How AI Shelf Recognition Helps Distributors Boost Sales
In today’s competitive retail environment, winning on the shelf isn’t just about pricing — it’s about visibility, placement, and consistency. If your product isn’t properly displayed, or worse, not on the shelf at all, you’re losing money.
Until recently, the only way to check this was to send supervisors or rely on photos from sales reps. Now there’s a better solution:
AI Shelf Recognition from Smartup — fast, accurate, and scalable.
What is AI Shelf Recognition?
AI Shelf Recognition is a tool powered by computer vision. It analyzes photos taken in retail stores and identifies:
- Whether your product is on the shelf
- If it's positioned according to planograms
- The number of facings and SKUs
- Shelf share versus competitors
And it works in real time, from a regular smartphone. A rep takes a photo, and within seconds, the system delivers the results.
What problems does it solve?
1. No more manual photo reviews
You don’t need to zoom into dozens of pictures — the system does the recognition and analysis for you.
2. Protection against fraud and shortcuts
AI detects only live, location-tagged images. No more reused photos or fake visits.
3. Analytics by store, region, or rep
Spot weak areas in shelf execution and compare performance across territories.
4. Data to support negotiations with retailers
Accurate shelf share data helps you secure better visibility, more facings, and promotional placement.
Why does it matter for distributors?
If you’re in FMCG, pharma, auto parts, or construction — shelf presence equals revenue.
And lack of control leads to:
- Lost sales opportunities
- Inconsistent brand representation
- Weakened promotional impact
With AI Shelf Recognition, you can:
- Ensure product availability and compliance in every store
- Motivate sales reps based on real execution
- Gain visual proof for brand teams and manufacturers
How it works with Smartup
- A rep takes a shelf photo through the Smartup app
- AI automatically identifies brands, SKUs, and shelf share
- The visit only completes once the shelf analysis is done
- Managers get visual reports with breakdowns by product, location, and time
It takes under a minute — and gives you full visibility and trust in the data.
Final Thoughts
AI Shelf Recognition isn’t just a tech feature — it’s a strategic tool for growth.
With it, distributors gain real-time control over how their brands appear in stores, reduce lost revenue, and build stronger relationships with partners and retailers.
Want to see how it works in practice?
Request a Smartup demo — and discover how AI can transform your shelf control.
