Field Data as a Driver of Commercial Performance – The Example of Mars
In today’s retail environment, field data has become one of the most decisive levers for commercial performance. Brands that outperform are those capable of capturing reality in real time, transforming it into reliable KPIs, and activating it seamlessly between field teams and headquarters. This is the foundation of the collaboration between Mars Petcare & Food and EasyPicky.
The article is structured around three pillars, combining EasyPicky’s retail intelligence approach with Mars’ concrete operational results. It also features the perspective of Simon Jeangrand (National Sales Director, Mars) and highlights emerging opportunities for FMCG players.
Collecting Field Data & Turning It Into Actionable KPIs
EasyPicky: Real-Time Field Capture, Reliable KPIs
The first pillar of performance is the ability to capture shelf reality instantly and convert it into actionable KPIs.
With EasyApp, a simple video of the shelf is enough to collect every product, facing, POS material, and price, even offline. The app’s computer vision, trained specifically for retail, recognizes items with 99% accuracy and automatically generates KPIs such as:
- Numeric distribution
- Out‑of‑stocks
- Share of shelf
- Missing products & lost sales
- Promotional compliance
KPIs appear directly in-store, along with gaps, alerts, and recommended next actions. Once the visit is complete, data synchronizes instantly with headquarters, ensuring that decisions are based on fresh, reliable, and comparable insights.
Mars: From Manual Inputs to Instant Insights
For Mars, this shift has been transformative. Before EasyPicky, field teams spent a significant amount of time on manual data entry, a low‑value task that slowed down visits and created inconsistencies.
With EasyApp, audits became three times faster, and teams now save around 20 minutes per store visit, allowing them to focus on customer relationships, shelf analysis, and assortment optimization.
Mars now follows more than 200 SKUs in real time, and over 4000 stores per year, with an average of 3,8 visits per day per user, giving teams a far more granular view of shelf execution.
This precision is what enabled Mars to accelerate decision‑making and strengthen its commercial execution.
“The biggest benefit is the significant time saving, and we finally have the reliability we needed.”
Corentin Marchalot
Sales Operations Manager, MarsTo illustrate this shift even further, retail expert Olivier Dauvers recently visited a store alongside a Mars sales representative to test EasyPicky directly on the shelf. The field demonstration confirmed how quickly EasyApp captures reality and turns it into reliable KPIs.
Infinite Data Sources for Total Market Coverage
EasyPicky: Multi-Source Data, Zero Blind Spots
The second pillar is coverage. Even the most efficient sales force cannot be everywhere at once, yet commercial performance depends on understanding what happens across the entire market.
EasyPicky consolidates multiple complementary data sources into a single platform.
On one side field insights from:
- Internal sales teams
- Outsourced forces
- Crowdsourcing contributors
On the other side, internal or industry data from:
- Retailer panels & sell‑out data
- ERP, CRM, and e‑commerce sources
All these streams converge into EasyPlatform, creating a unified, real‑time view of the market with no blind spots.
This multi‑source approach allows brands to monitor innovations from day one, track competitor activity continuously, and maintain visibility across all store formats, even those not visited by the sales force.
Mars: From Blind Spots to Full Market Visibility
“It finally solves three needs we couldn’t cover before: real‑time product tracking, monitoring non‑visited stores, and tracking innovations from day one.”
Simon Jeangrand
National Sales Director, MarsFor Mars, this capability solved several long‑standing challenges. The Proxi network, for instance, was historically difficult to monitor due to limited field coverage. Tracking new products and innovations also suffered delays, and competitor visibility was partial.
By combining alternative data sources on top of their sales force, Mars now benefits from continuous, permanent coverage. They can follow 100% of their products and the competition’s products as well. This 360° visibility enables the brand to reinforce its category captaincy role and maintain a competitive edge across all retail formats.
Aligned Activation Between HQ & Field Teams
EasyPicky: From Raw Data to Strategic Decisions
The third pillar is activation, the ability to turn field data into strategic decisions at headquarters and to ensure perfect alignment between what the field sees and what the business needs.
EasyPlatform consolidates all field data in real time, offering decision‑makers a clear, granular, and actionable view of market performance, with:
- Customizable dashboards
- Automated reporting
- Smart visualizations
- Alerts & recommendations
- Natural‑language queries via EasyAgent
This alignment between field and HQ is what transforms data into a true performance engine.
Mars: From Data to Growth
For Mars, the impact has been immediate and measurable. With reliable, instant insights flowing from the field to headquarters, the brand has strengthened its commercial execution across the board.
- Out‑of‑stocks have been reduced by up to 20%
- Field visits have grown by 15%
- DV and DN have been notably boosted
- There is 10x more accessible and actionable data
- Additional growth has been generated through better activation of opportunities
“EasyPicky helped us reach a category captain role, gain productivity, understand the field better, and generate additional growth.”
Simon Jeangrand
National Sales Director, MarsInside Perspective from the National Sales Director
Beyond the KPIs, this collaboration is also a story of people. Simon Jeangrand’s perspective brings the human and strategic dimensions to the forefront.
He describes a sales force that has regained time, clarity, and confidence:
“20 minutes saved per audit, reliable and instant data, and a clear boost in DV and DN. The tool gives us a level of visibility we didn’t have before.”
He also highlights how EasyPicky reshaped the relationship between field teams and headquarters. Data is no longer fragmented or delayed; it is consolidated, comparable, and available instantly.
This allows Mars to:
- Track innovations from day one
- Monitor competitors continuously
- Understand the field with unprecedented precision
- Make faster, more confident decisions
But Simon’s most striking insight is about growth:
“Mastering data is the real growth driver today. It’s what allows us to move from observation to action, and from action to performance.”
For him, EasyPicky is not just a tool, it is a lever that enables Mars to operate faster, smarter, and more strategically.
What’s Next: Opportunities for Mars and the Retail Industry
The collaboration between Mars and EasyPicky is only the beginning. With thousands of videos collected and algorithms improving continuously, new opportunities are emerging:
- More predictive insights
- Deeper competitive intelligence
- Automated planogram compliance
- Personalized recommendations for every store
- Even more granular KPIs
These advancements don’t just open new doors for Mars, they signal a broader shift for the entire FMCG industry. As competition intensifies and execution gaps become more visible, leaders who invest in real‑time field data will be the ones who outperform, innovate faster, and secure long‑term growth.
In a market where every shelf matters, data mastery becomes a strategic differentiator.
A Model for Data-Driven Retail Excellence
The collaboration between Mars and EasyPicky demonstrates how field data, when collected, combined, and activated effectively, becomes a powerful driver of commercial performance. Through productivity gains, broader coverage, and strategic alignment, Mars has built a modern, data‑driven retail engine, one that sets a new standard for the industry.
If you want to explore how EasyPicky can support your team, you can request a product demo or get in touch with our team for a direct conversation.