Publications
Publications
- March 2011
- HBS Case Collection
Cash Flow Productivity at PepsiCo: Communicating Value to Retailers
Abstract
PepsiCo developed a new metric that better measured the value added by Pepsi products than did gross margin, the traditional metric used by retailers to determine shelf space and promotional activity. The new metric, cash flow productivity, captured the value of Pepsi's Direct-Store-Distribution (DSD) service and the strong attraction of its nationally advertised brands. Pepsi managers believed that their full service distribution service saved customers money and their strong brands generated more traffic and sales, but that most retailers, looking only at gross margins, missed this added value. Pepsi managers struggled to craft a strategy that would convince retailers to adopt cash flow productivity as a metric for making merchandising decisions in their stores.
Keywords
Customer Relationship Management; Cash Flow; Measurement and Metrics; Distribution; Performance Productivity; Value Creation; Food and Beverage Industry; Retail Industry
Citation
Martinez Jerez, F. Asis, and Lisa Brem. "Cash Flow Productivity at PepsiCo: Communicating Value to Retailers." Harvard Business School Case 111-069, March 2011.