Low volume does not automatically mean low value. The questions to ask before retaining, repositioning or removing a product.

A useful brief helps salespeople spot an opportunity and start a conversation. The essentials for turning a product presentation into action.

Growth that looks healthy can depend on only a few drivers. Distinguish sales share, contribution to growth and commercial exposure.

The product range review is approaching. The items are listed by volume, the bestsellers stand out, and several products appear at the bottom of the table. To simplify the assortment, the temptation is strong to start by removing those that contribute the least to sales. For a Foodservice Category Manager, however, this decision warrants a more nuanced analysis. A product with modest national appeal may achieve good results in certain warehouses, meet the needs of a specific

The preparation of a business plan often begins with a figure. A growth target is set, then allocated among distributors, regions, and product lines. The previous year's results serve as a benchmark, to which an expected increase is applied. This approach provides direction. But it sometimes leaves a crucial question unanswered: where will the additional sales come from? For a Foodservice sales director, the challenge lies in setting objectives that teams can understand, advo

The agreement is signed. Priority items are negotiated with the distributor, objectives are shared, and the teams can move on to execution. A few months later, however, the expected volumes are not materializing. For a Foodservice KAM, the question is immediate: are the agreed products actually present and sold in the relevant warehouses? Between what was decided at headquarters and what actually happens at the warehouse level, several discrepancies can arise. Identifying the

A major Foodservice account represents a significant part of your business. Its volumes are increasing, your teams maintain regular contact with it, and negotiations play a central role in your sales strategy. But one question remains: what is its actual contribution to your Foodservice sales? To answer this, negotiated sales figures or volumes delivered to distributors are not always sufficient. It is also necessary to understand what is actually sold to the establishments l

A Foodservice promotion shows a significant increase in volume. At first glance, the operation seems successful. But what really happened? Did end customers buy more of the brand, or did they simply bring forward an order they had planned for later? Did the promoted product attract new buyers, or did it capture sales from another product in the range? Without more detailed analysis, a price increase during the promotional period can lead to a hasty conclusion. An increase in

An innovative product launched in the spring by a national distributor is showing higher sales volumes than a product introduced in the fall at a few regional depots. Can we conclude that it is more efficient? Not so fast. To compare the performance of innovations , raw volumes alone are insufficient. Time period, coverage, availability, target customer base, and promotional support can significantly alter the results. Without contextualization, the risk is drawing the correc

A promotion is ending and volumes have increased. Good news? Not necessarily. For a Category Manager or Key Account Manager, the real question comes right after: what actually generated this increase? Did the promotion create additional sales? Did it primarily benefit certain products? Did it acquire new end customers? Or were the volumes simply shifted over time? Identifying the most promotionally successful products allows us to move beyond a system where the same products

The results have just been consolidated. One benchmark is declining, several deposits are slowing down, and one commercial operation appears to have performed less well than expected. One question remains: when did the situation deteriorate? With data received quarterly, findings sometimes arrive several weeks after the initial signals. Monthly monitoring offers greater responsiveness , but also requires teams to regularly analyze results and distinguish long-term trends from

The item is still listed in the catalog. It is still included in commercial agreements, and no distributor has officially announced its withdrawal. However, on the ground, something has changed. Volumes are decreasing, some depots have stopped selling it, and the number of end customers is gradually declining. Taken individually, these changes may seem insignificant. Taken together, however, they could signal a significant enough loss of momentum to jeopardize the product's c

The dashboard is ready. Volumes are consolidated, trends are clearly visible, and teams can finally compare the performance of several distributors. At least, that's how it appears. Because behind a perfectly legible curve, a much less visible problem may be lurking: are the compared products truly the same? Has a reference named differently in the files been correctly matched? Have the packaging types been differentiated? Do the product families follow a common classificatio

The meeting is approaching. The volumes have been finalized, the presentation is almost complete, and the objectives have been validated internally. Yet, one question often remains difficult to resolve: what concrete results should be used to support the discussion with the distributor? In the foodservice industry, sell-in data provides a first level of insight. It indicates the products sold by the manufacturer to its distributors. However, it doesn't always allow for a prec

Tracking the performance of an assortment may seem simple. We look at the volumes. We identify the benchmarks that are increasing. We spot those that are declining. We compare with the previous year. Then we adjust. But in reality, the analysis is rarely so straightforward. A product line may perform very well overall, but only with a specific type of end customer. A product range may appear underperforming, even though it works very well in certain areas. An innovation may b

Preparing a sales report for the Executive Committee can quickly become a cumbersome exercise. The figures need to be retrieved. The files need to be consolidated. The sources need to be reconciled. The tables need to be updated. Discrepancies need to be checked. The graphs need to be built. Comments need to be added. Key messages need to be prepared. Then everything needs to be transformed into a clear, concise, and credible presentation. On paper, the objective is simple: t

On the ground, bad surprises rarely come at a good time. A product that's no longer being stocked. A drop in volume detected too late. A stockout of a strategic product. A promotion that's not having the desired effect. A customer whose purchasing habits are gradually changing. A product line that's losing ground in a region without anyone really seeing it coming. For a Regional Manager, these situations are particularly sensitive. Because they require a quick response. And o

In Foodservice, volume drops and stockouts do not always occur overnight. They are often preceded by more subtle signals. A slowdown in a stock reference at a warehouse. An unusual acceleration in a particular area. A decrease in the regularity of sales. A volume that appears stable but is driven by fewer end customers. A promotion that generates a spike, then nothing. Taken separately, these signals may seem secondary. But for a KAM, they are invaluable. Because his role is

A commercial negotiation is not prepared solely with a sales history, but with a clear vision of actual performance. In the Foodservice sector, this distinction is essential. Sales departments often have a wealth of data at their disposal: sell-in volumes, commercial conditions, order histories, objectives per distributor, field feedback, performance per product range, and sometimes some market data. But when it comes to negotiating, one question always comes up: do the produ

Managing a region in Foodservice means being as close as possible to the ground. Warehouses, end customers, sales teams, distributors, promotional operations, references to push, volumes to secure… Everything often happens locally. But to make the right decisions, you first need to know what is really going on. Which deposit is progressing? Which reference is slowing down? Which product range is underutilized? Which promotion is working? Which end customers are actually buyin