Speed to shelf is one of the least discussed advantages in distribution. When a retailer agrees to list a product, every week of delay is lost revenue and cooling enthusiasm. Our target is 21 days from green light to product on shelf. Here's how that breaks down.
Days 1–5: Paperwork and planning
Listing agreements, vendor codes, pricing files and planogram data are exchanged immediately. The single biggest delay at this stage is incomplete product data — weights, dimensions, barcode registrations. We keep a launch-ready data pack for every SKU so this step takes hours, not weeks.
Days 6–12: Stock positioning
Stock is allocated to the right warehouse zones, retailer-specific labelling or price stickers are applied where required, and first orders are picked. For chains with central distribution centres, booking delivery slots early is critical — DC appointment windows are a hidden bottleneck.
Days 13–21: Delivery, merchandising and first scan
Deliveries land, our merchandising team verifies shelf placement and pricing at store level, and we track the first scan data. A launch isn't complete when stock ships — it's complete when the product is correctly priced, correctly placed and selling.
Where launches stall
The three usual culprits: missing product data, unbooked DC slots, and no in-store follow-up. All three are process problems, not market problems — which means they're solvable. Speed to shelf isn't heroics; it's a checklist executed without exception.