Data is the star of ZURU’s holiday season  – Crisp Q&A with Franz Oliveira 

The global CPG powerhouse reveals how real-time data powers its holiday strategies, as well as category expansions and tariffs response.

ZURU is lighting up retail aisles with everything from viral toys to beauty products, pet treats, and now – snacks, with the confectionery launch of Gumi-Yums. The global CPG innovator continues to expand across categories and markets, with success rooted in fast, data-informed decision-making.

We caught up with Franz Oliveira, Global Director of Sales Operations and Analytics, to learn how ZURU is leveraging Crisp to plan and execute the 2025 holiday shopping season. Beyond inventory planning and real-time sales monitoring, the platform plays a key role in measuring the success of marketing campaigns – including in-store influencer activations. It’s also helping the import-focused organization stay agile and profitable amid this year’s shifting tariff environment.

Q: What’s new with ZURU since sharing your Crisp retail data playbook two years ago?

Franz: The momentum at ZURU is unstoppable, and we are expanding into new categories as a preferred supplier to our retail partners. Our pet line, Bonkers, has recently grown to full distribution. You mentioned the Gumi-Yums line, which has now expanded from Target to other major retailers, marking our foray into grocery. We’re also entering laundry, baby products, and more – so be sure to stay tuned.

Crisp has continued to be a key partner through these expansions. Having access to clean, reliable retail data from the start of each launch informs our next order cycles – whether we need more or less than expected – and the proven sales metrics help drive cross-pollination between accounts. Success in one retailer opens doors in another, and vice versa. When it comes to new store launches, we have the store-level data to target promotions, measure them effectively, and maintain our sales momentum.

Q: How did Crisp help you plan for the 2025 holiday season ahead?

Franz: For ZURU, the holiday season starts in October with Halloween. We’re already running programs with key retail partners, and things ramp up in November for our Black Friday campaigns, which can account for 10–15% of our Q4 revenue. December, of course, stays busy as well. We also use the holiday window to test new toy innovations in select markets ahead of January launches. The data we gather during this period is highly revealing and helps shape our longer-term strategies.

Across key retail partners, our U.S. holiday programs span over 7,000 store locations. To make these programs as successful as possible, we aim to be strategic. Velocities vary across stores, regions, and SKUs. With Crisp data integrated into our Databricks environment, we can run quick analyses to inform our precision approach to holiday assortments and sales strategies. With Crisp, we can segment and target our customer base effectively, and know every holiday decision is backed by our own retail data.

“With Crisp data integrated into our Databricks environment, we can run quick analyses to inform our precision approach to holiday assortments and sales strategies.”

_{Franz Oliveira, Global Director of Sales Operations and Analytics, ZURU}

Q: How will you measure and optimize your retail performance in real time?

Franz: All of our key metrics are available every Monday morning, thanks to Crisp – and we act on them weekly. I don’t even know if I’d call it “reporting” anymore, because the data is simply there and we trust it. Everything flows through automatically; nothing needs to be touched or refreshed. All teams, supply chain, commercial, and executive start the week focused on these insights, and that will define our responsive holiday approach.

Franz and his team use the holiday window to test new toy innovations in select markets ahead of January launches. The data they gather during this period is highly revealing and helps shape longer-term strategies.

Q: How is Crisp data informing your marketing and influencer campaigns?

Franz: Crisp continues to help us avoid advertising around an empty shelf. We use real-time, store-level data to keep our digital advertising responsive to inventory levels. And we can attribute sales lift to these campaigns more accurately. Or not, in some cases. Just last week we saw a 40% lift on a product we thought was campaign-driven, but it turned out to be entirely organic.

Marketing is huge for us – we have a healthy annual budget around advertising – so precise attribution with store-level metrics helps us target spend more effectively. From another standpoint, Crisp helps us measure localized sales lift from influencer activations. This season, several influencers will be engaging in key retail markets, and we’ll be able to monitor results with same-day precision in Crisp.

“Crisp helps us measure localized sales lift from influencer activations. This season, several influencers will be engaging in key retail markets, and we’ll be able to monitor results with same-day precision in Crisp.”

_{Franz Oliveira, Global Director of Sales Operations and Analytics, ZURU}

Q: 2025 brought tariff pressures – how did ZURU navigate them successfully?

Franz: As an import-driven company, the tariff environment has been something to navigate this year. We have a live P&L file with some of our top retail partners, which reflects ongoing cost and margin changes in near real time. We can monitor tariff impacts directly and make sure pricing decisions continue to stay fair, both for our partners and for shoppers.

Q: Looking ahead, how do you see technology and AI shaping ZURU’s next chapter?

Franz: As a technology-driven company, AI has become an important area for us to understand and integrate. We’re prioritizing partnerships like Crisp to create AI-based solutions for retail data analysis and reporting, helping us become even more responsive and resource-optimized. Our Crisp data in Databricks can serve as an ideal foundation for building an AI-defined next chapter in retail analytics.

We’re also transparent about the fact that we have room to grow when it comes to the digital shelf. As retailers continue to gain online share from Amazon, we’re focused on capitalizing on that growth and serving as the best possible partner both in-store and online. Crisp’s real-time reporting – broken out by in-store and online metrics – will be essential in supporting that evolution.

“We’re prioritizing partnerships like Crisp to create AI-based solutions for retail data analysis and reporting, helping us become even more responsive and resource-optimized.”

_{Franz Oliveira, Global Director of Sales Operations and Analytics, ZURU}