about how DISTRICT provides optimal support for the logistics branch in this edition of e-News and/or live at the POST-EXPO 2008 in London.

Analyze your workflow on insight-generating maps

Geomarketing has revolutionized the process of extracting insights from placed-based data by allowing companies to easily analyze and visualize this information on digital maps.

The principle behind geomarketing software applications such as DISTRICT 10 is straightforward: Company data is associated with digital maps using a shared geographic point of reference, such as postcodes. This process – known as “geocoding” – also entails the association of company data on sales or turnover with market data such as purchasing power figures. This information is then displayed on digital maps, allowing companies to spot trends and developments that would otherwise go unnoticed. The digital medium makes it easy to update information or produce insight-generating reports and analyses, improving transparency and enhancing customer relations.

GfK GeoMarketing’s geomarketing software solution DISTRICT 10 allows companies to quickly and efficiently visualize, plan and optimize their logistics operations. DISTRICT 10 is the product of more than 15 years of experience and the latest technology, offering users exceptional performance, compatibility and user-friendliness.

Case study: Reusable plastic container provider relies on DISTRICT to manage distribution network

DISTRICT enjoys widespread use in the transportation and logistics sectors. Key areas of application include the analysis and optimization of catchment areas based on depot and customer locations as well as the visualization of product flows.

One such DISTRICT user is an international logistics service provider with hundreds of branches throughout Europe and North America. The company has a vast collection of 65 million reusable plastic containers that are utilized by leading food retailers to ship fresh produce to supermarkets. In the US, the company also manages the use and recycling of 45 million wooden pallets, one of largest providers in the industry.  

The company relies on DISTRICT both to visualize the container collection and delivery points and to plan their import and export. DISTRICT has also proven indispensable with regard to optimizing the sterilization of these containers. Among other things, the geomarketing software allows the company to adjust the size of each catchment area according to the number of containers with which the cleaning facilities in that area can cope. DISTRICT is also employed in customer relationship management to visualize and optimize sales territories and sales representative activities.

“We also utilize DISTRICT’s territory planning tools for creating alternative scenarios,” says the company’s logistics manager, describing yet another use of this versatile geomarketing solution. “This quickly helps us find locations where our efforts are most likely to yield fruit. Even in a meeting, new ideas can be put to the test with DISTRICT, with immediately visible results. This capacity for displaying complex information and huge amounts of data in a compact and understandable format – that is, via a map analysis – is extremely helpful when it comes to producing persuasive reports and presentations.”

“DISTRICT is a very important component in the development, visualization and evaluation of our logistics concepts,” concluded the company in its user report that appeared in GfK GeoMarketing’s customer magazine. 

A three-pronged geomarketing approach consisting of a powerful geomarketing software application (e.g., DISTRICT), high-quality digital maps and up-to-date market data (all of which are available from GfK GeoMarketing) is an extremely effective way to achieve greater efficiency and productivity.

GfK GeoMarketing will be presenting its geomarketing solutions for the logistics sector at this year's POST-EXPO trade fair in London from September 30 - October 2, 2008 at stand 1240. Go ahead and book your appointment here.

Contact: Sonja Scharf, Tel. +49 (0)7251 9295110

 GfK Roper Consumer Styles: Your target groups at a glance 

The GfK Roper Consumer Styles 2008 dataset allows you to segment your target groups into eight classifications based on their values and consumer behaviors. In collaboration with GfK Lifestyle Research, we're making this data available beginning in October, with Germany-wide coverage of all municipalities, postcodes and more than 2.5 million street segments.

The GfK Roper Consumer Styles dataset is a profiling tool that allows you to gain insight into the mindset, motivation and values of your target groups.  With this information, you can more effectively predict consumer behavior and position your products and/or services accordingly. Applications are numerous, including better target group selection, regional market potential analysis and target-group tailored direct marketing optimization. 

The GfK Roper Consumer Styles dataset includes the following consumer profiles:

• Dreamers - Motivated to achieve happiness
• Adventurers - Driven by passion
• Open-minded - Seek a balance between self-actualization, social responsibility and pleasure
• Homebodies - Desire material security and status
• Rational-realists - Value hard work and responsibility
• Organics - Search for sustainability and self-actualization
• Settled - Long for peace and harmony
• Demanding - Seek a balance between responsibility, duty and pleasure

The GfK Roper Consumer Styles dataset gives you valuable information on the mindset and behavior patterns of your target groups, allowing you to tailor your marketing and sales activities accordingly. Along with other relevant GfK datasets, GfK Roper Consumer Styles forms a solid foundation for location planning and assessment as well as advertising and direct marketing campaigns.

The GfK Roper Consumer Styles dataset is based on findings of the GfK Lifestyle Research Division and offers Germany-wide coverage of all municipalities, postcodes and more than 2.5 million street segments. The dataset will be available beginning in October 2008. 

Contact: Doris Steffen, Tel. +49 (0)7251 9295180  

 Consultancy: Investment strategies for investors and banks

GfK GeoMarketing supports investors and banks in their Europe-wide investment decisions regarding the purchasing and financing of commercial real estate, with particular expertise in the area of retail trade. We serve as completely neutral and independent partners in investment decisions involving any aspect of the real estate market.

Our comprehensive consultancy services range from due diligence appraisals to specific questions regarding, among others, catchment areas, turnover, turnover-to-rent ratios, purchasing price factors and utilization concepts.

We provide market value assessments in association with our tried-and-true partners of many years. Whether carrying out these assessments in the German or European market, we place especial emphasis on the sustainability of the retail locations/real estate properties in question as well as the associated rent levels.

You can find out more about our range of services here:

• Support in carrying out due diligence for real estate
• Market value appraisals and real estate scoring

Would you like our advice on or expert assessment of your specific real estate projects? We'd be happy to personally introduce you to our wide range of services in this area at the upcoming EXPO-REAL trade fair in Munich from October 6-8. If interested, go ahead and book an appointment.

Contact: Manuel Jahn, Tel. +49 (0)40 22711230

 Download: Germany's top 10 retail locations

Where are Germany's top retail locations? This month's exclusive download is an overview map that shows Germany's top 10 retail locations. Produced with RegioGraph 10, this visually compelling map allows you to draw some valuable conclusions regarding Germany's prime retail locations.

Download map (approx. 300 KB)

The pie charts depicted on the map show the sales area (in m²) of each featured city, subdivided according to inner-city and outlying areas. The leader of the pack is Berlin. Data on inhabitants, households and retail-relevant purchasing power are provided for each city. This information encompasses the inner cities as well as all outlying areas that can be reached in 30 minutes or less by car.

The map is color-coded to reveal the retail purchasing power level for each municipality. The darker shading near and around the top 10 retail locations thus indicates that retail purchasing power levels here lie above the national average.

Contact: Alexandra Deutsch, Tel. +49 (0)7251 9295170