Circana's AI Tool Aims to Revolutionize In-Store Retail Testing

CHICAGO, IL – January 06, 2026 – In a move set to reshape how consumer brands and retailers approach in-store strategy, data analytics leader Circana today launched Liquid Testing™, an AI-powered, self-serve platform. The tool is designed to give companies a dramatically faster and more precise method for validating changes to products, pricing, promotions, and shelf layouts before committing to a full-scale rollout.

By leveraging advanced testing methodologies and granular, store-level POS data, Liquid Testing quantifies the real-world sales impact of new initiatives. The launch addresses a long-standing pain point in the fast-moving consumer goods (CPG) and general merchandise sectors: the slow, expensive, and often uncertain process of traditional market testing. Circana promises its new solution will empower brands to reduce launch risks and avoid costly failures in an increasingly competitive market.

The Quest for Speed and Precision in a High-Stakes Market

For decades, CPG brands and retailers have grappled with the challenge of accurately predicting a new strategy's success. Traditional test-and-learn cycles often take weeks or months, involving manual selection of test and control stores, cumbersome data collection, and lengthy analysis. This slow pace is a significant liability in a market where consumer trends shift rapidly and the pressure to innovate is constant. A flawed product launch or an ineffective promotional campaign can cost a company millions in lost sales, wasted inventory, and damaged brand reputation.

The broader industry has been turning to artificial intelligence to overcome these hurdles. AI-driven analytics platforms are proving capable of processing vast datasets at speeds unattainable through manual methods. They can identify subtle patterns in consumer behavior, automate the complex process of creating matched control groups, and deliver predictive insights with greater accuracy. This technological shift is moving the industry away from intuition-based decisions and toward a more agile, data-driven approach. By reducing human error and enabling rapid scenario modeling, AI helps companies test more ideas, fail faster on a smaller scale, and ultimately launch more successful initiatives.

Circana's Liquid Testing™ enters the market as a direct response to this need for accelerated, reliable intelligence. The platform aims to democratize in-store experimentation, making it accessible, fast, and integrated into daily workflows.

A Look Inside the Liquid Testing Platform

At its core, Liquid Testing is engineered for speed. Circana claims that test configurations that once took extensive planning can now be set up in minutes, with actionable results delivered in days. This acceleration is powered by a trifecta of technological advancements: AI-powered test design, automated store matching, and intuitive, streamlined reporting dashboards. The platform automates the critical but time-consuming task of selecting statistically valid control stores, ensuring that the measured sales lift is a true reflection of the tested change, not just market noise.

As the latest addition to Circana’s Liquid SaaS portfolio, the tool is notable for being the first experimentation solution built to work seamlessly with the company's existing analytics, demand forecasting, and shopper insights products. This integration creates a unified ecosystem where teams can move fluidly from an initial idea to validation and, ultimately, to a full-scale launch, all within a single platform.

“The future of testing is here,” said Patty Altman, president of Global Solutions for Circana, in the company's announcement. “Liquid Testing is a major advancement for brand, innovation, and activation teams, providing a fast, easy, integrated platform for clients to run countless tests and validate strategies without risk.”

By providing a direct line of sight from a specific in-store action—such as a new product placement or a temporary price reduction—to its impact on sales, the platform provides the empirical evidence needed to make confident, high-stakes decisions.

Navigating a Competitive and Evolving Market

Circana is not alone in the push to bring AI to the retail shelf. The retail analytics space is a dynamic and competitive field, with established players and innovative startups all vying to offer the next breakthrough solution. Companies like dunnhumby have long been leaders in customer data science, offering sophisticated analytics for assortment and promotion optimization. Similarly, SymphonyAI Retail CPG provides a suite of AI-led tools for everything from shelf planning to supply chain management.

Against this backdrop, Circana is positioning Liquid Testing with a distinct value proposition centered on its self-serve nature and deep integration. While many solutions require significant consultant involvement or exist as standalone products, Liquid Testing is designed to be a hands-on tool for brand and category managers. More importantly, its integration into the wider Liquid Data® platform is a key strategic advantage. This ecosystem connects hundreds of datasets with client-specific information, powered by algorithms trained on decades of domain expertise. Users can therefore not only measure the outcome of a test but also connect those results to deeper shopper behavior insights and total store performance, all within one environment.

This holistic approach allows clients to move beyond simply asking "Did it work?" to understanding "Why did it work, and who did it work for?" This capability is crucial for building repeatable, scalable growth strategies.

The Broader Impact on Retail Strategy and Growth

The launch of tools like Liquid Testing™ is indicative of a profound transformation underway in the retail industry. The global market for AI in retail is projected to grow exponentially, with some forecasts predicting it will exceed $40 billion by 2030. This investment is driven by the clear ROI that AI delivers through enhanced operational efficiency, optimized supply chains, and, most critically, a deeper understanding of the customer. For CPG companies, the adoption of AI has been shown to boost profitability by double-digit percentages.

By enabling rapid, low-risk experimentation, these platforms fundamentally change how companies innovate. They foster a culture of continuous improvement, where strategies are constantly tested, refined, and validated with real-world data. This agility is essential for survival and growth in an economy marked by supply chain disruptions, shifting consumer loyalties, and the rise of e-commerce.

With its initial availability in major global markets—the US, UK, France, Italy, and Germany—Circana’s solution also addresses the needs of multinational corporations seeking to standardize their testing methodologies and accelerate strategy deployment across diverse regions. By providing a common platform and a consistent source of truth, it helps global brands act with local precision, giving them the clarity and confidence needed to launch winning business strategies on a worldwide scale.