Crush Product Line Reviews With Better Retail Data

Product line reviews have always been a pivotal moment in the CPG–retailer relationship.

At their core, line reviews are an opportunity for consumer packaged goods companies (CPG) to showcase in-depth product insights, validate product performance, and make a compelling case for how their brands contribute to category growth—both now and in the future.

For retailers, line reviews are equally critical. They need to understand market trends, consumer demand, and competitive dynamics to make smart decisions about product assortment that align with ever-changing shopper preferences.

What transforms a good line review into a great one? Accurate, timely retail data. Thanks to advanced analytics and integrated data platforms like our VELOCITY^® solution, line reviews have evolved from subjective discussions into evidence-based strategic conversations.

Here's how high-quality retailer data, especially point-of-sale (POS) and inventory data, makes all the difference.

1. Performance Benchmarking: Separating Leaders from Laggards

Daily POS data at the SKU-store level, combined with syndicated data, reveals exactly how each item performs relative to the category. Metrics like sales velocity, unit turns, share of shelf, and margin contribution show which products are pulling their weight—and which aren't. With these daily insights, CPGs can walk into line reviews with a fact-based story about why their products deserve continued or expanded distribution.

2. Understanding Consumer Demand and Shopper Behavior

Topline sales only tell part of the story. Loyalty card and basket data reveal who's buying, how often, and what else ends up in their cart alongside your brand. These shopper-level insights help CPGs prove that their products attract incremental shoppers rather than cannibalizing existing sales. For retailers, this clarifies whether a brand is truly expanding the category or just reshuffling market share.

3. Optimizing Product Assortment for Growth

Retailers need data to evaluate every SKU's performance and value. Metrics like gross margin return on inventory investment (GMROII), space productivity, and incrementality guide decisions about which items should stay, go, or get more prominent placement. CPGs that bring data-driven assortment recommendations to the table position themselves as true category partners, not just suppliers.

4. Proving the Value of Trade Promotions

Trade promotions are often a major discussion point in line reviews—but without granular store-level POS data, it's hard to prove whether past promotions actually drove incremental sales or simply shifted purchases forward in time. Retailer promotional lift data brings clarity, helping CPGs demonstrate which tactics genuinely grow the category and justify future trade investments more effectively.

5. Setting the Right Price

Timely SKU-level retailer data provides visibility into price elasticity. By understanding how shoppers respond to price changes, CPGs can recommend pricing strategies that balance retailer margin with shopper value perception, which is especially important in today's price-conscious environment.

6. Making the Case for Innovation

Line reviews often hinge on innovation, but new products face a steep challenge: earning space on already-crowded shelves. Accurate retailer data helps make that case by highlighting unmet needs, white space opportunities, and emerging shopper demand trends. With the right data, CPGs can show that innovation isn't just new—it's necessary for driving category growth.

7. Building Stronger Retail Partnerships

Line reviews aren't just about SKU rationalization—they're about alignment. When CPGs use daily POS and inventory data to deliver actionable insights and recommendations, they evolve from vendor to strategic partner. The conversation shifts from "here's what we want" to "here's how we grow the category together."

The Bottom Line

Daily retailer data isn't optional anymore—it's the foundation of effective line reviews. CPGs that arrive with fact-based insights supported by item- and store-level data don't just protect their shelf space; they strengthen their role as trusted advisors in category management and growth.

At Retail Velocity, we help CPGs harness retailer data at scale, harmonize it across channels and retailers, and turn it into actionable insights for critical moments like line reviews. Because when decisions are grounded in reliable data, everyone wins: the retailer, the manufacturer, and most importantly—the shopper.

Ready to Transform Your Next Line Review?

Don't walk into your next line review with incomplete data and gut feelings. Retail Velocity gives you the daily, SKU-store-level data, and insights you need to protect your shelf space, justify your innovations, and position your brand as an indispensable category partner.

Contact us today to see how leading CPGs are using our VELOCITY^® retail data platform to turn retailer data into their most powerful competitive advantage.