On-trade intelligence,
published weekly

When managing the commercial performance of an FMCG brand in the on-trade channel, a product’s performance can change very quickly. A new launch may gain immediate traction, an established product may gradually lose momentum, or an activation may create a temporary uplift that fades just as fast. For Antoine, On-Trade Sales Director, the challenge is not only to track the overall performance of his portfolio. He also needs to detect the early on-trade signs of a drop in perfo

In the restaurant industry, marketing campaigns have become an essential lever to drive traffic, launch new products, or boost sales over a given period. Yet, once a campaign is live, one question almost always comes up among marketing teams: how can you tell if the activation actually worked? Between natural fluctuations in activity, changes in customer behavior, and the many external factors that influence restaurant traffic, measuring the true impact of a campaign can qui

In the sales teams of FMCG brands, sell-out has become an essential indicator. Knowing what actually sells at the point of sale allows you to understand the performance of a product, identify growth opportunities and adjust sales actions. For Pierre, On-Trade Sales Director at a beverage brand, this information is essential for managing his business. The field teams visit hundreds of establishments every week, negotiate listings, and implement activations to develop the brand

In the foodservice industry, marketing activations often require considerable organization. A product launch, a tasting tour, or a promotional campaign mobilizes field teams, equipment, partners, and significant budgets. For Thomas, Trade Marketing Manager at an FMCG brand, each campaign represents a strategic investment. The objective is clear: to increase brand visibility and boost sales in partner establishments. However, once the operation is complete, one question often

In the insights and category management teams of FMCG brands, the objective is clear: to understand market trends and transform data into strategic decisions. However, in everyday reality, a large part of the time is not spent on analysis. It is absorbed by a much less valuable step: data consolidation . For Marie, Insights Manager at a foodservice brand, the week often starts the same way. Exports arrive from various sources; the files must be cleaned, harmonized, and assem

When your internal credibility depends on the quality of your data As an Insights Manager or Category Manager, you are at the heart of strategic decision-making. Your analyses shape activation plans, influence budget allocations, and structure recommendations for sales and marketing teams. Yet in many organizations, one issue persists: the data is questioned before the insight is even heard. An insight is only powerful if the data is beyond dispute A strong insight is built o

In a fast-casual restaurant, launching marketing campaigns is part of the daily routine. Teams regularly test new strategies to generate foot traffic, boost sales, or highlight a specific product. Julie, marketing manager for a fast-casual restaurant chain, oversees these types of initiatives every month. She might launch a promotion on a menu item, highlight a drink for a few weeks, or support a special offer with a digital campaign. The goal is always the same: to attract

In many restaurant groups, management still relies on a fragile model: figures sent by the institutions, consolidated manually, then analyzed afterwards. On paper, that seems sufficient. In reality, this system creates a strong dependence on feedback from the field… and limits the ability to make quick and sound decisions. Replacing manual reporting with reliable indicators is not a “data” issue. This is a matter of governance and performance . The problem with manual report

The true cost of slow data for a Trade Marketing Manager You have negotiated your locations, mobilized your field teams and invested in an ambitious promotional strategy with a clear objective: to maximize the impact at the point of sale. Activation has begun. Three weeks later, you receive the consolidated report. At this stage, the issue is no longer analysis. The issue is timing. For a Trade Marketing or Activation Manager in the foodservice industry, slow data delivery i

For a Data, Digital or CRM Manager in the foodservice industry, on-trade represents a unique challenge. It's a strategic channel for brands, a trend laboratory, and a major driver of profitability. Yet, from a data perspective, it remains one of the most complex environments to leverage. The problem isn't a lack of information. Cash registers process millions of transactions every day. The real obstacle lies in the fragmented market, the heterogeneity of systems, and the ab

For a long time, panels acted as a compass for Insights teams. They helped structure how markets were read, establish a shared language across teams , and provide reference points considered reliable for managing categories, tracking their evolution, and securing strategic decisions. And yet, a feeling persists among many analysts and decision-makers: something is slipping through the analysis, as if part of reality were hiding behind the indicators. It’s not that foodservice

Optimizing Your Restaurant Menu For many independent restaurant owners, it’s an idea that comes up often… but gets postponed. Out of fear of turning everything upside down. Lack of time. Or simply because they don’t know where to start. The good news is that optimizing your menu doesn’t mean rebuilding it from scratch. In most establishments, 80% of the impact comes from 20% of the actions . So here are 3 simple, priority levers to improve your menu’s performance—without com

For years, sell-in was the main benchmark for managing performance in the on-trade. Delivered volumes, negotiated numeric distribution, sales pressure: once the product left the warehouse, the job seemed done. But the market has changed. And today, managing the on-trade using only sell-in is like driving without real visibility on actual consumption. Sell-in: a necessary but incomplete indicator Sell-in answers a very specific question: 👉 “Have I sold my products to my dir

In trade marketing, a foodservice activation can tick all the boxes… and still leave one unanswered question once it’s over: 👉 Did it really have an impact? Presence at point of sale, POS materials installed, agreement negotiated, field photos reported back.On paper, the activation is there. But presence doesn’t mean impact. And that’s exactly where many Trade Marketing managers end up flying blind. The false comfort of presence indicators For a long time, post-activation me

In foodservice, beverages are never just an add-on product. They are often the primary margin driver , a strong indicator of customer usage… and an excellent signal of what is really happening in the market. Yet many players, restaurateurs and manufacturers alike, still look at Beverage Market Insights in an overly global way. A national average, an aggregated figure, a top 10 of categories… and then decisions are made somewhat blindly. The problem? 👉 The HoReCa market is u

On-trade is everywhere. In neighborhood cafés, cocktail bars, independent restaurants, or more structured concepts. This is where brands are built, trends emerge, and value is created. And yet, for many players, on-trade remains a blind spot. The data exists, but it is scattered. POS systems don’t communicate with each other. Analyses arrive too late. And in the end, decisions are still too often driven by gut feeling. In this context, having reliable on-trade insights is n

For a long time, data seemed to be reserved for large chains or highly structured groups. In the Horeca world (hotels, restaurants, cafés), the reality was quite different: disparate POS systems, isolated Excel files, and decisions made “by gut feeling.” Today, Horeca data is changing the game. It finally enables restaurateurs as well as foodservice manufacturers to manage their business with precision, responsiveness, and above all… profitability. But what do we really mean

In the on-trade, everything moves fast: trends, consumer preferences, activations, pricing, the weather… Yet many players— both restaurateurs and manufacturers —are still managing “by instinct” or based on consolidated reports that arrive far too late. The reality is simple: without the right KPIs, it’s impossible to steer your strategy, adjust your menu, measure an activation, or spot an opportunity before competitors do. The 10 KPIs below are the ones that consistently co

For years, manufacturers and foodservice players had only one tool to understand what was really happening in cafés, bars, and restaurants: on-trade panels. Useful, yes… but slow, approximate, and lacking granularity. In 2025, this model is clearly showing its limits. The market is evolving too fast, consumers are changing their habits at the pace of trends, and restaurateurs are adjusting prices several times a year. How can you make the right decisions with a 6-week delay ,

In 2026, data will become the number one strategic priority for all foodservice players. Restaurant owners, bars, cafés, beverage brands, manufacturers — everyone is already feeling the acceleration of change. Consumer habits are shifting, prices fluctuate faster than before, competition is intensifying… and margins are now determined down to the very last cent. In this environment, Horeca data — the data generated by establishments in the hospitality sector — is no longe