How to analyze basket composition and per-trip spend to win line reviews and improve cross-merchandising

Many consumers have established routines and shopping tendencies, especially when it comes to buying pet products. They might purchase a preferred brand of dry dog food in the same size every other week. Or they might shop for cat nutritional supplements at a neighborhood pet retailer, but pick up litter products every month at the grocery store. 

On those trips, consumers rarely leave the store with just one item in their cart. Their basket items are often related, and choosing one pet product can significantly influence what else a shopper adds to their cart. Illustrating the average basket size both with and without your pet product can help convince retailers why they should boost distribution for your product and promote it more effectively. 

Here are three ways you can use basket insights to defend your product’s shelf space in a line review, encourage cross-merchandising, and create a compelling sell-in story for new retailers.

1. Understand what else is in shoppers’ baskets

Knowing what customers usually buy alongside your product is the first step in recognizing your product’s impact on overall basket size. Do consumers purchase a supplement along with your pet food? Or, when consumers buy your product in a specific pack size, does it indicate a pantry-restocking trip that will include many non-pet-related items in their overall purchase? Understanding basket composition helps identify common pairings and overall per-trip spend patterns. 

PET PRO ADVICE: Consulting consumer panel data that tracks individual items consumers purchase on their shopping trips reveals what their baskets are composed of. That will vary by trip, but aggregate data shows commonalities and average basket sizes that can be very useful during line reviews, or when selling to new retailers.  

2. Compare basket sizes with your Product vs. your competitors

If a consumer typically spends more per trip when they buy your pet product than a competitor brand, that’s a compelling defense of your product’s shelf space. It’s also an excellent reason for a retailer to carry your product in place of your competitors’ products or to increase your product’s distribution. You can make basket size comparisons by combining consumer panel data that shows basket composition with Retail Measurement Services (RMS) sales data indicating overall sales volume.

PET PRO ADVICE: What consumers buy and how much they spend when purchasing those products determine average basket size. Comparing consumers’ per-trip spend when they buy your product instead of a competitor’s shows retailers how much more revenue your product is delivering on a trip-by-trip basis—and why it deserves wider distribution or more promotional support. 

3. Look for cross-promotional opportunities

When you know what accompanies your product in a shopper’s basket, you and your retail partners can craft merchandising strategies to boost both products’ sales. That allows you to benefit from current shopper tendencies, drive incremental spending, and create product pairings that help your brand and retailers’ overall sales beyond a single promotional period. 

PET PRO ADVICE: Focusing on common items in a basket composition analysis reveals which products are purchased most often alongside yours. You can then work with your retail partners to develop cross-promotional initiatives. These can include discounts on those items when purchased together, placing them near one another in the aisle, creating dual-product displays, or other marketing tactics that drive cumulative sales volume.  

How NielsenIQ can help you understand basket size and composition

NielsenIQ’s consumer panel insights and RMS data combine to provide a complete picture of what consumers buy on their shopping trips and how much they spend per trip. These insights combined allow you to analyze the average consumer basket and leverage that analysis during your next line review or sell-in meeting to boost distribution or justify your product’s position on the shelf.

A suite of products that deliver basket insights

• Consumer panels: Understand the “what” and “why” behind your sales with the world’s most robust, trusted, and credible consumer panels
• Retail Measurement Services (RMS): Get comprehensive, current data on market shares and competitive sales volumes with insights into distribution, pricing, merchandising, and promotions