Beer distributor analytics
Portfolio analytics for beer distributors
See every supplier and brand you carry in one view: depletions, PODs, inventory, and incentive spend, with the drivers and drags behind each change.
What is beer distributor analytics?
Beer distributor analytics is how a wholesaler measures the performance of the brands it carries: which suppliers and brands are growing, where distribution is gained or lost, how much inventory is on hand, and whether supplier programs and incentives are paying off. The data already sits in the distributor's own system, usually VIP or Encompass, but it is built to run deliveries and invoices, not to compare a portfolio.
Why is portfolio reporting getting harder for wholesalers?
Beer networks now carry far more than beer. Spirits, ready-to-drink cocktails, non-alcoholic beer, energy drinks, and other new categories are moving through the same warehouses and the same reps, which brings more suppliers, more SKUs, and more programs to track:
- More brands compete for the same rep time and shelf space, so every brand needs a clear return.
- Each supplier wants its own scorecard, in its own format, on its own schedule.
- Incentives, samples, and marketing funds are spread across dozens of programs that are rarely tied back to results.
- Brand managers spend their week building reports instead of working with suppliers and accounts.
What questions should distributor reporting answer?
| Question | What to measure |
|---|---|
| Which brands are growing, and which are slipping? | Depletions vs last year and plan, by brand, supplier, and channel |
| Where are we gaining or losing distribution? | Points of distribution (PODs) and voids by account, chain, and route |
| Is the money working? | Incentive and program spend next to depletion and POD growth |
| Are we carrying the right inventory? | Days on hand and aged inventory by SKU |
| How are reps and routes executing? | Depletions, new placements, and voids by rep and route |
How do you build portfolio analytics as a distributor?
- Pull depletions, inventory, and account data from your distributor system on a daily or weekly schedule.
- Standardize volume to case equivalents so brands with different packs can be compared.
- Group SKUs into brands, suppliers, and categories, including the new categories you are adding.
- Bring supplier programs and incentive spend into the same model as depletions.
- Review changes as drivers and drags, so each meeting starts with what moved and why.
How does Shopra work for distributors?
Shopra connects your depletions, inventory, retail performance, and supplier investments into one portfolio view. It flags declining POD counts, high spend with low growth, supplier deterioration, retail execution issues, and inventory concerns, and sends alerts before they show up in the monthly review.
Frequently asked questions
Do distributors need to replace VIP or Encompass to use Shopra?
No. Shopra works from the data your system already produces. Your team keeps running deliveries, orders, and invoices where it does today.
Can Shopra report on spirits and other non-beer categories?
Yes. Categories are part of the product model, so beer, spirits, ready-to-drink, non-alcoholic, and other categories can be reported side by side or on their own.
Can we share scorecards with suppliers?
Yes. Because every brand is modeled the same way, supplier-level views come from the same numbers your own team uses, and export to Excel, PDF, and Power BI.
What is a void?
A void is an account that should carry an item, because it fits the account type or the account carried it before, but is not currently buying it. Tracking voids shows where reps can win back distribution.
Integrations
Connect the sources you already run on.
Shipments, depletions, distributor inventory, and retail scan flow in through a mix of near real-time integrations and 24-hour SFTP exports and ingestion, including VIP and Encompass, plus API access and a fast agent backend for querying.
Your data stays yours. Enterprise plans can run on a dedicated Google Cloud warehouse you own.
ready when you are
Turn your data into your next move
See your drivers, your drags, and where to act today.
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