As an independent retailer, profit per square foot is arguably your most important metric. If every inch isn’t working as hard as it could for you, your store risks losing sales. With consumer confidence down year on year (Nielsen, June 2026), it’s especially important that products which don’t justify their footprint are swiftly removed, their space freed up for the ones that customers are actually searching for.
In this moment, the temptation is to reach for a core range bestseller, perhaps extend the facing of an already top-performer in your store. The shopper marketing research on this is thorough. Everything points to this being the conventional decision – of course there’s less risk in a category market leader.
Perhaps it’s time to celebrate the unconventional decisions. At Epicurium, we’ve built our business around products that do not typically appear on convenience planograms. We believe that it can actually be a riskier decision for smaller operators to compete solely on the lines that larger retailers can discount heavily and drive volume. Instead, we focus on the market leaders within niches – the best in prebiotics, the top meal replacement drink, the number-one clean-label kids’ snacking brand.
At a store level, success lies in balancing timeless staples with products that tap into these high-growth trends. It’s a strategy that can be anchored entirely by sales data to provide guardrails and manage risk.
What constitutes success will be different for every store – you get to define it – and by tracking performance on your EPoS, you can introduce these products in a monitored way that builds your business rather than risks it.
Sounds simple? Easy for us to say! Here we’ve spoken to two leading retailers to find out how they do it.
When to review your range
How often is too often? Most independent retailers we’ve spoken to over the years review their ranges every three months as a rule of thumb, sooner if they’ve had an influx of new products.
“We need to see if a product lasts the hype, and three months is typically the sweet spot,” explains Sudesh Patel, owner of Londis Coulsdon, in London. “Three months gives customers the opportunity to see the product, try it and repurchase.”
Over the three months, Sudesh will monitor his EPoS data periodically. He stays glued to two figures to understand a product’s performance – margin and frequency of sale.
“We aim for a 20% minimum margin if it’s a core line. If it drops below this, or sales drop after two weeks, we’ll review and potentially delist,” he continues. “It’s the same for ordering. We need to sell a case every two weeks to make it worth the space it’s given.”
Being able to sum up what success looks like for an individual line in two sentences gives clarity to the whole team. How would you phrase this for your store?
Three months isn’t enough time to gather data for some products though, explains Sasi Patel, owner of several Go Local Stores in Greater Manchester.
“We are led by our EPoS data,” he says. “If you’re using it right, it will offer you good insights on volume sales and it will tell you what you can afford to lose to make something a success in the longer term.”
While your own data offers the best view of what your shoppers are buying from you, it’s pretty terrible at showing you what they are buying elsewhere. We have a view across our hundreds of retail customers and our team can suggest on-trend brands that work well in stores just like yours
Consider us a partner for your range reviews, not just a source of supply. We’re here to help.
Balancing the core range vs innovative new products
As a rule of thumb, 80% of your range should be dedicated to reliable and consistent core sellers that help get your shoppers through the door. Don’t overcomplicate your range and prioritise demonstrating value and building trust. Sasi, for example, focuses on price-marked packs to form his core range.
“You need to show value in your ranges and with PMPs, nobody complains about the price,” he says. “But with new products, we can get away with stocking non-PMPs to generate higher margins.”
The remaining 20% of the shelf, though, is where you can stand out. This space should be handed over to on-trend products, like health-conscious, or premium options that offer higher margins. Treat this 20% as your testing space, giving any new brands eight-to-12 weeks to sell and creating strict metrics to measure their success against. If it doesn’t meet those metrics, shift it and try something new.
Retailer advice: Common pitfalls to avoid
Sudesh and Sasi share their proven tips:
- Make it a priority: Sudesh says one common pitfall retailers fall into is not paying attention to their range. He says: “You’re busy, I get it, and reviewing your range can fall down the to-do list, but it shouldn’t. And if it falls down consistently, it will impact your business.” One approach could be to start small, choose one category, look at your sales data and set a minimum amount to delist, and repeat.
- Make it part of your process: Without regular range reviews, the risk of waste and out-of-stocks will increase. Sasi Patel says that by making it a non-negotiable part of your store’s routine, it will soon become second nature.
- Make it a team effort: Conducting a range review is an advanced task and exercises several skills including analysing data and sourcing new products. It’s a great project to give ambitious staff members who want to learn more about how the business works. Delegate certain categories to different team members and watch them take ownership of their own goals.
