Back Your Best
Products.
Protect Their Margins.
See which products drive growth and what they earn after Discounts and costs. AI OS connects product demand, margins and launch results so you can decide what to expand, promote or rethink.
Where Should We Focus?
Demand Is Uneven Across the Range
Compare margin and stock coverage alongside sell-through before directing more buying or promotional support to a category.
Deep Discounts Are Producing a Loss
Review the products and included costs behind the loss before extending the offer. Additional sales alone do not justify the discount.
Selected bands
Some Launches Still Have No Sales
Investigate these launches before committing the next round of support. Compare products at similar launch ages.
Your Best Sellers Should Earn Their Place
Sales rank is only part of a product’s value. Margins, discount dependence and sustained demand determine which products deserve more investment.
Decline Hidden by Category Growth
A few successful products lift the category total while established variants lose sales. The next buying decision can miss the change beneath the headline.
Rising Product Costs
A product keeps selling at the same price while its cost rises. The sales report looks steady, but each unit leaves less to fund the business.
Promotions Repeated at a Loss
An offer moves units, so it runs again. The discount and product costs may have produced a loss that volume alone did not reveal.
Launches Without Follow-Through
New products enter the catalog while earlier launches still have no sales. The next launch takes attention away from deciding what the slow starters need.
The Questions Your Merchandising Review Should Answer
Get clear answers on product growth, profit and launch performance before choosing what to back next.
Which products are gaining demand across our markets?
Where are category totals hiding declining variants?
Which best sellers contribute little profit?
Which discount levels are producing losses?
Are new products adding enough sales to the range?
Which launches need attention after their first 90 days?
Introducing Product & Merchandising Within AI OS
AI That Brings Your Next Product Decision Into Focus
Spot the signal. Explore the evidence. Ask the next question.
Explore each capability
See What the Category Total Hides
AI OS identifies products and variants gaining or losing demand. Follow sales, margins and Returns to understand the changes beneath the category result.
Hoodies Sales
Category growth conceals a declining variant. Review its availability and demand before repeating the same buying mix.
Find Where Discounts Are Reducing Profit
AI OS highlights discount bands associated with weak or negative profit. Open the affected products to see where promotional sales need a closer commercial review.
Clearance Hoodies · of the −$4.25M Result
Most of the loss in the deepest discount band sits in this group. Review its offer and costs before applying a blanket change.
Ask What the Product Results Mean
Ask which launches have yet to record a sale, then compare launch age, revenue and geographic demand. Explore the results within the product report before deciding where to invest more or change the plan.
Make Informed Merchandising Decisions
Invest in products with healthy demand, assess the return on promotions and give new launches a clear commercial direction.
Product Growth
Compare sales trends, sell-through, margins and Returns by product and variant. Decide where stronger demand justifies more stock or support and where a declining product needs a different plan.
- Distinguish sustained growth from a single strong week.
- Identify declining variants inside growing categories.
- Read sell-through alongside sales value.
Range investment. Commit buying capacity to sustained demand rather than allowing a short sales spike to drive a lasting inventory commitment.
GROWTH BENEATH THE CATEGORY
Hoodies grow 20% while the Black variant falls 15%. Adjust the buying mix to the demand within the category.
Equal-Length Periods · Variant Rows Reconcile to Category
Product Profitability
Compare the profit products contribute alongside their revenue. Decide where price or cost needs attention before committing more investment to a high-volume seller.
- Identify low- and negative-margin products.
- Identify whether product cost or selling price explains a weak margin.
- Use a consistent cost basis across products.
Return on product investment. Ensure popular products earn enough to justify the capital and commercial support they receive.
PRODUCT PROFIT CONTRIBUTION
| Category | Gross Sales | Reported Product Profit |
|---|---|---|
| Drinkware | $189.80M | $121.70M |
| Membership Products | $68.70M | $4.40M |
| Adjustable Caps | $36.80M | −$3.90M |
Revenue alone hides weak returns. Review price and costs before increasing investment in Adjustable Caps.
Margin Analysis · Selected Categories · Agreed Cost Basis
Discount Decisions
See how sales and profit differ across discount levels and categories. Assess which offers deserve another run and where the markdown costs more than the sale contributes.
- Locate loss-making discount bands.
- Track dependence on promotional sales over time.
- Check product-level profit before extending an offer.
Promotion economics. Set a commercial limit on how much margin the business is willing to give up to generate additional sales.
PRODUCTS BEHIND THE PROMOTION LOSS
70–80% Discount Band · Total Loss $4.25M
New-Product Contribution
Compare new launches with the established range and relevant benchmark variants. Assess whether their revenue and margin justify further investment or call for a revised commercial plan.
- Track the share of revenue coming from new products.
- Compare a new variant with up to three benchmarks.
- Assess launches at a comparable stage of development.
Value of range expansion. Establish whether recent launches strengthen the commercial case for adding more products.
NEW VARIANT AGAINST BENCHMARK
Difference−$2,892,500
Check selling age, availability and launch support before committing more investment.
New & Existing Products · NP-025, L / Black
Launch Follow-Up
Follow first-sale timing, revenue development and demand by market. Decide where a launch is finding customers and which slow starts need more focused investigation or support.
- Review no-sale launches separately from slow sellers.
- Compare revenue growth at similar launch ages.
- Use country, region and city demand to focus support.
Launch investment priorities. Avoid spreading launch budgets indefinitely across products that have yet to demonstrate demand.
CUMULATIVE SHARE OF FIRST-YEAR REVENUE
Compare launches at the same age before treating a slow start as a weak product.
Completed 12-Month Launch Cohorts · Observed Revenue
Set Up, Connected and Maintained for You
We connect catalog, sales, Returns and cost records so merchandising and finance can assess the same product results. We align margin and launch definitions and maintain the model as your range changes. A traditional ERP is not required.
Product and Sales Data Review
- Review catalog, sales and cost records alongside Shopify, QuickBooks, Xero and any ERP in use.
- Map categories, products and variants so sales link to the correct records.
- Check launch dates and transaction history for post-launch comparisons.
Product and Margin Definitions
- Align the treatment of Discounts, Returns and included product costs.
- Configure comparison periods, launch cohorts and category-level benchmarks.
- Reconcile product sales, margin and launch totals with the source reports.
Rollout and Team Access
- Set access for merchandising, marketing, finance and leadership.
- Agree the product measures and thresholds used in range reviews.
- Give Merchandising ownership of the range, Finance of cost definitions and Marketing of promotional follow-up.
Ongoing Support as You Grow
- Maintain connections and product mappings as the catalog changes.
- Add agreed categories, markets and launch-analysis requirements.
- Update cost definitions and benchmarks as commercial priorities evolve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers on product profitability, Discounts, launch performance and the definitions behind the analysis.
How do you make product margins comparable?
Use the same treatment of Discounts, Returns and included costs across the range. We agree that basis with finance. Reported product profit is not company Net Profit unless every relevant expense, including overhead, has been allocated.
Can a high-selling promotion still lose money?
Yes. A discounted price may fail to cover the costs included in the product profit calculation. Separately, the first-purchase product may attract customers whose subsequent contribution never recovers CAC, the Toxic Bestseller problem. Review product profit here and customer-cohort economics with marketing before repeating the offer.
Can new products be compared with the existing range?
Yes. Review new-product contribution and compare a new variant with up to three benchmark variants. Choose similar products and comparable periods.
Which product and merchandising KPIs can leadership track?
Review product sales, growth, sell-through, margins, Returns, discount use and new-product contribution. Launch measures include time to first sale, post-launch revenue and geographic reach.
How are new launches assessed before they have much sales history?
The launch view compares first-90-day revenue within each category once products are old enough to assess. Launches with no recorded sale after 90 days are shown separately. Compare similar launch ages when assessing early performance.
How do we know whether a sales spike represents sustained demand?
Compare weekly or monthly sales and units over time, then check sell-through and discount activity. A strong week is a reason to investigate the change, not evidence on its own that demand has permanently increased.
What does AI highlight in the product review?
AI OS highlights products and variants with changes in sales, margins or Returns. It helps you find what needs attention beneath the category total.
Can AI explain where promotional sales are losing profit?
It identifies discount bands associated with weak or negative profit. Open the affected products and included costs to assess the offer before repeating it.
Can I ask how a new product is performing?
Yes. Ask within the product report, then follow up on launch age, revenue development or geographic demand. Compare products at similar stages before deciding where to add support.
How do we verify an AI finding about a product?
Check the variant, comparison period, launch date and margin definition. Review the underlying sales and Returns before changing a price, promotion or buying plan.
Does AI OS change prices or promotions automatically?
AI analysis supports your merchandising decisions. Pricing, assortment and campaign changes remain subject to your team’s approval and the agreed operational workflow.
How are product and variant records connected?
We map identifiers and the product hierarchy so sales, Returns and costs link to the correct category, product and variant.
Do we need to replace our catalog or commerce system?
No. Your existing systems continue to manage product records and transactions. We connect the agreed catalog, sales, Returns and cost data in AI OS so merchandising and finance can review the same product performance.
What history is needed for launch analysis?
Reliable launch dates and transaction history support first-sale timing and post-launch comparisons. We check the available history before confirming the scope.
How long does setup take?
Plan for roughly a month, subject to catalog consistency, cost history and launch dates. We agree the first scope after reviewing the sources, then maintain the mappings and analysis as the range evolves.
Who maintains the product model as the catalog changes?
Our team maintains the agreed connections, variant mappings and calculations. Your team confirms commercial definitions, new product groupings and changes to pricing or launch policies.
Back the Products That Earn Their Place
Connect demand, profit and launch performance before deciding which products deserve more investment and which need a different plan.
Prefer email? business@rudderanalytics.com
