A new product launch in general trade is a race against attention. The salesman has dozens of products to sell at every outlet, a minute or two per counter, and a retailer who did not ask for anything new. A launch that is not measured week by week quietly fades: it gets into some outlets once, a scheme is spent, and three months later nobody can say whether it worked.
The three numbers that tell you if a launch is working
1. Numeric distribution — has it reached the shelf?
Of the outlets on your beats, how many have ordered the new product at least once?
120 outlets ordered ÷ 400 outlets covered = 30% numeric distribution
2. Lines per call — is it being sold alongside the range?
Average number of products on each order. If lines per call go up after the launch, the new product is being added; if they stay flat, it may be replacing something you already sold.
3. Repeat rate — is it selling out?
Of the outlets that ordered once, how many ordered again within the next few weeks?
54 outlets reordered ÷ 120 first-order outlets = 45% repeat rate
A launch with high distribution and low repeats has been pushed in, not pulled through. That is a product, price or placement problem — not a sales problem.
A 90-day launch tracker
| Week | Watch | Act on |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | First orders by beat and salesman | Beats with zero first orders |
| 3–6 | Numeric distribution growth | Outlets visited but not ordering |
| 6–12 | Repeat orders | Outlets that ordered once and stopped |
| 12 | Repeat rate vs plan | Keep, fix or stop the scheme |
Why launches are hard to measure
- Orders are not tied to outlets when they come in by phone or via the distributor.
- Schemes are paid on billing, not on sell-through.
- The data comes from distributors' systems, weeks later, in different formats.
How Zaqnet helps track a launch
- Orders are recorded per outlet in GroundLink, so first orders and repeats can be counted outlet by outlet.
- Visits are recorded even when there is no order, so "visited but didn't buy" is visible.
- Launch schemes run through the dealer network with accruals and claims — see trade schemes and dealer claims.
- ControlRoom shows the same records for the office, so the weekly launch review uses one set of numbers.
Distribution tells you the launch reached the shelf. Repeats tell you it left it.