OPTIMIZATION OF ASSORTMENT POLICY BASED ON A CATEGORY APPROACH: CURRENT CHALLENGES AND TOOLS

Abstract

The article examines the theoretical and practical aspects of optimizing enterprise assortment policy based on category management under conditions of modern economic transformation. It is substantiated that increasing competitive pressure, digitalization of business processes, changing consumer preferences, and the development of omnichannel trade formats necessitate the improvement of traditional approaches to assortment management. It has been determined that intuitive methods of product portfolio formation focused mainly on short-term financial indicators do not ensure sufficient flexibility and strategic consistency of managerial decisions.

It is proved that the category-based approach to assortment management allows a product category to be considered as an independent strategic business unit aimed at satisfying specific consumer needs and creating long-term customer value. The study establishes that optimization of assortment policy within the framework of category management requires achieving a balance between profitability, product turnover, assortment breadth, and the level of customer satisfaction. Particular attention is paid to the role of modern analytical tools in managerial decision-making. It is determined that the application of ABC and XYZ analysis, marginal profit assessment, demand forecasting, inventory turnover analysis, and integration of marketing, financial, and logistics data contributes to improving the efficiency of category management.

The research generalizes modern scientific approaches to assortment policy optimization and identifies the fragmentation of existing methodological solutions, which determines the need for the development of a comprehensive assortment management model. The necessity of aligning strategic goals of the enterprise with operational category management, as well as adapting category management to digital transformation and the use of big data technologies, is substantiated.

The study confirms that the implementation of the category-based approach contributes to reducing excess inventory, increasing the profitability of product categories, improving customer satisfaction, and strengthening the competitive position of enterprises. The practical value of the research lies in the development of recommendations for improving assortment policy through the integration of modern analytical instruments and strategic management approaches. Prospects for further research are associated with the development of adaptive category management models under conditions of business digitalization and the application of predictive analytics based on large datasets.