22 January 2026

When a quarterly refresh beats a full redraw

Signals that your category margin contribution charts are stale — and when a lighter refresh is enough.

Not every assortment change needs a brand-new engagement. A quarterly chart refresh fits when field mappings are stable and only costs, mix, or promos moved.

Refresh signals

  • Supplier cost letters landed for a large share of the aisle
  • Promo depth changed on contribution leaders
  • A modest range tweak redistributed volume without renaming the category tree

Full redraw signals

  • Banner merger or new franchise codes
  • Finance changed the official cost basis
  • You need a different contribution definition for a board pack

If you are unsure, describe the change in a chart brief and we will recommend the lighter path when it is honest to do so.