The ROI of Image Recognition in CPG Field Execution

When you’re leading a field sales organization, every pound, dollar or euro you invest must justify itself, especially when budgets are tight and expectations high. So, when the conversation turns to Image Recognition (IR), one of the first questions that comes up is: What’s the ROI?

Let’s get to the point, IR isn’t just another tech layer. It’s a multiplier for your team’s effectiveness in-store and the returns can be significant, not just in hard cost savings, but in sales uplift, execution speed, and rep efficiency. We’ve even de-bunked those thoughts you might be having about the cost of IR, the effectiveness and the reality of the technology.

Where the Value Shows Up

Here’s where we see the biggest ROI drivers when IR is rolled out properly:

• On-Shelf Availability (OSA)
  Out-of-stocks are a silent killer for revenue, globally, CPGs deal with nearly 10% of product being consistently OOS.  With IR, reps can quickly identify and resolve OSA issues, often before they become visible to customers. That alone can lead to measurable sales uplifts of over 6% in high-volume categories.
• Planogram Compliance at Scale
  Instead of relying on manual checks and subjective audits, IR gives you objective, photo-verified compliance data. That means less guesswork, faster resolution, and better collaboration between CPGs and retail partners.
• Time Saved, Smarter Tasks
  Sales reps waste a lot of time on lower-impact tasks or manual data entry. IR automates data capture, which not only saves time but also allows for task prioritization, so your team focuses on what actually moves the needle cutting in-store audit time by 60%.
• Performance-Based Incentives That Actually Work
  Many brands use IR data to drive targeted rep incentives, rewarding execution that leads to share gains, better shelf presence, or stronger promotion performance. It’s a much more reliable system than self-reported data.

But What About the Cost?

Yes, IR has a cost, like any smart technology. But when you compare it to what’s currently being spent on manual audits, poor visibility, or inconsistent execution, it pays for itself within months. Especially when you factor in the improved decision-making that comes from having cleaner, faster, store-level data.

The Real ROI is in the Rollout

We’ve seen the best results when customers start with a clear vision of what they want to achieve and a measurable set of target areas to focus in on. This can often be delivered via a tightly scoped to a few key categories, retailers or regions. When done right, these pilots often convert quickly into phased rollouts, with performance gains that scale across national markets. Look out for our future blog post covering the topic of scaling from pilot to rollout. Other CPGs maybe already have everything figured out in terms of what they want to achieve and are ready to jump right in.  This is where working with a vendor that has the right experience and skill set is truly critical.  Trax has vast experience of delivering pilots, single market roll-outs and mass market global programs.  Trax receives and process more store visits and images than any other IR vendor,

Curious how IR could drive ROI in your organisation? Let’s talk. Whether you want to pilot something new or, to improve an existing programme, I’d be happy to share ideas and examples. Drop me a message or connect via Get in touch – Trax Retail.

tag de-bunking blog here