INSIGHTS

Assortment optimization that goes beyond traditional TURF

Traditional TURF analysis maximizes reach. But reach is not the same as volume, and greedy algorithms get stuck in early choices. Reflect has developed hybrid optimization that goes beyond standard methods.

What is TURF analysis?

TURF (Total Unduplicated Reach and Frequency) is a method for selecting the combination of products or variants that reaches the most unique consumers. It answers the question: which X products should we carry to maximize the share of potential buyers?

Limits of traditional TURF

Traditional TURF has three fundamental limitations: it maximizes reach instead of volume, the greedy algorithm can miss better combinations, and it ignores cannibalization between products.

From reach to volume

Reach tells you how many you reach. Volume tells you how much you sell. Assortment optimization should aim for volume, and that requires factoring in purchase frequency, conversion and cannibalization.

Advanced TURF: hybrid optimization

Advanced TURF combines exhaustive search, swap optimization and reverse pruning to find better solutions than the greedy algorithm. It is computationally intensive but delivers provably better assortments.

Volume-based TURF

Volume-based TURF weights not just who is reached but how much each person is expected to buy. It gives assortment recommendations that maximize actual sales instead of number of consumers reached.

Competitive landscape and assortment optimization

Assortments do not exist in a vacuum. Competitors' assortments determine where the opportunities are. Optimal assortment optimization factors in what competitors offer and where unoccupied positions exist.

How simulation improves assortment decisions

Simulation lets you test assortment changes before implementing them. By modeling how consumers redistribute their choices when changes occur, you can predict the effect of adding, removing or replacing products.