Velocity: Uncovering How Fast Your Product Moves

In today’s fast-paced retail landscape, understanding velocity—the rate at which your product sells when it’s actually on the shelf—is more essential than ever. It’s no coincidence that it ranks as the third most vital metric behind Sales and Distribution. Sales remain the bottom line. Distribution is the foundation, because without it there is no sales. Velocity offers the deeper insight, revealing how efficiently your product sells wherever it’s available and highlighting opportunities beyond just being present on shelf.

This equation breaks down retail performance into two parts: how widely the product is available and how well it performs when there. Velocity brings together multiple forces—pricing, promotion, appeal, shelf position, and more.

A Scenario: Two Products, Same Sales, Different Stories

Consider two brands—A and B—each generating 3,000 units in a set of stores. Product A has limited distribution but high velocity, which shows that demand is strong wherever it is available. Product B, on the other hand, has extensive distribution but weaker velocity, meaning that while it reaches many shelves, its pull on consumers is weaker. Although their total sales are the same, the paths forward differ. Product A should focus on expanding to more outlets, while Product B needs to optimize price, promotion, and competitive positioning.

Choosing the Right Velocity Metric for 2025

Different contexts call for different approaches, and the measure of velocity you choose shapes the clarity of your insights. Sales per Point of Distribution (SPPD) is best used within a single market or retailer. It accounts for store size and profile by using ACV-weighted distribution. 

 By incorporating store size, this measure is more precise than simple sales per store and works well for ranking products within a region or a single retailer.

When comparing across markets or channels, however, Sales per Million (Sales per $MM ACV) is the preferred choice. Because a point of distribution means different things in a large versus small market, this metric standardizes by market size.

This way, performance can be accurately compared across markets regardless of size, answering the critical question: for every million dollars of ACV exposure, how much does the product sell?

Why This Matters Now

As of 2025, retail continues to fragment across online, local shops, convenience formats, and traditional grocers. Within these environments, SPPD shines when analyzing performance in a single channel or market, while Sales per Million holds up best across broader comparisons. Velocity also reveals demand signals, products with high velocity highlight opportunities for broader distribution, while those with low velocity despite wide availability point to marketing or pricing adjustments. Velocity has also become a leading indicator of momentum shifts, helping brands anticipate growth or decline before it appears in topline sales.

A Modern Twist: Velocity per Shopper Traffic

In 2025, the rise of IoT sensors, digital retail platforms, and foot-traffic analytics has opened new ways of measuring velocity. Beyond stores and markets, companies can now analyze Units per Shopper Visit. This metric measures units sold against the number of shopper entries, offering insight into how effectively products convert browsers into buyers. For retailers with high footfall but low velocity, it highlights areas where promotional activity or in-store activation can improve conversion rates. This new approach adds a layer of context to traditional velocity measures, aligning product sales directly with shopper engagement.

Key Takeaways for Velocity Optimization

The most effective way to understand performance is to separate distribution from velocity. Within one market, SPPD provides clarity, while Sales per Million is the right choice for comparing across markets. Brands that adopt consistent measurement practices are better able to interpret results and communicate insights clearly. Looking ahead, new measures like Units per Shopper Visit add further depth to understanding performance in dynamic retail settings.

Further Reading

As RMNs evolve into omnichannel media platforms—reported by TechRadar Pro—velocity metrics like Units per Shopper Visit now directly inform media ROI and in-store ad performance