Your distributors see what retailers across your region are actually buying. Ask your sales rep for sell-through numbers for your area. They usually share this if you have a good relationship. Look for trends: which nicotine strengths and flavors are gaining share? What's fading?

This data is more current than published reports and is regional, so it filters out national noise. If your distributor reports that 30% of their regional sales are now 25K puff disposables, that's actionable information.

Just remember: distributor data reflects what shops are ordering, not necessarily what consumers are buying. Combine it with your own sell-through to get a truer picture.