In the fast-paced world of Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), success isn’t just about creating great products, it’s about placing them in the right stores, at the right time, for the right customers. With rising competition and ever-changing consumer behavior, relying on gut feelings or outdated reports won’t cut it anymore.
This is where AI-powered analytics like those offered by MapZot.AI come into play, helping brands and retailers make smarter, faster, and data-backed decisions.
Why Store-Level Performance Matters for CPG Brands
Knowing which store is performing well isn’t just about tracking sales. It’s about understanding:
Who your customers are
Why they shop where they shop
What products they’re actually buying
How local demographics impact sales patterns
AI-powered platforms like MapZot.AI help CPG brands visualize trade areas, analyze true customer visitation patterns, and benchmark store performance in real time.
This insight helps brands answer critical questions:
Should I increase inventory at this store?
Is this store a good fit for launching a new product?
Should I reallocate my marketing spend to better-performing areas?
Use Case: Liquid Death – Disrupting the Beverage Aisle with Data and Smart Retail Strategy
Liquid Death isn't just making waves with its edgy branding, it’s using data and tech to make highly targeted, intelligent retail decisions. The brand recognized early on that shelf space in traditional water aisles was saturated. So instead, they targeted unconventional retail spaces like:
Energy drink coolers
Convenience stores and gas stations
Music venues and skate shops
But here’s the kicker: Liquid Death didn’t do this randomly. They leveraged consumer behavior data, location-based insights, and trend forecasting to identify niche markets and store categories where their brand could outperform traditional water brands.
AI + Smart Targeting = Growth
While they don’t publicize their internal tech stack in detail, Liquid Death has partnered with data-driven retail agencies to:
Pinpoint high-engagement zones based on customer psychographics and behavior
Optimize SKU assortment by region and retail type
Align inventory planning with hyper-local demand patterns
As a result, they grew from a novelty DTC product to landing shelf space in Target, 7-Eleven, Whole Foods, and Walmart, with sales surpassing $263 million in 2023, according to NielsenIQ.
Final Word
Liquid Death is proving that being trendy doesn’t mean being reckless. With smart, data-backed decisions, even challenger brands can become category leaders. And with AI tools, this kind of precise, high-growth retail expansion is more accessible than ever—whether you're a bold startup or an established CPG brand.
