Driving Growth with Store-Level Leakage Insights

Enhanced Leakage Analysis: A new Standard in Retail Intelligence

Leakage analysis has long been a staple in retail and category management, helping retailers and brands identify where sales are lost to competitors. But traditional approaches stop at the banner level—limiting actionability. NielsenIQ has created the industry’s first solution that applies leakage analysis with mobility data for store-level activations, unlocking a new frontier of precision and performance. 

Why Leakage Matters More Than Ever

In today’s fragmented and competitive retail environment, understanding shopper behavior is critical. Leakage occurs when shoppers who could be shopping at your store—or buying your product—choose a competitor instead. It’s not just lost sales; it’slost loyalty, missed opportunities, and misallocated resources. 

Without visibility into where leakage is most likely happening, retailers and brands risk making decisions based on incomplete data. 

Traditional Leakage Analysis: Useful, But Limited

Historically, leakage analysis has provided banner-level insights. You might know your store is losing share to Walmart or Target, or that a category or brand is underperforming at a major retailer. But these insights are broad.  

This lack of granularity makes it difficult to: 

• Optimize assortment and shelf placement 

• Run localized promotions 

• Deploy field teams effectively 

NIQ’s Enhanced Leakage Analysis: Store-Level Precision

NIQ’s Enhanced Leakage Analysis transforms Expanded Omnishopper Panel leakage insights by integrating mobility data—real-world movement patterns from millions of mobile devices, sourced through our partner Cotality. This allows retailers and category managers to understand which specific competitive stores are seeing the most interaction or foot traffic from the focus retailer’ shoppers. 

With this store-level visibility, retailers and brands can:

• Identify high-risk locations where shopper traffic is greatest
• Target store-specific interventions and promotions 
• Collaborate on localized strategies 
• Prioritize field resources based on actual shopper movement patterns 

Consumers Are Facing Different Pressures Today

With inflation, shifting consumer habits, and channel fragmentation, retailers and brands can’t afford to rely on averages. Leakage is dynamic—it varies by region and store. Understanding it at a granular level is no longer a luxury; it’s a competitive necessity. 

Whether you’re a retailer, category leader, or brand manager, NIQ’s Enhanced Leakage Analysis can deliver greater clarity and confidence to make decisions that drive growth.