GUIDE-PATHS™ emerge on The Route to Shopper® for Unlocking Hidden Profit Potential in Retail

Are you confident your commercial teams are generating the maximum possible value through shoppers? Can your brand and retail strategies prove they’re aligned to capture most revenue opportunities at the point of purchase?

In today’s hyper-competitive retail environment, most organizations can’t answer these questions with certainty. The gap between brand strategies and retail execution has never been more challenging to bridge, with brand teams and retail operations often working from completely different playbooks. While countless methodologies address isolated aspects of the commercial ecosystem, there’s been a conspicuous absence of a truly integrated approach—until now.

The Route to Shopper® (RTS®) Framework from Commercial Excellence Academy by Asbiverse Group represents a refreshing approach that unites brand owner and retailer perspectives into a cohesive strategy for driving sustainable growth and profitability through a shared understanding of shopper behaviour.

Breaking Down Silos with Dual Strategic Engines

What makes the RTS® Framework revolutionary is its integrated perspective through two complementary strategic engines that align both sides of the commercial equation:

GUIDE System (Brand Owner Perspective)

• G: Grow the Shopper Base – From universe mapping to structured selling methodologies
• U: Unlock Bigger Baskets – Leveraging category management to key account strategies
• I: Increase Purchase Cycles – Driving frequency through basket analysis and trade promotion excellence
• D: Drive Sustainable Profits – Optimizing revenue growth and value chain opportunities
• E: Enable Cross-Functional Excellence – Integrating finance, marketing, supply chain, and AI

PATHS Model (Retailer Perspective)

• P: Presentation Excellence – Creating the ideal shopping environment
• A: Assortment Optimization – Curating the perfect product mix
• T: Team Engagement – Developing front-line excellence
• H: Holistic Supplier Integration – Building strategic vendor partnerships
• S: Shopper Insight Application – Making data-driven decisions

“What sets the RTS® Framework apart is not just its comprehensive nature, but the explicit connections drawn between brand and retailer capabilities—creating a shared understanding that drives mutual value creation.”

This integrated perspective ensures both sides are working toward the same shopper-based outcomes rather than pursuing disconnected objectives that often create friction and value leakage.

Proven Success Through 15+ Years of Implementation

For over 15 years, the Commercial Excellence Academy by Asbiverse Group has delivered commercial capability development for Consumer Goods and retail organizations in almost 100 countries. Their pioneering work with the GUIDE-PATHS™ methodology within the Route to Shopper® Framework is designed to support companies worldwide transform how brand and retail teams collaborate to create shopper value.

Rapid Value Realization

The integrated perspective of the RTS® Framework delivers exceptional speed-to-value, allowing organizations to:

1. Identify Revenue Leaks Immediately – Pinpoint exactly where shopper value is being lost between brand strategy and retail execution within weeks, not months
2. Implement Quick-Win Solutions – Apply targeted interventions that deliver measurable ROI within a single quarter
3. Prioritize High-Impact Capabilities – Focus development efforts on the 20% of capabilities that deliver 80% of commercial results
4. Eliminate Wasteful Activities – Quickly identify and discontinue low-value commercial activities that consume resources without driving results
5. Accelerate Decision-Making – Cut through complexity with a clear model that connects actions to outcomes

Shopper-Centric by Design

At its core, the RTS® Framework places the shopper at the centre of all strategic decisions. By understanding how shoppers navigate their purchase journey—from awareness through to repeat purchase—the framework creates a common language that unites traditionally siloed functions across both brand and retail organizations.

This shared shopper perspective is the essential bridge between brand strategies and retail execution that has been missing from traditional commercial approaches.

Bringing Structure to Complexity

The beauty of the GUIDE-PATHS™ methodology within the RTS® Framework lies in its structured yet flexible nature. Each pillar builds logically upon foundational capabilities while creating horizontal connections that reflect real-world interdependencies.

For example, shopper insights developed in the “G” pillar of GUIDE directly inform category management strategies in the “U” pillar, which shape trade promotion approaches in the “I” pillar. Meanwhile, these strategies are enabled by the retail execution excellence in the “P” pillar of PATHS and the assortment optimization in the “A” pillar.

These explicit connections ensure brand and retail teams are working in harmony rather than at cross-purposes, creating a multiplier effect on commercial performance.

Practical Application for Immediate Impact

What commercial leaders appreciate most about the RTS® Framework is its immediate practicality. Rather than abstract theory, each component includes:

• Clear capability definitions for both brand and retail teams
• Specific examples of how integrated approaches create mutual value
• Explicit connection points between GUIDE and PATHS elements
• Progression pathways from foundational to advanced capabilities
• Measurable outcomes tied to business results for both sides

This practical orientation means teams can begin implementing high-value elements immediately while building toward a more comprehensive capability system over time.

Is Your Organization Ready for Integrated Excellence?

The most successful consumer goods companies and retailers are already moving beyond traditional category management and key account approaches toward this more integrated ecosystem view.

As market competition intensifies and shopper expectations continue to rise, organizations that can align their commercial strategies around a shared understanding of shopper value creation will consistently outperform their peers.

The Route to Shopper® Framework provides exactly this alignment—connecting disparate commercial activities into a coherent system that delivers superior results for both brand owners and retailers.

Take the Next Step

If you’re looking to transform your commercial capabilities from a collection of disconnected activities into a strategic advantage, it’s time to explore how the integrated GUIDE-PATHS™ methodology within the Route to Shopper® Framework can drive sustainable growth for your organization.

The Commercial Excellence Academy by Asbiverse Group offers customized capability development programs based on this pioneering framework. With their 15+ years of experience in commercial capability development across almost 100 countries, they bring unparalleled expertise to help your organization unlock its full commercial potential.

Whether you’re a brand manufacturer seeking to enhance your commercial impact or a retailer looking to build distinctive capabilities, the Route to Shopper® Framework provides the integrated approach needed in today’s complex marketplace.

Connect with the Commercial Excellence Academy today to discuss how the RTS® Framework can unlock new growth opportunities for your organization.

Ready to transform your commercial strategy? Visit www.commercialexcellence.academy or contact info@commercialexcellence.academy to schedule a consultation with our experts.