Aisle AI x Spylt

Case Study: Spylt

ByAisle
How Spylt used AisleAI to win in better-for-you beverages

by Steve Quercia, Chief Sales Officer at Spylt

Background

When we launched SPYLT, I knew we were entering one of the most competitive categories in the beverage industry: functional, better-for-you beverages. Every week, a new brand was hitting shelves with a similar promise—protein, clean label, or lifestyle positioning. But for SPYLT, we weren’t just here to play. We were here to scale, and fast.

As CSO, my responsibility was clear: deliver distribution, prove velocity, and lock in anchor partners that could take SPYLT from challenger to category leader. But to do that, we needed more than instinct—we needed precision data that told us exactly where to play and how to win.

The Challenge: Launching in a competitive category

Spylt faced three critical sales and distribution goals:

  1. Secure distribution in the right channels
    • Identify where our core consumer was most likely to discover us.
    • Target: hit 20% ACV in convenience retail within 6 months.
  2. Prove velocity at shelf
    • Every new brand promises movement. We had to prove it—fast.
    • Target: $150+ per store/week in first 90 days.
  3. Land anchor retailers for scale
    • We couldn’t stay niche. We needed big-box validation.
    • Target: secure 2 national/regional anchors in 12 months.

The Solution: AI Powered Analytics

When I partnered with AisleAI, I viewed it as an extension of my sales strategy team. Their AI-powered platform gave me more than raw data—it gave me foresight.

Here’s how we applied it:

  1. Targeting Discovery Retailers:
    • AisleAI’s demand models showed me exactly which independent c-stores had the right consumer overlap. That’s how we prioritized region activation and activated 250 high-potential independents for launch.
  2. Driving Velocity:
    • Their market basket analysis told us what categories SPYLT was most often paired with—protein bars, cereals, RTD coffee. That insight shaped promotions and secondary placements that took our pilot velocities to $172/store/week.
  3. Winning Anchor Accounts:
    • The dynamic tool became my proof point in buyer meetings. I was able to show retailers how our facings drove incremental profit, not just category swaps. That data was instrumental in securing Target (regional rollout) and Kroger (ttl enterprise) in year one.

The Results

  • ACV Growth: 44% in CR and Supers within 6 months (exceeding 20% target).
  • Velocity: $172/store/week average in pilot markets (vs. $150 target).
  • Anchor Accounts: Secured 2 national/regional anchors in under 12 months.
  • Expansion: Distribution doubled year-over-year, with repeat purchase rates exceeding category benchmarks by 18%.

My Takeaway as CSO

AisleAI changed the way we sell. Instead of walking into meetings with a story and a sell sheet, we collaborate with proof. Retailers didn’t just see another brand—they saw a business case.

In my role, the difference between “maybe” and “yes” often comes down to evidence. With AisleAI, we can accelerate SPYLT’s credibility, secure the right shelves, and prove to ownership and retailers that this brand isn’t a fad—it was built to scale.

“We would not have achieved this pace of growth without AisleAI. Their platform gave us the clarity to know exactly where to launch, how to drive velocity, and how to walk into buyer meetings with hard proof of our ROI. It changed the way we sell. With AisleAI, we didn’t just get data — we got a competitive edge.”

— Steve Quercia, Spylt

Conclusion

For sales leaders, the lesson is clear instinct will get you started, but data will get you scale. By collaborating with AisleAI, we can:

  1. Win the right shelves.
  2. Prove velocity early.
  3. Land anchor accounts with confidence

Want to achieve results like Spylt? Get started here.