Must-sell lists
This page explains what a must-sell list is, how it reaches an outlet, and how it shows up for the rep on the ground.
A must-sell list (MSL) is the set of products an outlet must always stock — the SKUs you expect to find on every visit. A SKU (Stock-Keeping Unit) is one specific sellable product variant. Must-sell lists are central to Modern Trade, but they can apply to General Trade outlets too.
Note: Field Pro never invents or applies a must-sell list on its own. A manager or admin sets one up and chooses where it applies. See the Glossary.
What a must-sell list does
A must-sell list answers one question for each outlet: which products should be here? Once it applies to an outlet, it quietly powers two things the rep sees:
- It seeds the merchandising audit — the audit checks each must-sell product on the shelf. See Merchandising audit (Perfect Store).
- It prompts the order — if a must-sell product isn't on the order the rep is building, the suggested basket flags the gap. See the General Trade guide.
How a list applies to an outlet (scope)
A manager or admin decides which outlets a must-sell list covers. Scope can be set by trade channel, outlet tier, customer group, or territory, with an "apply to all" option, plus the ability to force a specific outlet in or leave one out.
You don't set any of this up as a rep — once an admin scopes a list, it reaches the right outlets automatically.
Best practice (managers): Keep scope simple. Scope by channel or territory first, and use force-include or exclude only for the odd exception. For the full setup walkthrough, see Free schemes, must-sell lists & form templates.
📷 [SHOT: must-sell-lists-1] — web — Must-sell list with its scope (channel/territory) shown — caption: "A manager scopes a must-sell list to the outlets it should cover."
How it shows up for the rep
You never open or manage a must-sell list directly — it shows up where you need it:
- In the shelf audit. When you audit an outlet's shelf during a visit, the must-sell products are already listed for you to check (available?, facings, shelf price). See Merchandising audit (Perfect Store).
- In the order. As you build an order, any must-sell product the outlet isn't ordering shows up as a must-sell gap in the suggested basket — a nudge to add it.
- In the stock count. A stock count is also seeded from the must-sell list, so you count the products that matter. See Stock counts & sell-out.
Tip: If a must-sell product looks wrong or missing for an outlet, that's a scoping question for your manager — not something you change in the field.