Innovation in Supermarkets: How flipflow Transforms Competitor Monitoring at  Shop Level

The Current State of Large Retailers

The supermarket and large retail sector has experienced significant growth in recent years. In Spain, this market is dominated by companies such as Mercadona, Carrefour, Lidl, Grupo Eroski and DIA, which together account for over 51% of the national market share. 

In 2024, Mercadona consolidated its leadership achieving a market share of 26.6%, five tenths more than the previous year, and recorded turnover of €38.835 million euros, representing a 9% increase on 2023. This growth is not exclusive to Mercadona. Other chains, such as Lidl, are also expanding their presence in Spain. According to data from the consultancy Statista, the global supermarket market exceeded $12 trillion in 2023 and is expected to reach $15 trillion by 2027. This growth reflects the fundamental importance of this sector in the global economy. However, it also intensifies competition, as more and more players seek a share of this lucrative market.

Large supermarket chains face a series of complex challenges. They must optimize their prices to attract price-sensitive consumers, manage promotions to boost sales, control inventory to avoid stock problems and adapt to local consumer preferences in each of their stores. They also have to do this in a context where consumers are increasingly informed and demanding, and where new technologies are transforming the way we shop. Competitive intelligence, real-time data analysis and process automation have become indispensable tools for staying at the forefront.

Competitor Analysis in 2025

As mentioned in recent articles, in 2025 competitive analysis will be key for the retail sector. Good competitor analysis can make the difference between market leadership and being left behind. It will help us to:

• Understand the competitive environment.
• Identify differentiation opportunities.
• Understand consumer preferences. 
• Adapt to market changes.
• Maximise the impact of our strategies.
• Anticipate potential risks or threats. 

This type of analysis is the compass that guides large FMCG chains in an increasingly competitive landscape. It allows data to be transformed into strategic and tactical decisions that enhance adaptability and operational agility.

The Use of Competitive Intelligence

To effectively stand out from the competition without resorting to the tired tactic of price wars, it is fundamental to utilize competitive intelligence. This includes innovating in products, working on the customer experience and offering personalization options that provide added value. 

Simple price competition ceases to be a sustainable strategy when all brands can match discounts and offers. In this scenario, the difference emerges by deciphering competitors’ strategies, from their value narrative to their emotional connection with the public. The most competitive organisations build unique propositions combining operational excellence, anticipation of trends and memorable experiences to differentiate themselves.

How our Clients Use flipflow to Monitor Competitor Supermarkets at Store Level and in Real Time

Our platform offers advanced tools for monitoring your competitors’ prices and promotions accurately and in real time. Using flipflow’s technology, it’s possible to achieve detailed visibility at store level or by postcode without the need to travel. 

Leading retailers who already trust us, such as Covalco or Grupo Más, use flipflow to monitor their competitors and optimize their commercial strategy. Based on up-to-date data, they implement the following strategies: 

Monitoring Prices and Promotions at a Local Level

Leading market retailers have absolute control over their competitor chains thanks to flipflow’s real-time store-level data. With this solution, they can:

• Track the evolution of prices and promotions across all supermarkets and key chains for them, identifying trends and changes in competitor strategy quickly. 
• Filter information by specific stores and postcodes to focus their analyses on strategic locations and improve actions on pricing, promotions and assortments in each region.
• Detect assortment gaps vs. their competitors, and, using this data, boost new promotions or price changes per store.
• Receive personalized alerts on changes in prices and promotions, ensuring continuous and accurate monitoring without constant store checks.
• Discover the logic applied to formats in Cash & Carry: In this supermarket model, customers buy products in large volumes. With flipflow, retailers can compare prices between different Cash & Carry formats from their competitors, even in formats specifically created for each distribution chain.

Benchmark Analysis of Competitors

Understanding competitor strategy and evolution is essential for staying ahead of the game. Flipflow allows these large supermarket chains to obtain detailed and comparative information about the market in real time. For example, thanks to this information:

• They analyze new products launched by competitors in different categories and supermarkets; evaluate pricing and promotional strategies applied to own-brand products; and detect patterns in the introduction of new products to adjust their own offering or product innovation.
• They research competitors’ full assortments, comparing their breadth and depth in each location, which helps them optimize their offering accordingly and identify gaps to find differentiation opportunities.

Optimization of Time Spent on Store Checks and Cost Reduction

Manual data collection is no longer efficient for large retailers. With our tool, they access the information they need without having to make physical visits to their competitors’ stores, which represents an enormous saving in time and costs:

• End of unnecessary travel: Thanks to up-to-date real-time data, they avoid having to send their sales teams or POSMs to their competitors’ physical stores, allowing them to focus their resources on a more thorough analysis and improve strategic decision-making.
• Improved team productivity with centralized and actionable information in real time, eliminating repetitive manual tasks and increasing operational efficiency.
• Significant reduction in costs associated with monitoring prices and promotions, minimizing investment in field staff and optimizing resource allocation.

Real-Time Competitor Monitoring: The Ultimate Advantage for Retailers

Competition in the supermarket sector is fierce, and the ability to adapt quickly to competitors’ strategies has become a determining factor for success. In a constantly changing market, having accurate, real-time information is an essential competitive advantage.

Furthermore, tools such as flipflow allow retailers to access strategic data that facilitates informed decision-making. Real-time monitoring, benchmarking and cost reduction derived from process optimization allow businesses to adjust strategies with agility, ensuring that their value proposition remains relevant and attractive to consumers.

Automating data collection and analysis frees up valuable resources, allowing teams to focus on differentiation strategies, offer personalization and build customer loyalty. In conclusion, in an environment where innovation and responsiveness make all the difference, real-time competitive monitoring ceases to be an option and becomes a strategic necessity.

The future of retail is intelligent, digital and highly dynamic, and the ability to understand and anticipate competitor movements is a key component of this new paradigm. Retailers who adopt advanced technologies like flipflow will be better prepared to lead the market, optimize their profitability and offer a superior shopping experience.