The Web-based POS Data Analysis Service was launched in the fall of 2005 for retailers who participated in RDS (see section 6.2) and provided POS data. Users of this service can access information on local hot-selling products as well as comparison data to analyze their own sales data on the Internet. This service enables retailers to enhance their merchandising, for example, by reviewing their product lines with the knowledge of strong sellers in the local marketplace.
Since its launch in the fall of 2005, the Web-based POS Data Analysis Service has been used by an increasing number of local retailers. These retailers are requesting cooperative use of the Service with wholesalers, their business partners. They cite this need because local medium- and small-size retailers have limited management resources (e.g., labor, equipment) and can expect benefits from using the Service with wholesalers and vendors.
On the other hand, local medium- and small-size wholesalers and vendors can obtain market information easily and at low cost. They expect that the cooperative use of the Service will lead to better retail support activities and future expansion to category management.
At present, model procedures and methods are being developed and verified in pilots to enable smaller local retailers and their wholesale suppliers to cooperatively map out sales strategies and strengthen their product lines and planograms by using the Web-based POS Data Analysis Service.

Fig.5.1-1 Cooperative Use of Web-based POS Data Analysis Services