Without access tothe sophisticated technological tools and dedicated data teams that the retailgiants prosper from, are the mid-market retailers permanently disadvantaged inthe fight for market share? Not if tapestry has anything to do with it.
For decades,mid-market retailers have struggled to keep pace with larger competitors whenit comes to technology adoption. Historically, access to cutting- edgeinnovation was out of reach due to high costs, the need for specialised talent,and the sheer reality of juggling day-to-day operational challenges. But in aworld where competition is increasingly driven by efficiencies gained fromtechnology, those left behind risk losing more than just market share. Theyrisk their very survival.
“We see thistechnology as a significant step forward for independent retailers,” saysMichael Reddrop, tapestry user and CEO of the Reddrop Group, an operator ofmany FoodWorks and IGA supermarkets throughout Victoria and Southern NSW.“Retailers needto continue to embrace technology or risk being left behind. Thechains are investing in AI and other technology like I have never seen. Aslabour costs soar and engagement and productivity plummets, the only way tostay relevant is through our ability to harness and optimise the data withinour reach”.
A growing divide
In Australia, largeretail giants such as Woolworths have long leveraged technology to dominate thegrocery, liquor, and petrol and convenience sectors. Their ability to harnessdata, optimise inventory, and personalise customer experiences has cementedtheir position at the top. Meanwhile, mid-market retailers – those who form thebackbone of local economies – have struggled to compete without access to thesesophisticated tools. Is it too late for mid-market retailers? Are theypermanently disadvantaged in the fight for market share? Not if tapestry hasanything to do with it.
Levelling theplaying field
tapestry, anAustralian-owned and operated company, is changing the game. By bringingreal-time intelligence to both retailers and suppliers, it’s turning technologyfrom a barrier into a competitive advantage. The company’s mission is clear: toempower mid-market retailers with the same if not better technologicalfirepower that their larger competitors have enjoyed for years.
“We’re levelling theplaying field when it comes to technology,” says tapestry founder ChristopherBartlett. “For too long, mid-market retailers have been at a disadvantage,unable to compete with larger players that have dedicated data teams. We’rehere to change that.”
Mr Bartlett, a machinelearning expert with more than 15 years of experience leading innovation atUber, Hoyts, and Kmart, recognised a major gap in the market. Mid-marketretailers lacked the tools to leverage their own data, putting them at acompetitive disadvantage.
In 2020, he foundedtapestry with the goal of building a data infrastructure that would enableretailers and suppliers to collaborate in real time – reshaping the retailindustry in the process.
The power ofreal-time data
Why does real-timedata matter? Imagine a supermarket selling a range of bread products each day.Traditionally, suppliers would receive end of day sales data after the fact,limiting their ability to optimise future allocations. The mix of product salesin the category is skewed by the number of substitutes available. It leaves thecategory, especially promotions and favoured SKUs, depleted or empty early inthe day. This obviously diminishes customer satisfaction.
However, withreal-time intelligence, suppliers can gain insights into the order of saleacross their product range over time. This allows bread companies to refinetheir replenishment strategies, ensuring better allocation and distribution inthe future. Rather than just responding to stockouts, they can proactivelyadjust supply based on demand patterns – improving availability and reducingwaste.
Introducing Retail+and Supply+
tapestry has developedtwo flagship products that leverage real-time data to drive betterdecision-making across the retail supply chain.
Retail+ for retailers
Enabled by a retailer’spoint-of- sale provider, Retail+ delivers real-time intelligence across stores,clusters, or groups. This allows retailers to:
• Optimise inventorylevels to reduce waste and stockouts.
• Improve salesforecasting based on live transactional data.
• Operationalise databy seamlessly communicating tasks from head office to the shop floor.
“The technology isnext level,” said Adrian Corcoris, Group Buying Manager at Reddrop Group. “Itgives me a huge advantage when working across a store or group, allowing us tomake better, faster decisions in optimising our inventory.”
One of the many waysretailers are using Retail+ is to seamlessly de-list SKUs across a store groupor cluster or identify out-of-stock top- selling items in real time as soon asthey occur. Additionally, the ability to create a new income stream throughdata monetisation has a significant impact on how businesses drive margin.
Supply+ for suppliers
Supply+ grants
suppliers access toreal-time insights from their retail partners, enablingthem to:
• Understand their products’ performance in relation to category trends.
• Optimise their offerings based on live retail data.
• Strengthen relationships with retailers through better collaboration.
At a recent conferencein Sydney, Bradley Cooper, GM of Commercial Insights at Coca-Cola EuroPacificPartners, stated: ‘The most precious assets retailers have is their data, theirphysical space, and their relationship with their customers.
“The ability to accessreal-time shelf- level intelligence is a step-change in how suppliers andretailers can work together to better serve the customer, which in- turn drivesgrowth for all involved.”
Suppliers are usingthe technology to actively respond to market changes within their respectivecategories, gaining a better understanding of pricing, the effectiveness oftheir promotions, product placement, competitor performance, and whether theirretail partners are compliant with their trading terms.
For direct suppliers,tapestry’s products make accessing data insights not only affordable and viablebut also easily attainable. Previously, obtaining reports from lagging dataaggregators was both costly and slow. tapestry provides a strong advantage todirect suppliers while also creating a significant new revenue stream forretailers by enabling them to monetise their data directly and allowingsuppliers to gain real-time intelligence from their retail partners.
Seamlessintegration with POS providers
One of tapestry’s keyadvantages is its ability to integrate seamlessly with any POS system,eliminating the friction traditionally associated with adopting new technology.Several POS providers already support tapestry, with more integrations rollingout in the coming months.
“To deliverbest-in-class software solutions, we partner with leading technologyproviders,” says Emily Adams, General Manager at Surefire Systems and atapestry partner. “tapestry empowers retailers with valuable data insights,enabling smarter decisions and driving business growth. As an early enabler ofthis solution, we’re proud to give our customers a competitive marketadvantage.”
The rise of datacollectives
Beyond individual retailersand suppliers, tapestry has also introduced a Collectives feature, allowinggroups, co-ops, and wholesalers to share data in real time, enabling:
• Better group buying power based on shared insights.
• More effective category management across independent networks.
• A unified approach to data trading and revenue generation.
“Access to real-time,store-level data is providing us with unparalleled insight into winning marketshare for retailers and better serving our customers every day,” said SilvestroMorabito, FMCG industry veteran. “tapestry gives independent retailers theability to level the playing field with the major chains in terms of dataanalytics and supplier engagement through taking full control of their own data.The end result is an improved customer offering in store which results inmarket share gains.”
Retailers own theirdata
At the core oftapestry’s success is its approach to data ownership and monetisation.
“We’re a datainfrastructure and analytics company,” Mr Bartlett said. “You own your data.Think of us as the pipes through which information flows. This transparencyensures that retailers remain in full control of their insights while alsobenefiting from new revenue streams.”
One of tapestry’s mostinnovative features is its ability to help retailers monetise their data. Byselling real-time shelf-level insights to suppliers, retailers can unlock anadditional revenue stream while simultaneously strengthening supplierrelationships.
“Let me make thisclear,” Mr. Bartlett said. “This is not about data. It’s about a closer workingrelationship between brands and retailers so they can better serve the shopper.You’re in complete control of your information. We’ve designed it that way –both technically and legally.”
The future ofmid-market retail
tapestry’s emergencesignals a pivotal moment for mid-market retailers. No longer do they have to beat a disadvantage when competing against larger players. With real-time data,enhanced supplier collaboration, and new revenue opportunities, they’re notjust catching up. They’re gaining an unfair advantage.
The message is clear:the retail game has changed, and mid-market retailers finally have the tools toplay to win.
tapestry is availablenow through leading POS providers. Retailers interested in leveraging thisrevolutionary technology can reach out to their POS provider or connectdirectly with the tapestry team at tapestry.ai.
