DemandTec named a Leader in Global Trade Promotion Management & Optimization
Analyst recognition
A Leader in Global Trade Promotion Management & Optimization, 2026
QKS Group named DemandTec a Leader in the SPARK Matrix™: Global Trade Promotion Management & Optimization, 2026 — independent recognition of the promotion platform retailers and their CPG partners plan on.
The problem
Most promotions are planned on hope and evaluated on memory
72%
of trade promotions fail to break even (Nielsen · McKinsey)
40–60%
of every promotional event is funded by CPGs — dollars most calendars only assume
Calendars built on assumed vendor dollars, events copied from last year, and post-mortems that arrive a quarter late. A forecast-led plan changes the order of operations: model the event, fund it with committed dollars, then run it — and watch it perform against the forecast in real time. Plan on real dollars, or repeat the 72%.
Category teams keep getting smaller while the lever count grows. One shared workspace across pricing, promotions, and markdown — built against a single demand model — is designed to collapse the manual scenario work into a single goal-based planning conversation.
The promise
Model the event before you commit the shelf
Every event runs on the same demand model that sets everyday price — so predicted lift, cannibalization, and margin impact are on the table before the calendar locks. Then execution is tracked against that forecast live, and the post-evaluation writes itself instead of arriving a quarter late.
See how it worksModel
Predicted lift & margin, before commit
Fund
Backed by committed vendor dollars
Run
Flighted to shelf & digital, tracked live
Prove
Evaluated on live data · feeds next quarter
What’s in the module
Plan it, flight it, prove it
Three capabilities, one calendar, one forecast — from the modeled event to the post-evaluation that starts next quarter smarter.
Promo Planning
Events built forecast-first — predicted lift, cannibalization, and margin impact on the table before the event is committed to the calendar.
Promo Flighting & Execution
The approved plan flighted to stores and digital, with execution tracked against the forecast while the event is still running.
Promotion Eventing & Slotting
Events slotted against the calendar and evaluated on live data afterward, so what worked feeds next quarter's plan instead of a binder.
Connected to the deal layer
Vendor-funded events, on real committed dollars
CPGs fund 40 to 60 percent of every promotional event. When the calendar pulls funding from Trade Performance — the bilateral deal layer where retailers and their CPG and broker partners co-plan and settle — each event is backed by a committed fund balance both sides can see, not an assumption that unravels at settlement.
The event you promote is the deal your supplier funded. Same record, both sides.
See Trade PerformanceSame calendar. Better return.
Measurable lift, higher ROI, less margin left at settlement
90%+
demand-forecast accuracy behind every modeled event
7,800+
connected CPG partners funding events on the same records
Measurable lift
Predicted lift modeled before commit and evaluated on live data after — every event proves its return, not just its plan.
Higher promotion ROI
Events built on committed vendor dollars and a 90%+ forecast, so fewer of them fall on the wrong side of break-even.
Less margin leakage
Cannibalization and margin impact are on the table before shelf space is committed, not discovered at settlement.
Faster planning
A calendar built from modeled events and real funding, instead of last year's plan with new dates.
Part of Revenue Optimization
Promotions is one of three levers on the same model
Promotions ships as part of Revenue Optimization, alongside the levers it should never fight — so the event is measured against the price you set and never undercut by the clearance that follows.
Go deeper
Go deeper on retail promotion optimization
Questions buyers ask
Frequently asked questions
What is retail promotion optimization?
Retail promotion optimization uses a demand model to predict an event's lift, cannibalization, and margin impact before it is committed, then recommends the depth, timing, and funding that meet the goal. The event is evaluated against that forecast on live data afterward, so the next plan starts from what actually worked.
Why do most trade promotions fail to break even?
Roughly 72% of trade promotions never break even (Nielsen, McKinsey). Most are planned on assumed vendor dollars, copied from last year's calendar, and evaluated a quarter late. Total units can look strong while incremental units and margin are negative — incremental measurement is the honest test.
How is promotion planning different from trade promotion management?
Promotion planning and optimization decide which events to run, at what price and depth, on the retailer's demand model. Trade promotion management is the system of record that funds, executes, and settles those events with suppliers. DemandTec connects the two: events planned here draw committed dollars from Trade Performance, the bilateral deal layer.
How does DemandTec measure promotion ROI?
Every event is modeled first — predicted lift versus baseline — then tracked against that forecast while it runs and evaluated on live data after. Incremental units and margin are weighed against the discount and the trade funding spent, and the post-evaluation feeds the next quarter's plan.
Is Promotions sold on its own?
Promotions ships as part of Revenue Optimization, alongside Pricing and Markdowns on the same demand model. DemandTec is enterprise SaaS on an annual subscription with a custom quote, scoped to the suites, modules, and scale of your operation.
Plan your next event on committed dollars
A 30-minute walk of forecast-led planning, flighting, and post-evaluation against your promo workflow.