Manufacturers and retailers continually are searching for ways to optimize shopper satisfaction through category management. But while the overall idea remains the same, the ways manufacturers and retailers go about this process changes as trends evolve.

In business school, students learn that there are four stages of brand development within a brand lifecycle: Cash Cows, Dogs, Stars and Question Marks.

Although retailers have historically used the “multichannel” approach to reach consumers, the rapidly growing focus on the consumer and integrated, customer-focused technology has paved the way for a “total retail” experience, according to New York-based PwC’s report “Achieving Total Retail: Consumer Expectations Driving the Next Retail Business Model.” Based on a survey of more than 15,000 online shoppers globally, the study reveals eight consumer expectations that call upon retailers to create a total retail business model transformation.

Following steady performance in 2012, beer sales are proving to be a bright spot in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) market.