Guides

The ideas behind retail sell-out data, explained for South African suppliers.

• What is sell-out data?Sell-out data is what your products actually sold to shoppers, store by store and day by day. What it is, how it differs from sell-in, where it comes from in South Africa and what suppliers use it for.
• Sell-in vs sell-out: what is the difference?Sell-in is what you sold to the retailer. Sell-out is what the retailer sold to shoppers. How the two differ, how to read the gap between them, and what it tells a supplier about stock, promotions and returns.
• What is phantom stock?Phantom stock is stock the retailer's system says is in the store, but that is not on the shelf. Why it happens, why it stops reordering, how to find it in sell-out data, and how to fix it.
• How to calculate days of coverDays of cover tells you how long the stock in a store will last at the current rate of sale. The formula, a worked example, how to choose the rate of sale, and what too little or too much cover means.
• Numerical vs weighted distributionNumerical distribution is the share of stores that carry a product. Weighted distribution is the share of sales those stores account for. Both explained with a worked example, and how suppliers use them.