Week of Mar 9, 2026 HOUST 1,404K ↑ +6.2% PERMIT 1,448K ↑ +4.3% NAHB HMI 42 ↓ −2.1% MORT30 6.04% ↑ +0.2pp HSN1F 657K ↓ −1.7% MBA PURCHASE 152.3 ↓ −0.8% MSACSR 7.6mo ↓ −1.3% CENSUS:4441 $12.1B ↑ +1.1% Week of Mar 9, 2026 HOUST 1,404K ↑ +6.2% PERMIT 1,448K ↑ +4.3% NAHB HMI 42 ↓ −2.1% MORT30 6.04% ↑ +0.2pp HSN1F 657K ↓ −1.7% MBA PURCHASE 152.3 ↓ −0.8% MSACSR 7.6mo ↓ −1.3% CENSUS:4441 $12.1B ↑ +1.1%
Distribution Strategy

Where you're not covered
is where the share is.

Coverage gaps don't announce themselves. They show up later — when a competitor has already taken the relationship, the shelf, and the share in a geography that was accelerating while your team was focused elsewhere. Senex maps demand signals against your distribution footprint to surface where to invest before the window closes.

How we map your
distribution opportunity.

Three phases. Every engagement.

01 — Discovery
Map your current footprint
We start with your existing distribution relationships — by geography, segment, and channel tier. Then we overlay the demand signal data to identify where market activity is concentrated versus where you have coverage.
  • Distribution footprint audit by MSA
  • Channel tier analysis (two-step vs. one-step)
  • Segment coverage: new construction vs. R&R
  • Competitive distribution presence overlay
02 — Analysis
Score the gaps by demand signal
Not all coverage gaps are equal. We score uncovered or undercovered geographies against current permit activity, housing starts, and purchase application trends — prioritizing the gaps in accelerating markets.
  • MSA-level permit and starts activity scoring
  • Gap-vs-demand prioritization matrix
  • Distributor landscape by target geography
  • Channel partner qualification criteria
03 — Deliverables
A ranked, actionable coverage roadmap
A prioritized list of distribution targets — with the market data to justify the investment internally and the competitive context to understand the urgency of each opportunity.
  • Top-10 coverage gap targets with demand rationale
  • Distributor shortlist by priority geography
  • Competitive vulnerability map
  • 12-month expansion roadmap

The signals we use
to score distribution gaps.

Distribution strategy without demand data is just geographic intuition. These are the series that turn coverage decisions into evidence-based investments.

Key Data Series — Distribution Strategy
FRED:PERMIT (MSA)
Building Permits by Metro Area
Permit activity at the MSA level shows where construction demand is concentrating — and where distribution coverage matters most in the next 12 months.
CENSUS:MARTS
Monthly Retail Trade by Category
Category-level retail sales data from the Census MARTS report tracks building products channel volume by segment. Essential for sizing distribution opportunity by market.
FRED:HOUST (Regional)
Housing Starts by Region
Regional starts data identifies where new construction is accelerating — the strongest leading signal for distribution investment in new construction-focused categories.

What it looks like
in practice.

Big Ass Fans
Distribution Strategy
Identifying uncovered geography before a competitor moved in.
Demand signals in the commercial HVAC segment were accelerating in specific Metro Statistical Areas where Big Ass Fans had limited distribution coverage. Senex mapped the coverage gap against permit activity and helped identify the distributor relationships to close it — before a competitor filled the void.
Columbus McKinnon
Distribution Strategy
Prioritizing channel investment when the market was shifting by segment.
As industrial construction activity diverged from commercial by region, Columbus McKinnon needed to allocate distribution investment where the demand signal was strongest. Senex scored their existing coverage against regional starts data to surface the highest-priority gaps.

Often paired with distribution strategy.

Find your coverage gaps before your competitors do.

We'll show you which geographies are accelerating and where your distribution footprint isn't keeping pace with demand.