FREE TOOL · BREAK-EVEN VELOCITY
CPG velocity calculator
Slotting buys the slot; velocity keeps it. This calculator turns your slotting cost and per-unit contribution into the break-even units per store per week your launch actually needs, then checks it against the category survival zones from our velocity benchmarks guide. Slotting defaults come from the slotting fees guide - adjust any number to match your deal.
YOUR NUMBERS
auto ≈ 5% of invoice · overwrite with your quote
conventional grocery typically $250-$1,000 per SKU per store - see the slotting guide; natural channel often $0 + free fill
ADVANCED · CHANNEL PERCENTAGES
Method: contribution per unit uses the same channel waterfall as the margin calculator (retailer cost = shelf price less retailer margin; your invoice price = retailer cost less distributor margin where a distributor is used; net revenue = invoice less broker, trade reserve, and freight; contribution = net revenue less COGS). Break-even velocity = slotting per store ÷ (contribution × weeks in your payback window). Required velocity is the higher of that number and the category floor, because paying back slotting below the floor still ends in a delist conversation. Category floors and the strong line come from the velocity benchmarks guide: shelf-stable survival zone ~2-3 units/store/week with 5+ reading strong, crowded refrigerated sets 5-7, frozen meals ~2, supplements/slow specialty ~1. Slotting ranges come from the slotting fees guide ($250-$1,000 per SKU per store in conventional grocery). Freight defaults to 5% of your invoice price and stops auto-updating once you enter your own number. Estimates, not advice - verify against your actual deductions and your buyer's actual line.
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Frequently asked questions
What velocity do I need to survive at retail?
It is category-dependent. A common survival zone in shelf-stable grocery is roughly 2-3 units per store per week per SKU, with 5+ reading as strong; crowded refrigerated sets at major retailers can require 5-7, frozen meals can hold shelf near 2, and supplements sometimes survive near 1. Two review cycles below your buyer's line and the slot typically turns over.
How is break-even velocity calculated?
Break-even velocity = slotting cost per store ÷ (contribution per unit × weeks in the payback window). Contribution per unit is what remains from the shelf price after retailer margin, distributor margin, broker commission, trade-spend reserve, freight, and COGS. Example: $500 slotting, $0.50 contribution, 26-week window = about 38 units per store per week.
What happens if my velocity runs below the category floor?
Buyers evaluate penny profit per shelf slot per week: your units per store per week times their margin dollars, compared against every other product that wants the slot. Run below the category's line for roughly two review cycles and the slot typically turns over - the delisting conversation starts before your slotting has paid back.
This is the generic math. CPG Canary runs yours.
The full analysis computes your velocity survival math deterministically from your actual channel economics and live competitor shelf pricing, then reads the result against our failure-pattern library - door count outrunning per-store sales is the classic - across all sixteen research dimensions.
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