Make smarter decisions. Close execution gaps. Win at the shelf.
Retail execution can no longer be a passive process or annual check-the-box activity. With today’s shoppers moving fluidly between screens and stores, brands must respond in real time—and with precision.
That’s where crowdsourced audits come in. By tapping a distributed network of real shoppers, brands can audit thousands of stores, uncover hidden issues, and drive smarter in-store decisions—without ballooning costs or overextending field teams.
But the smartest brands don’t stop at visibility. They activate their retail data to influence retail partners, maximize ROI, and win more at the shopper’s moment of decision.
Here’s how best-in-class teams are doing it:
Crowdsourced audits help you move from “spray and pray” to precision. Rather than react to retailer complaints or guess where issues lie, you get hard data on where execution is falling short—and where your reps are actually needed.
Best practice: Use retail audit data to segment stores based on compliance history, sales potential, and store type.
In action: A beverage brand identified 22 non-compliant stores mid-campaign and reallocated reps accordingly saving 75% in costs while preserving sales impact.
Promotions are expensive. But without execution visibility, most brands don’t know if a campaign was activated correctly—let alone if it reached shoppers.
With real-time audits, you can:
Best-in-Class: High-performing teams integrate audit data into promo planning cycles, track KPI performance by region or retailer, and refine trade investment accordingly.
Want to test two display designs? Compare signage impact? Crowdsourced audits let you do it in-market, in real stores, and at scale.
Use store-level data to compare:
Why it works: You get behavioral data—not just recall—on what actually influences purchase decisions at the shelf.
Execution is relative. If your products are perfectly executed but your competitor has more space, better signage, or stronger promo presence—you can still lose ground.
With audit data, you can:
⚔️ Strategic move: Use this data to build a fact-based case with retailers, justify better placement, and counter aggressive competitor tactics.
Top brands use audit data to turn anecdotal feedback into quantified, retailer-specific scorecards. These tools improve collaboration and drive compliance improvements.
A good scorecard might include:
Pro tip: Share scorecards with key accounts to co-develop improvement plans—and position your brand as a data-driven partner.
The first few weeks after a launch make or break your results. Without visibility, you risk poor execution, missed tags, and out-of-stock problems.
With store audits, you can:
Why it matters: Audits help you intervene before small issues compound—protecting launch ROI and retailer confidence. Learn more about improving new product launches with crowdsourced shopper feedback here.
Field reps are your most expensive in-store resource. Use audit data to triage where they’re deployed, based on store performance—not just preset routes.
Brands using this model often follow rules like:
Result: Field teams focus where they can have the biggest impact, while low-risk stores are monitored through audits and trend data. Learn how an RTD beverage brand used crowdsourced audits to identify non-compliant fridge displays.
Start small. Get strategic. And let the data guide the next best move.
Execution gaps cost sales. But with the right data, the right focus, and the right follow-up—you can move faster than your competitors, stay aligned with your retailers, and win where it matters most.
The brands leading in-store today don’t just collect data.
They act on it.
Want to know how much execution gaps are costing your brand?
Try our Impact Calculator for a clear estimate.
To get the most from your investment, best-in-class execution teams follow these principles:
Promo Compliance:
Shelf Health:
Category Insights: