Sapien for Retail

Understand the profit behind every sale.

Q: What would we connect first?

Start with a question your team needs to answer. For the example above, the relevant inputs include POS transactions, Promotion calendar, Vendor invoices. Together, we would agree on the definition of store contribution, map the relevant data, and review the first analysis with your team. The starting scope depends on your systems and data access.

Q: Does Sapien replace our existing tools?

No. Sapien sits on top of your existing systems and connects directly to them. It brings data from your ERP, data warehouse, and spreadsheets into your analysis so you can investigate questions across systems without replacing the tools your business runs on.

Q: How can I verify Sapien’s outputs?

Sapien shows the sources, calculations, and assumptions behind every insight. Your team can inspect supporting records and refine the business logic used on every decision. That gives you a way to validate the answer before acting on it.

Bring store, SKU, promotion, and vendor data into the same analysis. Find where sales growth translates into profit and where margin slips away.

Well-lit store with merchandise displays

Sapien / AnalysisIllustrative product example

Did the promotion grow sales at the expense of profit?

April → May

Additional units added $240k. Discounts and returns cost $340k, leaving profit $100k lower.

Change in store contribution−$100,000

Store contributionUSD, millions

$1.8MApril

$1.7MMay

April$1.8M

May$1.7M

Explore what changed

Select a driver to explore the calculation.

Returns: −$60,000

Incremental returns reduced the contribution from promotional sales.

5,000 additional returns × $12 contribution= $60,000 decrease

Source reference

Returns ledger · Reversed contribution

A next question

Which stores generated profitable incremental sales?

Your business logic, built in

The answer starts with how your business works.

Sapien connects your data and maps the relationships behind it. Your team adds the definitions, rules, and exceptions that make the analysis useful.

Explore the platform

Connected business data

POS transactionsPromotion calendarVendor invoices

Shared definition

Store contribution

Net sales after discounts and returns, less product cost. Keep comparable stores and promotion dates consistent across the analysis.

Store → RegionSKU → CategoryPromotion → Channel

The same knowledge informs every analysis.

From the first question to the next decision

More ways to put Sapien to work.

Break down key drivers behind gross margin fluctuations

Decompose margin changes by price, cost, mix, and volume across every channel, region, store, category, and SKU. Know exactly why margin dropped and where to focus.

Identify which SKUs and channels are bleeding margin

Flag negative-margin SKUs, promo cannibalization, and vendor chargebacks at the store and channel level. Catch leakage before it costs you another quarter.

Hold vendors accountable with full cost visibility

Separate vendor-driven cost changes from market shifts and quantify the dollar impact by supplier. Arm procurement to renegotiate with data, not scorecards.

Model pricing, promo, and expansion scenarios before you commit

Compare pricing changes, promo strategies, and new store or channel economics side by side with full margin impact. Quantify the tradeoffs instead of guessing.

Frequently asked questions

What would we connect first?

Does Sapien replace our existing tools?

How can I verify Sapien’s outputs?