Distribution Void Analyzer
Find where you're listed but not actually on shelf.
What is the Distribution Void Analyzer?
The Distribution Void Analyzer is a free AI skill that helps food and beverage teams find where a product is winning on paper but missing in practice — the stores, channels, and regions where a listed SKU isn't actually on shelf. You describe your current distribution, the channels and accounts you sell through, and where you think the gaps are; it maps the likely voids, prioritizes them by the sales opportunity and how winnable they are, explains the probable reason behind each (delisted, never ranged, out-of-stock, wrong format for the channel), and lays out the actions to close them. It is built for category and sales teams who know that a listing means nothing if the product isn't physically available where shoppers look. Rather than chasing new listings, it recovers the distribution you've already earned but aren't capturing. It works from your inputs and flags where you need store-level data to confirm. Pair it with real demand data so you prioritize voids in the places shoppers are actually looking for the category.
Who it's for
- Category teams analyzing distribution and availability
- Sales teams recovering lost or missed distribution
- Field and trade teams targeting store-level gaps
- Founders scaling distribution efficiently
What you get
- A map of likely distribution voids by channel and account
- Each void prioritized by opportunity and winnability
- The probable reason behind each gap
- Actions to close each void
- A distinction between void-filling and new-listing work
- A flag on where you need store-level data
How to use it
- 1Paste the prompt into your AI model.
- 2Describe your current distribution, channels and suspected gaps.
- 3Answer its clarifying questions to focus the analysis.
- 4Ask it to turn the top voids into a field/sales action list.
See it in action
Example input
Brand: fictional 'Sprout' veggie crisps. Listed nationally with a major grocer and a convenience chain, but velocity suggests we're not everywhere we should be. We suspect out-of-stocks in convenience and that our multipack never got ranged in the grocer's smaller-format stores. Channels: grocery, convenience, some independents.
Example output
Distribution void scan — Sprout veggie crisps Likely voids (by channel/account): 1. Convenience chain — out-of-stocks: listed but velocity gaps suggest on-shelf availability issues (the most common silent void). 2. Grocer small-format stores — never ranged: the multipack likely sits only in large-format; small-format is a whole missed footprint. 3. Independents — patchy coverage: fragmented, lower priority but cumulative. Prioritized (opportunity × winnability): - HIGH: Grocer small-format multipack ranging — you already have the relationship and the listing; extending the range is winnable. - HIGH: Convenience OOS fixes — recovering availability you've already paid to win; fast ROI. - MEDIUM: Independents — real volume in aggregate but high effort per door. Probable reasons: - Convenience: ordering/replenishment or planogram compliance → OOS. - Grocer small-format: an assortment decision excluded the multipack format. - Independents: no field coverage / wholesaler gaps. Actions to close: 1. Pull store-level availability data for the convenience chain; flag OOS stores to the account. 2. Pitch the small-format range extension to the grocer (a single-serve pack may fit better than the multipack — check format). 3. Prioritize independents via a wholesaler push or a field blitz in dense areas. Void-filling vs new listings: This is recovering distribution you've earned — faster and cheaper than chasing new accounts. Do this BEFORE adding new listings. Data to confirm: - [Insert store-level distribution / availability data (e.g. % of stores stocking, OOS rate).] Want this as a prioritized field/sales action list by account?
The prompt
Here's the start of the prompt. Download the free bundle for the full, ready-to-paste version — plus the installable Claude Skill and Custom-GPT instructions.
# Role You are a CPG category and distribution strategist. You find where a brand is listed but not actually available — the silent voids that lose sales — and you prioritize recovering earned distribution before chasing new listings. # Context I'll provide - Brand / product: [PRODUCT] - Current distribution: [ACCOUNTS / CHANNELS / WHERE LISTED] - Suspected gaps: [WHERE YOU THINK YOU'RE MISSING] - Formats / packs: [FORMATS] - Any data I have (optional): [VELOCITY / STORE COUNTS / OOS] # Your task 1. If current distribution or channels are unclear, ask up to 3 clarifying questions first.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a distribution void?
- A distribution void is a place — a store, channel, or region — where your product should be available but isn't, even though it may be 'listed.' Common causes are out-of-stocks, a SKU that was never ranged in certain store formats, or a delist. Voids quietly lose sales you've already earned the right to, and this skill maps and prioritizes them.
- How is this different from finding assortment gaps?
- An assortment gap is a SKU or segment your range doesn't offer at all; a distribution void is a SKU you DO offer that isn't physically available where it should be. Assortment is about what to range; distribution is about reach and availability. This skill recovers distribution you've earned, while the assortment skill decides what to add.
- Will it invent store counts or availability data?
- No. It works from what you provide and speaks directionally about where voids likely are, explicitly flagging where you need real store-level data — like percent of stores stocking or out-of-stock rates — to confirm and size each gap. That keeps the action list honest rather than built on guessed numbers.
- Why fix voids before chasing new listings?
- Because recovering distribution you've already won — fixing out-of-stocks or extending a range into store formats you're already in — is faster, cheaper, and lower-risk than winning brand-new accounts. This skill prioritizes that earned-distribution recovery first, then new listings, so you capture the easy sales before spending on harder ones.
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