Aimia’s analytics tool Self Serve, launched with Sainsbury’s in 2008, processed its one millionth job this week.

Self Serve, which generates insights from Sainsbury’s sales and Nectar card data, had helped Sainsbury’s with listings decisions and promotional strategies, said Aimia.

For example, it had helped establish that cereal brand Grape nuts was worth keeping on shelf - despite relatively weak sales - because it revealed that shoppers who bought Grape Nuts were fiercely loyal to the brand and often big spenders.

“There are some products that are not big sellers, but still have a great value to a retailer,” said Aimia’s delivery director David Hamilton. “Self Serve has helped take the risk out of delisting decisions.”

Self Serve had also enabled Sainsbury’s and its suppliers to implement more effective promotional strategies, he added. “It has helped steer Sainsbury’s to reduce promotions where they were not effective. In some specialist categories, a 20% discount produced no sales uplift whatsoever,” said Hamilton, identifying olive oil and some cheeses as examples.

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