Built to give retail data a fifth sense.
The market operates like a body. It needs a nervous system.
Retail data has spent decades getting better at recording what already happened, while the thing that actually determines a brand's next move, demand that went unmet, has stayed invisible.
Afferent Signal and the Afferent Store Network exist to make that visible: capturing verified, forward-looking consumer intent and matching it to real stores, so a brand can bring store-level demand to a retail buyer.
We help CPG brands validate new products with verified local demand before they hit store shelves, and turn that demand into a pitch a retail buyer can act on.
What we build on
Every request traces back to a real shopper at a real store, not a sample extrapolated across a panel. Revenue figures are modeled estimates, and we label them that way.
No enterprise sales cycle and no six-figure minimum. Sprints have fixed prices and a fixed timeline, and Afferent Forms starts at $625 a month, quoted for the stores you choose, with nothing charged until you agree.
Every other retail data stream tells you what happened. We're built to show where demand already exists.
Afferent Signal and the Store Network aren't separate tools bolted together. They're one system, designed to grow as one.
Frequently asked
What is Afferent Signal?+
We help CPG brands validate new products with verified local demand before they hit store shelves. We capture the demand shoppers declare (the thing POS, consumer panels, supply chain feeds, and frequent shopper programs are all structurally unable to see), match every request to a real store, and deliver it as a Merchant Pitch Deck a retail buyer can act on.
How are Retail Sell-In Sprints priced?+
At fixed prices, with no enterprise contract: a Retail Sell-In Sprint is $7,500 over 21 days, a Concept & Flavor Sprint is $3,500 over 14 days, and a Quarterly Line-Review Retainer is $2,000 a month. Prefer to build it yourself? Afferent Forms is free to build; plans start at $625 a month with a three-month minimum, and we quote the exact price for the stores you choose. The Store Network behind the Sprints is internal infrastructure and is not sold as a data list. Details are on the Resources page.
What happens to a shopper's submission?+
A submission is owned by Afferent Signal and shared with brands and distributors to advocate for stocking the product. That's the explicit consent every shopper agrees to before submitting through the capture app.
Is this a replacement for POS, panel data or concept testing?+
No. It adds to them. POS, panels, supply chain logs and loyalty programs record what already happened, and concept tests show whether shoppers like an idea. A Retail Sell-In Sprint shows where shoppers asked for a specific product at a specific store, before it is on that shelf. Declared interest is not a completed purchase.