Quick answer
CPG demand planning software forecasts sales for a consumer packaged goods brand across retail and DTC channels, by SKU, and connects those forecasts to inventory and cash. It accounts for retail sell-in versus sell-through, promotional lift, and seasonality, so brands buy the right stock to serve demand without over-committing cash.
CPG demand is a multi-channel puzzle
A CPG brand forecasts demand it does not fully control. Retail sell-through depends on shoppers, not just the retailer's orders; promotions spike demand temporarily; and DTC and wholesale follow different curves. Demand planning software for CPG has to reconcile these into one SKU-level plan that inventory and cash can follow.
Capabilities to require
- Sell-in vs. sell-through. Distinguish retailer orders from consumer demand.
- Promotional lift. Model the temporary bump and the post-promo dip.
- SKU and channel detail. Forecast at the level you purchase and ship.
- Inventory and cash linkage. Turn demand into fundable purchase orders.
Rule of thumb. In CPG, plan to sell-through, not sell-in. A big opening order with weak sell-through leads to markdowns, deductions, and no reorder.
The financial payoff
The point of demand planning is not a tidy forecast; it is buying inventory that turns into revenue and cash rather than dead stock. When demand connects to the financial model, you see the margin and cash impact of a buying decision before you make it. Drivepoint ties CPG demand to inventory, cash, and the P&L in one model.
Where Drivepoint fits. Drivepoint is the AI finance platform built exclusively for consumer brands. It consolidates Shopify, Amazon, retail partners, and your GL into one live model in Excel, then answers what-if questions in minutes. Customers improve EBITDA margins by 6.7 points on average in their first year, and one exceptional finance person with Drivepoint replaces three without it.