Marketing, Predictive Analytics, and Fast-Moving Consumer Goods
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): A Further Inquiry
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2025/09/06
Part 1 of 2
James McCarthy, Vice President of Marketing at RedCloud Technologies, discusses marketplace technology, AI-driven insights, and digital payments. In this 2-part interview, he highlights the need for specialized fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) marketplaces, emphasizing supply chain transparency and demand prediction. AI enhances efficiency by helping brands, distributors, and retailers optimize inventory and reduce waste. Digital payments streamline transactions, but challenges remain in integrating them fully. McCarthy also addresses the 18% inventory gap and the resilience of independent retail despite e-commerce growth. RedCloud Technologies aims to leverage AI and data-driven solutions to enhance market penetration and consumer engagement through bundling strategies and predictive analytics.
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Today, we’re here with James McCarthy. He was recently appointed—last fall- as Vice President of Marketing at RedCloud Technologies. He has extensive experience with major companies such as Microsoft and Vodafone. Thank you, Vodafone Ukraine. It is incredibly helpful for security and has the cheapest data I’ve ever had.
RedCloud Technologies announced his appointment on social media and expressed excitement about the news. Today, we’re discussing your role, focusing on the future of marketplace technology, AI-driven insights, retail distribution, the rise of digital payments, and unlocking global supply chains. So, how is marketplace technology evolving? What role does AI play in shaping that future?
James McCarthy: Before diving into AI, I’d like to address a few other key aspects regarding the future of marketplace technology in the future of marketplace technology. First, there is currently a lack of marketplaces tailored to fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), which include perishable and non-perishable products that people buy and consume daily.
Typically, B2B marketplaces are not designed for high-volume, fresh, and perishable goods. However, getting these products into the hands of retailers, who then make them available to consumers, is crucial. The first step in advancing marketplace technology is to create platforms that empower retailers, providing them with more choices to stock their shelves with the products their customers demand.
The key to the future of marketplace technology lies in building specialized marketplaces that serve the unique needs of specific groups around the world.
At RedCloud Technologies, we have identified a niche market in the independent retailer space for FMCG. Our platform enables retailers to access multiple supply options based on product, price, and sourcing flexibility. Some suppliers offer delivery with varying fees, while others provide better pricing. The goal is to give retailers the power to choose their suppliers more flexibly and efficiently.
AI’s role is closely tied to empowering brands, distributors, and retailers. AI helps independent retailers source the best products from the most suitable suppliers at the best prices, ensuring their shelves remain stocked and their customers are satisfied.
AI enables sellers to connect with new buyers, efficiently meet market demand, and optimize operations. Additionally, AI helps businesses collect and analyze trading data to anticipate market trends, reduce waste, and optimize pricing strategies by offering insights in real time.
Ultimately, AI enhances marketplace efficiency by making it easier for brands, distributors, and retailers to trade transparently and fairly. It ensures inventory arrives at the right time, place, and price so consumers can access the necessary products.
We envision this kind of marketplace, which is precisely what we’ve built for the FMCG sector.
Jacobsen: We are at the early stage of this. AI depends on big data, so the more purchases and transactions occur, the more precise the predictions will likely become. In a way, the amount of waste will be reduced—not exponentially, but significantly, at least in the early stages, over time.
McCarthy: Yes, if you look at the problem with waste, it traditionally occurs in the middle of the supply chain. The issue is often in distribution.
Brands can sometimes over-manufacture, but the distribution network often fails to understand regional demand accurately. As a result, the wrong quantities of products are shipped to the wrong locations. If the goods are durable—such as canned soup—this is less of an issue, as they can be redistributed.
However, for perishable products, which comprise a large portion of FMCG, getting the right products to the right place at the right time in the right quantities is essential to maintaining freshness. Logistically, this is difficult without precise demand forecasting from consumers and stores.
The primary driver on the issue of waste is the lack of communication within the supply chain. Companies struggle to anticipate and predict demand without proper connectivity, leading to poor decision-making.
Too many products are sent to one location while another experiences shortages, creating an inventory gap. We estimate that the global FMCG market is worth around $11 trillion, but approximately $2 trillion represents an inventory gap—where products fail to reach consumers because they are unavailable on store shelves when needed.
This is a massive problem. When supply chain inefficiencies occur, they not only lead to empty shelves but also result in products being stocked in places where they should not have been, causing waste and profitability issues.
Jacobsen: Brands are missing approximately 18% of additional potential profits because consumer demand exists, but supply chain inefficiencies prevent fulfillment.
McCarthy: Correct. It’s an estimate, of course—no one has mapped the full end-to-end process with complete accuracy—but it is likely a valid approximation.
This issue is particularly pronounced in emerging markets, where retailers tend to be smaller and more geographically dispersed. Unlike large-scale operations that manufacture and ship directly to major retailers like Walmart, these markets operate with a far more fragmented distribution network.
The inability to align supply with demand creates a significant challenge. In emerging markets, store shelves are often empty simply because deliveries do not arrive on time. Conversely, stores may stock products consumers do not want—simply because those are the only available products.
This presents a major challenge. Brands struggle to meet their full demand potential, retailers cannot access the products they need, and distributors—who operate on thin margins—must navigate complex logistical decisions while maintaining profitability.
Jacobsen: How do digital payments impact this sector?
McCarthy: Digital payments represent another friction point in the supply chain. It is crucial to create orders on a marketplace and ensure seamless payment for the right product at the right time. This enables buyers to access lending services, while distributors and brands benefit from payment guarantees and insurance. This ensures that when they deliver products, they receive payment, which has several implications.
From a retailer’s perspective, a key challenge is affordability. Many small retailers cannot purchase in large quantities to secure better pricing. Instead, they are forced to buy in small batches at higher prices. However, with digital payments and financial instruments, retailers can establish structured agreements with suppliers for a set number of weekly units. This creates more predictable commercial terms and guarantees payments for both parties.
For small independent stores, the challenge is even more fundamental. While some may accept digital payments through contactless terminals, their businesses are not necessarily digitally integrated. This creates difficulties in tracking revenue for each product sold, associating payments with supply agreements, and ultimately understanding business profitability. Managing the business efficiently becomes a significant challenge without a clear link between consumer sales and supplier costs.
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