For many beverage companies, visibility into product performance becomes increasingly limited once products leave the wholesaler. While sophisticated systems often track inventory through manufacturing and distribution channels, the trail frequently goes cold when products reach traditional trade outlets.
In traditional trade, which includes spaza shops, taverns, kiosks, dukas, independent retailers and informal outlets, record keeping is often minimal or non-existent. Yet these outlets represent a significant share of beverage sales across many African markets.
Without accurate and timely data, beverage companies are effectively operating blind.
Understand your brands performance
If you cannot measure your brand’s performance, you cannot improve it.
Questions such as:
- Is my brand available in the right outlets?
- How does my market share compare to competitors?
- Are promotional activities driving sales?
- Which pack sizes and variants perform best?
- Where are distribution gaps occurring?
become extremely difficult to answer without reliable market intelligence.
This is particularly true in Africa, where traditional trade remains the dominant retail channel in many countries. Understanding what is happening at outlet level is not simply useful—it is essential for growth.
Frontline Research Group excels in traditional trade
For three decades, FRG has been helping leading beverage companies gain visibility into some of the world’s most complex retail environments. With extensive experience across Africa, FRG has built one of the continent’s most comprehensive databases and tracking capabilities for traditional trade.
“FRG has been working in Africa for three decades and has developed an unmatched understanding of traditional trade across the continent,” says Steve Johnson, Managing Director of FRG. “Our expertise enables clients to move beyond assumptions and make decisions based on accurate, actionable data.”
FRG provides accurate data on retail sales measurement, omnichannel tracking and purchasing behaviour across a broad range of beverage categories, including beer, wine, spirits, RTDs, no/low alcohol brands, soft drinks, water and traditional beers.
“Brands cannot improve market share if they do not understand what is happening at the point of purchase,” says Johnson. “We provide clients with the visibility they need to identify opportunities, address challenges and accelerate growth.”
Unlike many research companies that focus primarily on modern trade, FRG specialises in developing economies and traditional trade. The company has spent years refining its methodologies to accurately measure brand performance in environments where conventional retail data simply does not exist.
There are few companies that understand and can monitor the performance of brands in traditional trade like FRG.
Historic and current data
Over the years, FRG has built extensive historical tracking databases for the beverage industry and currently operates numerous ongoing panels across Africa. Through these syndicated research initiatives, beverage companies can access valuable market intelligence at a fraction of the cost of commissioning standalone research.
This syndicated approach allows participating companies to benefit from continuous tracking while sharing costs with other industry players, making world-class market intelligence both accessible and affordable.
“Whether clients want to understand availability, market share, pricing, execution or shopper behaviour, our syndicated solutions provide robust insights without the expense of bespoke studies,” explains Johnson. “The result is better decisions, stronger distribution strategies and improved brand performance.”
In increasingly competitive markets, data has become one of the most valuable assets an FMCG company can possess. Those companies that understand what is happening in traditional trade gain a significant competitive advantage over those that rely on assumptions.
With decades of African experience, extensive historical datasets and ongoing syndicated panels, Frontline Research Group remains one of the leading partners for beverage companies seeking to understand, and grow, their brands in traditional trade.
For more information contact: Steve Johnson, Managing Director at Frontline Research Group on Tel: +230 5493 6376 and email: steve@frontlineresearchgroup.com or Art Janse van Rensburg, Executive: New Business Sales, on Tel: +27 (0)71 889 9080 and email art@frontlineresearchgroup.com
