Even the most well-funded and insight-driven product launches can hit a wall when shoppers reach the shelves. This is not a ball that CPG can drop.
In fact, according to P2PI research, 85% of shoppers say shelf placement is an important or very important factor influencing their in-store experience, indicating that point-of-sale execution can determine whether an item sells out or stalls before the first reorder.
A closer look at why launches stall reveals some pitfalls that can be avoided. The good news: By enhancing measurement, visibility, and collaboration, CPGs can create feedback loops between data, automation, and teams, turning your launch from a one-time event into a repeatable growth engine.
1. Ignore real-time shelf visibility
Many brands still rely on outdated audited and self-reported field data to plan in-store product rollouts, creating blind spots. When a new SKU is missing due to a shipment, reset, or local merchandising decision, that SKU never makes it to the shelves and can go unnoticed by many retailers for weeks.
A modern shelf intelligence platform can use real-time imagery from your stores to identify out-of-stocks, competitor compromises, and compliance gaps, and turn these insights into live KPIs.
For example, we partnered with beauty company Eos (Evolution of Smooth). Store site Monitor shelf status across retailers in real time and gain visibility into new categories. This allowed Eos to resolve display issues, confirm distribution, and maintain presence during the growth period.
