New capability identifies limited-distribution SKU tests, measures their impact on the category, and turns the findings into retailer-ready recommendations

NEW YORK, Nov. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Datavations, the leader in commercial intelligence for home improvement and building materials suppliers, today announced the official launch of the Store Test Tracker. The capability shows suppliers where any new products are being tested across Home Depot, Lowes, Menards and others, how those tests are performing, and what they mean for the category.

Many new SKUs at big box home improvement retailers begin as tests in a limited set of stores. A test that succeeds can become a national placement within months, often reshaping a category before competing suppliers know it exists. Panel and receipt-based data rarely detect and can never effectively measure brand or category impact.

The Store Test Tracker uses Datavations’ daily, store-level SKU-grain data to flag products in limited distribution and follow them through testing, expansion, stall, or discontinuation. Manufacturers can compare sales velocity and volume of each test SKU against similar SKUs in the set, then measure category growth and impact across brands in test stores against the rest of the chain.

Early users have used the tracker to spot competitor testing in as few as 10-20 stores, show a merchant that a competitor test was cannibalizing the category rather than growing it, and demonstrate category growth from their own launches.

“Merchants decide what earns a national placement based on how a product performs in as few as a couple dozen stores. Our customers can now see that decision forming, for their own items and for their competitors’, and walk into a merchant meeting with a data-backed recommendation instead of a reaction,” said Philip Odelfelt, Founder & CEO, Datavations.

The Store Test Tracker has been available to select suppliers on a limited basis since October and is already in use by more than 15 manufacturers across categories including adhesives, security, paint applicators, outdoor and building products. Automated alerts that notify customers when a new test appears in their categories are planned for the coming months.

“The goal is to answer two questions. First, what store tests are running in the category? Second, what impact are those having on the category?,” said Kai Graham, Director of Product, Datavations.

About Datavations

Datavations is a leading commercial intelligence platform for home improvement manufacturers. By aggregating daily SKU-level pricing and inventory data, Datavations delivers accurate, store-level sell-through intelligence across Home Depot, Lowe’s, Menards, Ace Hardware, Tractor Supply, Floor & Decor and Ferguson. Customers use the platform to optimize pricing, assortment, and inventory. Learn more at www.datavations.ai.

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SOURCE Datavations