Case Study
How ScanApps Helped a Leading CPG Manufacturer Recover $11 Million in Trade Spend Discrepancies
The Challenge: A Hidden Gap in Trade Promotion Visibility
Even the most disciplined trade promotion programs can fall victim to unseen inefficiencies.
A leading dry grocery CPG manufacturer, known for its rigorous trade spend practices, faced a critical challenge — lack of visibility into retail execution.
While their promotions ran across thousands of stores each year, they struggled to verify whether retailer-submitted claims reflected actual in-store performance. Without a systematic validation process, small errors multiplied across a massive promotional footprint, leading to significant potential losses.
Key Obstacles:
- Limited transparency into retailer-provided performance data
- High claim volume with no validation framework
- No clear understanding of discrepancy patterns or root causes
The ScanApps Solution: Turning Data into Discipline
To bring clarity to complexity, the manufacturer partnered with Scanner Applications (ScanApps) to establish a comprehensive promotion validation program.
Using validated scan-down data, ScanApps compared claimed promotional performance against actual retail results, giving the client the transparency they needed to confirm execution accuracy across thousands of promotional events.
ScanApps’ Approach:
- Validated promotional performance across all major retailer partners
- Audited performance claims for variances from authorized agreements
- Categorized and analyzed discrepancies to uncover systemic issues
This disciplined process not only identified mismatches but also revealed the root causes driving inefficiencies — enabling the client to take corrective action swiftly and confidently.
The Results: $11 Million Recovered and a Stronger Trade Framework
The validation analysis revealed $11,000,000 in discrepancies, accounting for 9.5% of total claimed promotional spend.
These findings shed light on previously invisible issues, including:
- Unauthorized fees applied by retailers
- Overextended billing windows beyond approved promotion dates
- Inflated unit counts (billing for more units than sold)
- Ineligible UPCs included in claims
The Impact:
- Recovered millions in unnecessary trade spend
- Improved claim accuracy and accountability
- Enhanced retailer trust through transparent reconciliation
- Established a best-in-class trade validation process for future events
The Takeaway: Visibility Protects Value
This case underscores a vital truth for CPG manufacturers — visibility equals control. By partnering with ScanApps, the client not only recovered millions but also gained a scalable framework for ensuring ongoing trade integrity.
With ScanApps’ validation platform, brands can:
- Gain real-time transparency into retail performance
- Reduce waste and leakage in trade promotion spend
- Build stronger, more accountable retailer relationships
Ready to uncover hidden value in your trade promotions?
Discover how ScanApps can help you validate performance and protect your investment.
ScanApps is a U.S.-based scan-down promotion and payment provider for grocery and beverage retailers. We offer validated claim processing, customizable reporting, and fast reimbursement services for CPG brands across the country.