How Ketone-IQ aced their test placement with Skyu
A convo with
Ketone-IQ is a high-performance energy supplement focused on clean, science-backed fuel for sustained mental and physical performance.
6000+
Los Angeles, CA
2014
Merchandising
POS placement
Reorders
Data collection
Ketone-IQ ran a retail test across Circle K locations, supported by POS materials designed to educate customers and drive trial. But like many brands, they faced the challenge to maintain perfect execution every day from display organization to stock levels across lots of high traffic convenience stores. The success of this test placement was mission critical.
Ketone-IQ partnered with Skyu to take full ownership of in-store execution. Skyu handled weekly, high-touch visits to ensure displays were merchandised correctly, POS materials were visible and intact, and shelves were fully stocked — every single day. Skyu didn’t just observe issues like the others. They fixed them in real time.
Skyu maintained consistent in-stock status and display execution across Circle K locations — displays remained clean and compliant, POS materials stayed visible, and stockouts were proactively prevented via reorders by Skyu workers — helping Ketone-IQ successfully graduate from a 30-store test program to permanent placement to 200+ Circle K’s, a 7.7x expansion driven by execution, not discounts or paid trial.
Many service providers stop at documentation. They capture a picture, take a video, and leave resolution to another company. Skyu is different. Skyu doesn’t just capture issues — the all-in-one platform is designed to fix them too.
During the pilot, a separate issue emerged when a competing product was mistakenly banned due to ingredient concerns. In a small number of stores, this confusion led to Ketone-IQ’s product being pulled from shelves as well. Skyu’s highly vetted network of on-demand workers detected the issue, where it was then escalated to Ketone-IQ’s sales team. Each worker then worked directly with store staff to correct the misunderstanding and restore product placement quickly — preventing broader disruption.
This wasn’t a photo sent into a void or an outsourced handoff. Skyu handled detection, escalation, and resolution through a single, integrated platform with no third-party outsourcing of any kind.
This level of on-demand responsiveness reinforced retailer confidence in Ketone-IQ’s operational maturity. Circle K gained assurance that the brand could not only perform during a test, but actively manage exceptions, recover quickly, and maintain standards at scale.
Because Skyu handles execution autonomously, Ketone-IQ’s sales team required little to no intervention during the test. Instead of chasing stockouts, fixing displays, or reacting to store-level issues, Art and the team was free to focus on higher-order priorities like retailer relationships, expansion strategy, and growth.
Skyu ran quietly in the background — flagging issues, fixing them in real time, and keeping Ketone-IQ informed through task completion notifications.
Pilot placements are won or lost in the details. By eliminating execution risk and proving they could scale with discipline, Ketone-IQ earned Circle K’s trust. What began as a test successfully transitioned into permanent placement across 200+ Circle K locations, a 7.7x increase in doors.
Skyu didn’t just keep Ketone-IQ on the shelf. They helped Ketone-IQ prove it belonged on the shelf. Ketone-IQ is on a rocket ship and already set to expand into new doors soon. They’re taking off. Your brand is next. Talk to us.