Removing bottlenecks in short-term forecasting and availability

Challenge

Challenge

Britvic faced significant challenges managing product availability and forecasting accuracy across major retailers. With a growing portfolio that includes brands like Pepsi, Robinsons, and London Essence, the company was inundated with data but struggled to transform it into actionable insights. This resulted in issues like depot stock delays, empty shelves, and missed promotional sales opportunities. Britvic needed to highlight and resolve these issues collaboratively during weekly supply chain calls with their retail counterparts.

Solution

SKUtrak transformed Britvic’s operations by providing real-time alerts and user-friendly dashboards. The platform enabled Britvic’s team to pinpoint availability issues at both depot and store levels, anticipate stock shortages, and take proactive measures. Collaboration Manager Jo Henderson leveraged SKUtrak to align forecasts with retailers who were underforecasting, address gaps with field teams, and shape data-driven conversations to boost sales.

Result

  • Improved short-term forecasting accuracy and prevention of stock shortages.
  • Consistent availability through rapid resolution of depot and store-level issues.
  • Stronger collaboration with retailers, turning data into constructive conversations.
  • Optimised performance on high-revenue SKUs during demand peaks.
  • Time-saving insights replaced manual reporting to make faster, smarter decisions.

In brief

  • Britvic, one of the UK’s most recognised soft drink producers, boasts a diverse portfolio including Robinsons, Tango, and premium mixers like London Essence. The company partners with PepsiCo to deliver household favourites like Pepsi Max and 7UP. Managing availability across such a range requires precision to meet consumer demand and retailer expectations.
  • Faced with depot bottlenecks, mismatched forecasts, and poor shelf availability, Britvic turned to SKUtrak for a data-driven solution. The platform’s real-time alerts and granular visibility helped identify key availability challenges—such as 37 stores with recurring out-of-stocks in a single week—and allowed proactive interventions to recover lost sales.
  • SKUtrak has proven indispensable in promotional planning and year-over-year performance tracking. During peak periods, such as Christmas, Britvic leveraged SKUtrak to highlight underforecasted demand at specific retailers, ensuring products stayed on shelves and maximised seasonal opportunities. These insights also enabled field teams to target high-priority stores, improving rate of sale (ROS) and driving stronger collaboration with retail partners.

Every morning, the KPI alert is the first thing I check. For example, during one week, it flagged 37 stores with poor availability. This daily snapshot allows us to take immediate action.

Jo Henderson, Collaboration Manager at Britvic plc

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