The key questions every FMCG sales leader must answer for 2026

Winning customers in 2026: intentional choices and disciplined execution

As you plan for 2026, your brief is simple but unforgiving, deliver market share and profit in a market still split between value seeking shoppers and premium loyalists. Discounters and private labels are tightening the screws, retail media is reshaping visibility, and supply chains though more resilient, remain unpredictable. The competitive advantage belongs to teams that decide faster, focus sharply, and tell a customer-centric category growth story. Think of the next twelve months as a cycle of hard choices with disciplined execution.

Prioritise the right customers

The critical first question, which customers will deliver profitable growth next year? Not all are worth your time or investment. When you combine category performance, pack size architecture, and cost-to-serve, two customers with identical topline potential can deliver different margin profiles. Build your customer prioritisation on margin contribution, not revenue alone. Look at basket size and fair share and if you under-index versus a customer’s share, be intentional about unlocking growth, provided the commercial return works. The courageous move is to shift spend from low ROI customers to the few that truly generate lasting value.

Get price-pack architecture right

Once priorities are clear, check that your price-pack architecture matches shopper behaviour. 2026 is about real corridors visible in store and online, not just spreadsheets. Protect entry price points where private label challenges the hardest. Create irresistible solutions that allow loyal shoppers to trade-up. Mission matters, grocery stock-up drives one set of sizes, convenience and quick commerce reward portability, eCom baskets are different again. Post inflation, elasticities have shifted, and shoppers are more willing to shop around and switch. Lock down the right corridors and guardrails in during your internal planning, so they are ready to implement when you get to your customer’s plan.

Redefine promotions

Promotions can no longer rely on depth and frequency. The real question is, which mechanics drive incremental profit, not pantry loading? Uplift models and post-event analysis will offer the answer. Multibuys make sense where households stock up, but cross-category bundles can win when products solve adjacent needs. Combine retail media with coupons to convert at the right moment. Tie funding directly to compliance, availability, and execution, because investment without presence is a waste. If the post-promo dip wipes out the gains, change tack or walk away.

Own the shelf – physical and digital

Shoppers cannot buy what is not available. In 2026, managing On Shelf Availability (OSA) with precision will define winners and the top stores and SKUs often decide your month, quarter, or year. Success demands real time visibility of phantom inventory, replenishment, and threats like packaging or data mismatches. The digital shelf matters as much as the physical shelf make sure you are regularly reviewing search rank, content quality, reviews, and availability flags. Negotiate facings and placements tied to performance and show up week after week to support them.

Integrate trade promotion and retail media

Trade promotion and retail media budgets are converging. Retailers sell audiences and digital visibility, but you still need price, promotion, and space. Treat them together, measure them effectively. Align Retail Media impressions, in-aisle events, and baseline seasonality within one frame. Cut poor performers quickly, commit to top decile activity, and match Retail Media Networks to goals such as awareness and new to brand versus just conversion and frequency. The reward is lower acquisition cost, higher incrementality, and fewer internal budget debates.

Build a customer centric JBP

None of this works without a compelling JBP. Speak your customer’s language trips, baskets, margin, loyalty. Define the shopper outcome you will deliver, how that outcome grows the category, and how category growth improves your customer’s margin. Package commitments into a few quantifiable initiatives with clear execution and milestones. Look at loyalty metrics penetration, repeat, regaining lapsed shoppers to move from a supplier to growth partner.

Defend with value, not a race to the bottom

Discounters and private label will keep pushing. Competing is not about lowering prices; it is about having a smart value proposition. Protect KPIs with efficient packs and anchor differentiation with proof points such as, functional benefits and/or sustainability credentials. Use exclusive sizes, bundles, or channel formats to minimise read across and support your story with retail media. When you must value-engineer, do it carefully, preserving the consumer experience.

Simplify to strengthen

Complexity is the enemy of profit and executional excellence. In 2026, ask which SKUs to cut, simplify, or scale. Pareto curves highlight where the volume sits and where inefficiencies multiply. Cut tails that erode margin or shelf presence. Resize case packs to store demand. Scale core heroes and bet behind evidence-backed innovation.

Execute relentlessly

Finally, turn strategy into action through executional excellence and clear KPIs. Build a sales dashboard covering retail sales, margin contribution, on-shelf availability, promotions, retail media, and cost-to-serve by customer. Clarify decision makers who pulls a promo, who reallocates spend, and at what pace. Continuously enhance capabilities by focusing on building digital shelf skills, data storytelling, and the use AI for faster planning and selling. Run weekly reviews to fix issues and monthly checkpoints to shift investment to what is working. Let this cadence become part of your culture.