The Best Retail Execution Software for Consumer Goods Companies

The Best Retail Execution Software for Consumer Goods Companies

Consumer goods companies spend billions every year trying to win at the shelf, planning promotions, coordinating field teams and protecting share in every store, bar and outlet. Yet for many, the promise of retail excellence remains out of reach.

Sales representatives still toggle between clunky apps and disconnected spreadsheets while head office teams struggle to see what is really happening in the field. In an environment defined by tight margins and fierce competition, execution speed and data accuracy can be the difference between growth and decline.

Market Outlook

According to Apps Run the World, the Consumer Packaged Goods Applications Market is forecast to reach $33.5 billion by 2029, growing at a 6.3% compound annual rate. Within that, CRM solutions represent roughly 30% of total spend ($10.1 billion) and Retail Execution accounts for around 60% of that total, translating to a $6 billion market opportunity by 2029.

This segment continues to expand as manufacturers digitise their frontlines and invest in data-driven store execution. However, a large share of today’s spend still flows toward legacy systems that grew through acquisition or on-premise upgrades, leaving field teams constrained by slow performance, limited automation and fragmented insights.

When Legacy Systems Hold Teams Back

Despite decades of investment, the CPG industry remains underserved. Many Retail Execution tools were designed to track performance, not improve it. Plans are still built offline with limited store context, visits are burdened by manual data entry and insights appear days after the visit, long after the opportunity to act has passed.

For field teams, this translates to wasted time, inconsistent data and missed opportunities. For leaders, it means strategic blind spots, disconnected analytics, delayed ROI measurement and a heavy administrative load that limits focus on growth.

Legacy architectures and incremental upgrades have left companies with siloed apps that are slow to evolve, expensive to maintain and ill-suited for today’s fast-moving retail landscape.

What’s Needed To Win

The new era of retail execution requires more than digitising field forms. It demands connected, intelligent and AI-first mobile platforms built for the realities of the Consumer Goods industry. The best solutions share three defining characteristics:

The Best Retail Execution Software for Consumer Goods

The following comparison highlights the leading Retail Execution solutions helping Consumer Goods companies achieve these outcomes in 2025.

Each vendor plays a distinct role in enabling execution excellence, from legacy providers modernising through acquisitions to new cloud-native platforms built to connect, automate and act.

1. Aforza – Connected, Vertical AI-powered Retail Execution built for Consumer Goods

Aforza delivers a unified platform purpose-built for the Consumer Goods industry. Its mobile solution guides every store visit offline or online with precision, giving field teams structured tasks, intelligent prompts and instant photo automation that replaces manual audits. By capturing shelf conditions and pricing data automatically,

Aforza turns every image into a verified insight, freeing representatives to focus on selling rather than reporting.
Beyond field execution, Aforza connects every commercial process end to end. The same cloud-native platform links retail execution to trade promotion management, distributor management and key account workflows, ensuring that insights captured in store flow directly into planning, pricing and replenishment cycles. This connected approach eliminates silos, accelerates decision-making and gives headquarters real-time visibility into what is happening across every market and channel.

At the heart of Aforza is Ava, its Vertical AI built specifically for Consumer Goods. Ava moves beyond suggestions to take action, interpreting store conditions, predicting opportunities and triggering next best actions automatically. Whether that means creating an order, scheduling a follow-up or highlighting a pricing inconsistency, Ava turns intelligence into measurable impact. Together, these capabilities make Aforza the only cloud-native platform that unites guided execution, connected planning and AI-powered action: helping global brands act faster, execute smarter and grow stronger at the shelf.

2. Asseco Platform – Sales & Retail Execution

Asseco Platformis part of the Asseco Group, one of Eastern Europe’s largest technology firms, providing enterprise systems that span ERP, sales, logistics and retail execution. The company’s modular platform allows organisations to manage finance, production, warehouse operations and field sales within a unified ecosystem that integrates directly with back-office systems.

For fast-moving consumer goods and retail organisations, Asseco offers mobile retail execution tools that extend ERP data into the field. These solutions enable teams to manage orders, merchandising and route planning while maintaining live connectivity with warehouse and finance functions.

Beyond retail execution, Asseco’s strength lies in its full enterprise scope. Its Finance and Accounting, BI Analysis and HR modules provide complete operational control for diverse industries including manufacturing, construction and wholesale distribution. This broad capability positions Asseco as a versatile choice for businesses seeking integrated management rather than isolated sales solutions.

3. Customertimes – Consulting-led Implementations & Industry Frameworks

CustomerTimes provides consulting-led Salesforce implementations and industry frameworks that can be tailored to specific business needs. However, they are primarily a services organisation rather than a product company, meaning their accelerators function as starting points rather than fully productised solutions. This model can suit companies seeking a high degree of customisation but may require greater service investment and longer timelines compared to preconfigured, SaaS-based products designed for rapid deployment.

While CustomerTimes works with several industries, including Life Sciences, Healthcare, Manufacturing, and Financial Services, their CPG offering forms part of a broader multi-industry portfolio. As a result, their approach may provide flexibility but not the depth of a solution purpose-built for Consumer Goods. For organisations seeking standardised retail execution, trade promotion, or route-to-market processes, additional configuration effort may be required to achieve the same level of vertical alignment as a dedicated CPG platform.

CustomerTimes also operates in a multi-platform environment, partnering with Salesforce, Microsoft, SAP, and AWS. This provides customers with cross-platform expertise but means their solutions are not exclusively Salesforce-native. Companies prioritising end-to-end alignment with Salesforce metadata, updates, and security controls should ensure that their chosen deployment model maintains this consistency. In summary, CustomerTimes brings strong consulting experience and platform versatility, though its approach differs from providers offering ready-to-run, Salesforce-native solutions purpose-built for CPG.

4. GoSpotCheck (by FORM) – Retail Task Automation & Reporting

GoSpotCheck, part of FORM, provides a cloud platform focused on store task automation and photo-based activity tracking. It enables field teams to complete checklists, capture in-store photos and verify task completion in real time, helping organisations monitor compliance and brand standards across locations.

The platform is widely adopted by retailers, quick-service restaurants and service providers that require consistent store-level visibility. While GoSpotCheck can support basic retail execution use cases for manufacturers, its primary strength lies in store operations, workforce coordination and real-time photo documentation rather than full commercial execution management.

5. MC1 – Mobile Retail Execution focused on Latin America

MC1 provides a retail execution platform used across Latin America by leading consumer goods manufacturers. Its solution is designed to digitise field operations, streamline visit execution and improve in-store visibility through structured workflows and photo recognition capabilities.

The company focuses exclusively on retail execution, enabling teams to manage in-store activities, capture market data and ensure merchandising compliance across diverse markets. This specialisation has helped MC1 build a strong foothold in the region, supported by its experience in adapting to local distribution models and offline working conditions common in emerging markets.

6. Movista – Task & Workforce Management for Retail

Movista provides a cloud-native platform primarily focused on task and workforce management for retailers and retail service providers. The solution enables central teams to assign, track and validate in-store activities such as merchandising, display setup and promotional execution.

While Movista supports some retail execution workflows, its core strength lies in coordinating store-level teams and third-party labour rather than managing manufacturer-led field sales processes. The platform is widely used in retail environments that prioritise store compliance, collaboration and labour efficiency over broader trade or commercial planning functions.

7. Pepperi – B2B Commerce & Retail Execution

Pepperi provides a proprietary cloud-based platform designed primarily for B2B commerce and order management. It enables brands and distributors to manage customer orders, product catalogues and pricing through web and mobile applications.

The solution includes basic retail execution capabilities such as visit tracking and merchandising but remains centred on facilitating wholesale and distributor transactions. Its proprietary architecture supports flexible configuration for commerce workflows but limits integration depth compared with open, cloud-native ecosystems. Pepperi is best suited for organisations seeking a combined sales ordering and commerce platform rather than a dedicated commercial execution suite.

8. Repsly – Retail Execution & Field Management for SMB

Repsly provides a cloud-based retail execution platform aimed primarily at small and mid-sized consumer goods companies seeking to digitise field operations. The solution simplifies visit scheduling, data capture and merchandising workflows through an intuitive mobile interface that can be deployed quickly without complex configuration.

Its reporting and analytics capabilities, powered by Repsly Insights, allow managers to monitor performance trends and improve field coverage. While it is not positioned for the scale or integration depth required by large enterprises, Repsly has become a popular choice for small, growing brands that prioritise affordability and speed of deployment.

9. Salesforce Consumer Goods Cloud – Enterprise CRM & Field Execution

Salesforce Consumer Goods Cloud extends the Salesforce ecosystem into the Consumer Goods sector through multiple managed packages covering retail execution, trade promotion management and key account management. These components operate on separate data models, providing flexibility but often requiring additional configuration and integration to achieve full alignment.

The solution enables field teams to manage store visits, promotions and product visibility while connecting to Salesforce’s broader CRM, analytics and service capabilities. Originating from the acquisition of Accenture CAS, it has evolved to support modern cloud architecture while retaining elements of its legacy data design. This gives enterprises a familiar foundation for scaling global deployments with strong governance and security.

For organisations with an established Salesforce platform strategy, Consumer Goods Cloud offers a logical extension of their ecosystem, supported by a large partner network and continuous product investment. However, compared with newer cloud-native and AI-driven solutions purpose-built for CPG, it is generally less nimble and slower to adapt to emerging use cases focused on automation and industry-specific intelligence.

10. SAP – ERP-Centric Trade and Commercial Management for Global CPG

SAP remains one of the most established ERP vendors in the Consumer Goods technology landscape, offering a portfolio that spans trade promotion, retail execution and financial management as part of its wider suite. Its solutions have evolved over decades and continue to underpin many large-scale CPG operations, often forming the backbone of enterprise resource planning and financial control.

The platform’s heritage lies in on-premise deployment, and while newer modules and integrations with SAP HANA and Microsoft Azure have introduced hybrid options, many implementations still operate within legacy environments. Retail execution and trade promotion processes are typically delivered through separate components that require extensive configuration and partner support to integrate effectively with the core ERP system.

SAP’s software remains a dependable choice for large enterprises seeking process stability and financial governance, but it is not cloud-native or AI-first by design. Its evolution towards modern architecture has been gradual, and the overall user experience and agility lag behind newer, purpose-built solutions designed specifically for the Consumer Goods sector.

11. Stayinfront – Pure-Play Retail Execution Platform for Consumer Goods

Stayinfront is a pure-play retail execution provider focused on helping field teams manage in-store visits, capture data and monitor performance across global markets. Its proprietary technology stack supports standard field sales processes such as route management, activity tracking and compliance reporting.

The platform operates independently of broader trade or account management functions and does not incorporate AI or automation capabilities. Stayinfront continues to serve established consumer goods and pharmaceutical companies with a traditional approach to field execution built on its own software foundation.

12. TELUS Consumer Goods – Retail Execution & Workforce Mobility

TELUS Consumer Goods has assembled its portfolio through a series of acquisitions, bringing together solutions from Blacksmith Applications, Exceedra and AFS Technologies. Each addition has expanded functional coverage across trade promotion, retail execution and analytics, resulting in a broad but complex application landscape.

The company’s approach combines these acquired platforms under the TELUS Consumer Goods brand, offering customers access to a wide set of capabilities spanning field execution, promotion planning, retail insights and workforce management. However, many of the applications retain their original architectures and data models, leading to varying levels of integration and user experience across modules.

TELUS continues to invest in consolidating and modernising its technology base, introducing cloud delivery options and an AI development roadmap. While its scale and portfolio depth appeal to large organisations, the suite reflects its acquisition-led growth, resulting in a diverse collection of systems rather than a single, unified platform.

13. XTEL – Trade Promotion and Revenue Growth Management for CPG

XTEL provides trade promotion and revenue growth management solutions designed to support the commercial operations of consumer goods manufacturers. The company expanded its offering through the acquisition of StepUp, an RGM specialist, adding pricing and optimisation capabilities to its established trade and execution portfolio.

XTEL’s Revenue Growth Management, Trade Promotion Management and Retail Execution products operate as distinct modules, each built to address a specific area of commercial planning and performance. These applications can be deployed individually or integrated to create broader process coverage across planning, execution and optimisation.

With a long-standing presence in the European market, XTEL combines commercial depth with ongoing investment in modernising its technology stack. The company continues to evolve its solutions to meet the needs of large manufacturers seeking flexibility across trade, pricing and field execution functions.

Conclusion: The Future of Retail Execution

The retail execution software landscape is undergoing a major transformation. What began as a category focused on digitising field visits and tracking compliance has evolved into a critical enabler of commercial performance for consumer goods companies. As market pressures increase and in-store competition intensifies, execution is no longer just about visibility: it is about action.

The current generation of vendors reflects two distinct paths. Established providers with legacy architectures continue to serve large enterprises that prioritise process control, stability and integration with long-standing ERP systems. Meanwhile, a newer wave of cloud-native platforms has emerged, designed specifically for agility, automation and faster time to value. These systems connect execution directly to trade, distributor and customer workflows, giving organisations the ability to respond in real time rather than report after the fact.

The next frontier is being defined by Vertical AI, where domain-specific intelligence can interpret photos, plans and data to take automated actions across the commercial ecosystem. The move from insight to execution, from seeing what happened to deciding what happens next, is reshaping how field teams, key account managers and trade planners work together. In this new landscape, the winners will be those who combine guided execution, connected platforms and AI-powered action to close the loop between planning and performance.