Refocusing a 400-SKU portfolio on its real growth engines
Revenue was growing, but margins were shrinking and resources were spread across too many products and markets.
Illustrative example- A national packaged-foods manufacturer
- Client
- FMCG
- Industry
- Growth Strategy
- Solution
- 14 weeks
- Duration
Results
- SKUs rationalised
- −18%
- Gross margin
- +3.8 pts
- Revenue from priority brands
- +11%
The challenge
Years of line extensions had created a long tail of low-volume SKUs. Sales, marketing and supply chain each had a different view of which products mattered, and investment decisions were driven by legacy rather than evidence.
Our approach
How we applied the GROW Framework — from data to decisions and measurable growth.
Combined sales, margin, distribution and retail-audit data to build a single SKU-by-market profitability view.
Found that 22% of SKUs generated 81% of profit, while the long tail absorbed a disproportionate share of trade spend and working capital.
Agreed a portfolio of 'grow, maintain, fix, exit' choices with the leadership team and re-allocated marketing and trade budgets accordingly.
Set up a quarterly portfolio review with clear KPIs so decisions stay evidence-based.
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