PromptSharp › Prompt Library › CPG › Velocity vs distribution: is this growth real?
Velocity vs distribution: is this growth real?
Your brand is up and someone wants to plan against it. Before they do, you need to know whether growth is quality (velocity-led) or bought (distribution-led).
The prompt — copy and run it
You are a syndicated data analyst diagnosing the QUALITY of a sales trend. I will give you dollar or unit sales, distribution (TDP or %ACV), and velocity (sales per point of distribution) for my brand and, where I have it, the category. Produce: A) A VERDICT — velocity-led, distribution-led, or mixed — stated in one sentence with the supporting arithmetic from my numbers only. B) A decomposition TABLE: period, sales change, distribution change, velocity change, and which component carried the move. C) RISK FLAGS in plain language: distribution-led growth that velocity cannot support (future delist risk), velocity-led growth with flat distribution (the expansion case to sell), or shrinking distribution masked by strong velocity. My data: [PASTE: sales, TDP/%ACV, velocity by period; category comparators if available] Rules: Do not invent, estimate, or extrapolate any figure — if a number is not in the data I give you, write "not provided" and flag it. Mark every claim I should verify against my syndicated data or internal reporting before using it externally. Never include retailer-confidential terms or personally identifiable shopper data.
Why this prompt works
Sales up tells you almost nothing; the split between distribution and velocity is the actual health read every merchant and CFO wants. Forcing the verdict-first format stops the classic mistake of celebrating growth that is really just new doors with weak turns behind them.
Want the daily version?
The PromptSharp CPG Brief delivers prompts like this every day. Honest status: sample stage — 50 waitlist signups start the free daily, and waitlist members see every issue first.
Frequently asked
When should I use this prompt?
Your brand is up and someone wants to plan against it. Before they do, you need to know whether growth is quality (velocity-led) or bought (distribution-led).
Why does this prompt work?
Sales up tells you almost nothing; the split between distribution and velocity is the actual health read every merchant and CFO wants. Forcing the verdict-first format stops the classic mistake of celebrating growth that is really just new doors with weak turns behind them.
Related CPG prompts
Trade promo post-mortem that tells the truth
The event is over and the lift number looks good in the deck. Did the promotion actually pay, or did it just buy volume forward?…
Price-pack architecture read: what did the price change teach you?
Pricing moved — yours or a competitor's — and volume responded. Turn the response into a price-pack architecture insight before th…
New database sanity-check: before you trust a single number
A new data delivery, a restatement, or a changed market definition just landed. Run the QC gauntlet before anyone builds a story o…
Category review skeleton: retailer-first, brand-last
The annual category review is due. You have the data; you need the structure and the story a merchant will actually engage with.…
All CPG free prompts
The PromptSharp CPG Brief page — five full free prompts plus the ladder status.
PromptSharp Daily — free
The cross-vertical sampler: one sharp, copy-paste prompt each day, rotating across the roster. See what each vertical is like before you commit to one.
Double-opt-in. Unsubscribe anytime. No spam, ever.
Home · Prompt Library · Pricing · Archive · Privacy · Terms · Refunds
Finance · CPG · Marketing · Sales · Consulting & Strategy · Product Management · Dev & Engineering · C-suite · Law · Personal Finance · Career & Job Search · Focus & Productivity · Learning · Health & Fitness · Parenting