The time factor: the speed of turnover in GDO.

In modern distribution, the success of a wine is not only measured in volumes sold or margins per bottle. The variable that more than any other decides the life or death of a reference is time: How quickly the product moves from the shelf to the consumer’s shopping cart. In other words, rotation.

Rotation is a simple but ruthless indicator. For the retailer, it is equivalent to saying. Whether shelf space is used well or poorly. A wine that “turns” slowly, even if it provides an attractive unit margin, unnecessarily occupies linear inches that could be entrusted to a product capable of generating faster cash flows. In a context where every meter of shelf space is an investment, rotational speed is the litmus test of profitability.

For producers, the consequence is clear: it is not enough to win a listing, you have to prove you deserve it day after day. The real challenge is not to enter, but to stay. And that means working carefully on sell-out data, not just looking at sell-in as a target achieved. Indeed, it is the pace of actual sales that determines whether the reference will be confirmed or replaced at the next assortment renewal.

How then is a good rotation sustained?

First with clarity of positioning: the consumer needs to understand within seconds what that wine represents, what price range it belongs to, what promise it holds. An indecipherable label or ambiguous positioning are enemies of the short time with which purchasing decisions are made in the aisle.

Second, with initiatives that support the visibility of the product without distorting its positioning. The logic is not one of continuous discounting, which risks compromising perceived value, but rather of a clear and consistent communication that allows the consumer to recognize a
fair price
everyday. Tools such as shelf talkers, collars, or QR codes can reinforce immediate product understanding and guide choice without having to resort to the leverage of pure opportunistic convenience.

Finally, rotation is nurtured by the coordination between what happens on the shelf and external communication. A wine that consumers have seen enhanced in a digital campaign, mentioned in an authoritative article or told about by an influencer is more likely to be recognized and chosen quickly. But for this to happen, the collaboration with the retailer: when the sign supports and amplifies the manufacturer’s marketing efforts, the value created grows for both. A good Synergy in communication, in-store and out-of-store, is one of the most effective tools for ensuring sales continuity and rotation strength.

The lesson for producers is simple but challenging: the GDO is not a wine museum, where the bottle can wait for months on display. It is a dynamic ecosystem that rewards those who can move quickly, generate consistent sales and prove that their space is never wasted.

In other words, each bottle must have a specific reason for being chosen right away, not “sooner or later.”