From chaos to clarity: how to get reliable on-trade insights in a fragmented market
- Claire Brunaud
- Jan 20
- 3 min read
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 no longer a “nice to have.” It has become an essential condition for managing performance and profitability.
The on-trade paradox: strategic, yet hard to read
On-trade plays a key role in foodservice. It allows brands to test innovations, observe real-life usage, reinforce premium positioning, and sustainably influence consumption habits.
But on the ground, reality is more complex. Each outlet operates differently, with its own POS system, practices, and constraints. At the scale of a country—or even a region—this diversity creates an extremely fragmented market.
Without a structured view, it becomes very difficult to answer seemingly simple questions. Is a product truly performing? Does a price increase have a positive impact? Does an activation work everywhere, or only in certain types of outlets?
Without reliable on-trade insights, these answers remain unclear.
Why getting good on-trade insights is so complex
The first challenge comes from market fragmentation.
Unlike retail, on-trade does not rely on unified standards. Comparing a nightclub, a city-center brasserie, and a fast-casual outlet only makes sense if the segmentation is done properly.
The second challenge lies in the nature of the data itself. Receipts are rich, but raw. Without enrichment, they tell only part of the story. Products are sometimes poorly categorized, formats differ, and item descriptions vary from one outlet to another.
Finally, time works against decision-makers. When analyses arrive several weeks after the fact, the insight loses much of its value. In a market as dynamic as on-trade, relevance is closely tied to speed.
What a truly actionable on-trade insight looks like
A useful on-trade insight starts with representative data. It’s not just about having many outlets, but about having a sample that faithfully reflects the diversity of the market—by outlet type, region, and activity level.
Segmentation is then critical.
Reading the market “on average” delivers little value. Insights become relevant when specific behaviors can be isolated, for example by consumption occasion, outlet positioning, or business potential.
Granularity also plays a central role. Knowing that sales are changing is one thing. Understanding why they are changing is another. The best on-trade insights make it possible to analyze performance product by product, time slot by time slot, and to identify the real levers for action.
Finally, an insight only has impact if it is accessible quickly. Data must support decision-making, not delay it. This ability to move rapidly from analysis to action is what makes all the difference.
When on-trade insights truly change the game
Imagine a manufacturer observing a drop in volumes on a strategic SKU. Without a detailed market read, conclusions may be quick—and sometimes wrong: product issue, loss of appeal, or overall competitive pressure.
With well-structured on-trade insights, the picture changes. The decline may be concentrated in certain outlet types, specific consumption moments, or linked to a price positioning that has become less competitive locally.
This understanding enables precise action. Adjusting prices on the right segments, reworking an activation in specific areas, or prioritizing high-potential outlets becomes possible.
For restaurateurs, the logic is the same. A detailed analysis of sales by consumption moment or product category often makes it possible to optimize the menu, simplify the offer, and quickly improve profitability—sometimes very significantly—without increasing volumes.
From chaos to clarity: a structured approach
Obtaining reliable on-trade insights does not depend on multiplying Excel spreadsheets or complex reports. It starts with large-scale, structured collection of field data, capable of capturing market reality in all its diversity.
This data must then be enriched, segmented, and made easy to read. The goal is not to produce more numbers, but to surface clear learnings directly linked to business decisions.
This is the approach that transforms a market perceived as chaotic into an environment that is understandable, manageable, and actionable.
On-trade data as a business compass
In a market as fragmented as on-trade, moving forward without reliable insights is like navigating without instruments. Conversely, having clear, fast, and actionable on-trade insights makes it possible to better understand the environment, anticipate changes, and make more profitable decisions.
Chaos is not inevitable.
With the right interpretation of data, on-trade becomes a powerful growth lever—for both brands and outlets.
If you want, I can now propose a LinkedIn version, or a version even more focused on manufacturers or restaurateurs.
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