Data-driven retail monitoring combines actionable insights with a nationwide field team to help CPG brands identify and resolve costly shelf-level issues.

RICHMOND, Va., Sept. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — RDSolutions today announced the launch of ShelfGain, a data-driven merchandising platform that identifies store-level availability and execution issues, prioritizes them according to potential revenue impact and deploys RDSolutions’ nationwide field team to resolve them.

CPG brands invest heavily in securing retail distribution, but products are not always available on the shelf when shoppers are ready to buy. While brands have access to more retail data than ever, converting that information into targeted physical action remains a persistent challenge.

ShelfGain connects ongoing retail monitoring directly to in-store execution. Rather than relying solely on predetermined visit schedules, the platform identifies where a specific sales risk exists and triggers a targeted store visit for intervention, in near real-time.

This allows brands to direct resources toward stores where action is needed most, rather than sending teams to high-performing locations simply because they are next on a schedule.

ShelfGain uses 1st and 3rd party data signals to find the stores where you may have sales risks. Underperforming stores and/or OSA issues are the most common points to monitor. Before-and-after photographs are captured during every visit, giving brands clear evidence of what was found, what action was taken and what changed as a result.

One of the most common issues identified is inventory that has reached the store but remains in the back room rather than on the shelf. The product has already been manufactured, distributed and paid for, but is unavailable at the point of purchase. Coresight Research estimates that in-store inefficiencies account for lost sales equivalent to 5.5% of gross sales.

“Insight without resolution is anxiety,” said Jacob Blondin, CEO of RDSolutions. “Knowing a shelf is empty does not recover a sale. ShelfGain turns that insight into action where it matters: at the shelf.”

“Brands do not have a shortage of retail data. They have a shortage of clear answers and the ability to quickly resolve,” said Lee Kallman, Chief Commercial Officer at RDSolutions. “ShelfGain helps brands focus their field investment on the stores where intervention can make the greatest commercial difference.”

From Signal to Resolution

Through ShelfGain, RDSolutions’ nationwide field organization, all employees of the company, can support a range of in-store requirements, including:

Inventory and on-shelf availability: Identifying and resolving availability issues, including stock held in the back room.

Promotional execution: Building displays and verifying that promotions have been implemented correctly.

Product launches and resets: Supporting new product introductions, seasonal resets and wider merchandising changes.

Operational accuracy: Correcting planogram and pricing issues while gathering relevant competitive intelligence.

Proof of execution: Providing photographic evidence and documented outcomes from every visit.

By connecting store-level data directly to an execution network, ShelfGain enables brands to respond to issues faster, improve visibility across their retail estate and reduce the cost of unnecessary field visits.

For more information, visit https://rdsolutions.io/.

About RDSolutions

RDSolutions is an all-in-one partner for retail intelligence and execution, helping brands and retailers win across every channel. With nearly 40 years of retail experience and a nationwide team of full-time field experts, RDSolutions combines large-scale data sourcing, real-time analytics and rapid in-store execution to close gaps and drive measurable results.

Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, RDSolutions is a wholly owned subsidiary of Markel Group, a Fortune 500 company.

Media Contact:
Alexander Kidd
Marketing Coordinator
RDSolutions
alex.kidd@rdsolutions.io
https://rdsolutions.io/

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SOURCE RDSolutions

Research from the RPOA Strategic Foresight Committee finds AI adoption is accelerating faster than the industry’s ability to measure its value, adapt commercial models, and establish common governance practices

MIDLOTHIAN, Va., Sept. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — The Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association (RPOA) today announced the release of 2026 AI and the Future of Recruitment Process Outsourcing: Business Models, Value, and Pricing in Transition, a new executive white paper examining how artificial intelligence is changing the economics and strategic value of recruitment process outsourcing.

Developed by the RPOA Strategic Foresight Committee, the paper finds that AI has moved beyond experimentation to become a baseline expectation in RPO delivery, with applications now embedded across sourcing, screening, scheduling and candidate engagement. Yet the industry has not fully resolved how to measure the value AI creates, who captures that value, or how AI should influence the commercial terms of RPO partnerships.

“AI is no longer simply a technology conversation for the RPO industry,” said Lamees Abourahma, CEO of the Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association. “It is changing how providers deliver value, what buyers expect from their partners, and how both sides need to think about the economics of the relationship. Our goal with this research is to give the industry a grounded view of what is actually changing and where the important questions remain unresolved.”

The white paper identifies five findings defining the current state of AI and RPO:

AI adoption has outpaced value capture. AI-generated efficiencies are not consistently reaching provider margins or buyer pricing, with technology and data integration remaining a significant barrier.Confidence in AI returns depends on who is asked. While 67% of buyers say they can clearly articulate the return on their AI investments, RPO providers report continued difficulty quantifying how much AI reduces recruiter effort.RPO value is migrating from activity to outcomes. As AI absorbs more transactional work, value is increasingly concentrating in advisory capability, workforce intelligence and human judgment.Pricing is under pressure but has not fundamentally changed. Buyers expect AI-driven efficiency to be reflected in commercial terms, while providers face competitive pressure and rising technology costs.AI governance is becoming a differentiator but has not yet emerged as a distinct service line. Buyers increasingly expect providers to demonstrate responsible governance, while common practices and commercial models remain unsettled.

The findings draw on qualitative and quantitative research, including the work of 13 RPOA Strategic Foresight Committee members representing RPO providers, talent acquisition consultants, human capital analysts and recruitment technology providers. The research also incorporates the 2026 RPO Buyer Trends Study with data from 998 employers, including 454 active RPO users.

“The market is moving quickly, but access to AI itself is no longer the differentiator,” said Kim Davis, Chair of the RPOA Strategic Foresight Committee. “The real differentiator is the discipline to integrate AI into delivery, govern it responsibly and demonstrate measurable value. That is where we believe RPO leaders need to focus next.”

The paper concludes that providers capable of integrating AI into client data environments, governing its use credibly and demonstrating measurable outcomes will be better positioned to build the transformational relationships buyers increasingly expect. Conversely, technology capability alone is becoming less of a competitive differentiator and more of a requirement for maintaining client relationships.

The RPOA Strategic Foresight Committee will present and discuss the findings at the 2026 RPOA Annual Conference, taking place October 18–20 in Chicago, as part of the association’s ongoing work examining the signals shaping the future of recruitment process outsourcing.

The white paper is available through the RPOA website:

2026 AI and the Future of Recruitment Process Outsourcing: Business Models, Value, and Pricing in Transition

About the Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association

The Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association (RPOA) is a member-driven organization dedicated to advancing, elevating and promoting recruitment process outsourcing as a strategic talent solution. RPOA brings together RPO providers, technology and business partners, talent acquisition leaders and industry experts to create and curate thought leadership, foster collaboration, and advance understanding of RPO and its role in the future of talent acquisition.

Media Contact

Lamees Abourahma, Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association (RPOA), 1 804-638-4448, info@rpoassociation.org, https://www.rpoassociation.org/

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SOURCE Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association (RPOA)

BOSTON, Sept. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Republicans have long targeted ActBlue for one reason: they want to undermine the grassroots infrastructure that fuels the Democratic Party’s campaigns and mission-aligned causes. President Trump and his allies have gone to unprecedented lengths to target ActBlue and other organizations they believe threaten their agenda.

As part of these investigations, ActBlue described to Congress how it protected the donation process — including special steps for American citizens living abroad, like military service members, students studying overseas, diplomats, and others. ActBlue explained in a 2023 letter that under our policies at the time:

Donors who entered a foreign address could not submit a contribution form without providing a U.S. passport number; andActBlue’s compliance team actively checked for people who entered a foreign address but erroneously selected “United States,” then followed up to obtain a passport number.

In April, relying on flawed media reporting, Congressional Republicans falsely alleged that ActBlue hadn’t taken these steps, leading to an onslaught of unfounded attacks.

Over the past several months, ActBlue’s team worked with a respected third party to conduct the first forensic review of ActBlue’s contribution data and compliance records to assess the Republicans’ accusations that they were somehow misled. The results completely debunk the claims made against us.

Read the full letter to Congress and report here

Here are the Facts, Backed by Data

Nearly every dollar donated in 2023 came from an American. Out of almost $990 million in political contributions, 99.99% came from donors who provided ActBlue a U.S. address or a passport number. That means the system built to protect the integrity of your donations is doing its job. Of the remaining 0.01%, the vast majority was given by donors who provided either a passport number or a domestic address with another contribution. The system worked–ActBlue’s fundraising platform protected the integrity of the U.S. election system.Donations from abroad are incredibly rare to begin with. Only 0.13% of all 2023 political contribution dollars came from Americans living abroad. The overwhelming majority, 99.87%, came from donors with a domestic address.When something looked off, ActBlue followed up. ActBlue’s compliance team regularly analyzed reports to find the rare contributions where a donor had selected “United States” but entered what looked like a foreign address. In the fourth quarter of 2023, out of 1.9 million unique addresses, the forensic review identified only 36 donors who made such a contribution, and they gave just $3,136. Records confirm that when ActBlue’s compliance team found such a donor, its policy was to reach out to get a passport number.Donations were processed through a system that works. Donors who provided a foreign address on a contribution form were required to provide a U.S. passport number, regardless of how they paid. Contrary to the Republicans’ false accusations, donors living abroad who contributed using Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal were required to provide passport numbers. In fact, passport number collection rates were higher for contributions made using those payment methods than with credit cards–and the exceptions were incredibly rare.

Last week, ActBlue representatives briefed congressional staffers and shared a formal letter and white paper with the House Judiciary, Oversight, and Administration Committees detailing these findings.

Why This Matters
This isn’t a minor technical dispute. Our donors give to candidates and causes through ActBlue because they trust their money will arrive safely. They want to know whether the platform they rely on is honest about how it operates.

The answer is unequivocally, and unapologetically yes.

The data confirmed what we’ve said all along: No other platform does more to protect the integrity of small-dollar democracy — regardless of party. Grassroots donors are the backbone of ActBlue’s mission to make political giving accessible to everyone, not just wealthy donors and PACs. When ActBlue’s integrity is challenged based on flawed reporting, it is incumbent on us to correct the record and provide the truth.

The system that tens of millions of Americans have supported for more than 22 years has been tested, and it holds up.

Read the full text of ActBlue’s letter and white paper to the House Committees.

“For years, President Trump and his allies have gone to unprecedented lengths to target ActBlue and other organizations they believe threaten their agenda. House Republicans have falsely claimed that ActBlue misled them and facilitated illegal foreign donations being raised on our platform. Republicans based these accusations on a flawed media report without doing a credible investigation into the underlying facts. We conducted a third party forensic analysis to put these unfounded accusations to rest once and for all.

“Now, as the first ballots are going out the door for the mid-term elections, we must continue to stand against all efforts to undermine the grassroots infrastructure that powers the Democratic Party.” 

— Attributable to Regina Wallace-Jones, Chief Executive Officer of ActBlue

“A comprehensive forensic review of ActBlue’s 2023 contribution data proves that our statements to Congress were accurate and truthful. ActBlue screened donors who provided addresses outside the United States, and the forensic review affirms this reality. 

In the disproportionately small number of instances when ActBlue found a donor who had selected ‘United States’ but provided a foreign address, ActBlue had a policy to contact donors to request passport information.”

— Attributable to Lawrence Oliver, Chief Legal Officer of ActBlue

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SOURCE ActBlue, LLC