November 6, 2025
8
min read
Why Switching Product Locator Providers is Easier Than You Think
Don’t settle for a slow, outdated product locator. Discover how easy it is to upgrade and improve your customer experience—with no downtime.
If your brand already has a product locator, chances are it’s not your favorite part of your website. Maybe it’s slow. Maybe it looks outdated. Or maybe every time you need to make a small update, you have to call IT or open a support ticket that takes days to resolve.
Whatever the reason, you’re not alone. Many CPG and beverage brands eventually outgrow their first locator solution. What most teams don’t realize is that switching providers isn’t as complicated or as time-consuming as it sounds. In fact, with Grappos, it’s one of the easiest upgrades you can make for your brand’s digital experience.
In this guide, we’ll cover the most common reasons brands make the switch, what typically holds them back, and how Grappos makes the entire process effortless from start to finish.
Why Brands Switch Locators and What’s Really Holding Them Back
For many growing CPG and beverage brands, the decision to switch product locator providers doesn’t come overnight. It starts with frustration and lingers because the thought of migrating sounds daunting. Below are the most common reasons brands start looking for a new locator—and the assumptions that often hold them back.
Rising costs, declining value.
Your current product locator might have started as a great fit, but over time, the balance between cost and performance shifted. Maybe the provider raised prices, limited key features to higher tiers, or began charging for every small support request. Eventually, you’re left paying more for a tool that’s doing less.
The hesitation: “Switching is expensive.”
Many teams assume that a new solution will require a significant upfront investment or a lengthy contract. But with Grappos, you’ll find it’s just the opposite. We offer flexible monthly pricing, no long-term commitments, and enterprise-level features at a fraction of the cost. You get a powerful, modern product locator without the enterprise markup.
Outdated or clunky user interface.
A product locator should feel as polished as the rest of your brand experience. However, if it’s slow to load, difficult to use on mobile, or visually disconnected from your website, customers will notice. A poor user interface can frustrate customers, sending potential buyers elsewhere.
The hesitation: “Our site is built on a unique platform—will it even work?”
Grappos integrates with all major website platforms, including Shopify, WordPress, Squarespace, and custom CMS. Our lightweight embed code installs quickly, so your new locator can go live fast with zero disruption to your website.
Limited support and resources.
One of the biggest pain points brands cite is poor customer support. Maybe it takes days to get a response, or your provider routes you through ticket queues that go nowhere. Pair that with limited internal bandwidth, and even small updates can feel like major projects.
The hesitation: “We don’t have anyone to manage this.”
With Grappos, you don’t need a project manager or developer. Our white-glove service handles everything from data prep to updates and reporting. There’s no software to learn, no logins to remember, and no technical tasks to add to your team’s plate.
Knowledge gaps and staff turnover.
If the person who originally set up your product locator has moved on, chances are the knowledge went with them. Without training or documentation, teams often avoid touching the locator altogether for fear of breaking something.
The hesitation: “We don’t even know where our data lives anymore.”
That’s okay. Grappos can work with virtually any data source: CSVs, spreadsheets, VIP files, or API feeds. We’ll help you organize and clean your data during onboarding so your locator is accurate and easy to maintain moving forward.
Technical instability and downtime.
Maybe your locator breaks every time your CMS updates, or maybe you’ve stopped updating altogether because it’s too fragile to touch. Technical instability leads to downtime, which costs you visibility and sales.
The hesitation: “We can’t afford to take our locator offline during a switch.”
That’s exactly why Grappos builds and tests every product locator behind the scenes. You’ll be able to preview and approve your new locator before it goes live, ensuring a smooth transition with zero downtime for customers.
Missing features or outdated integrations.
Modern consumers expect to find your products wherever they shop, whether that’s a local retailer, online marketplace, or e-commerce store. If your locator can’t support omnichannel discovery, you’re leaving sales on the table.
The hesitation: “Our old locator kind of works… do we really need more?”
Grappos gives you more than a map. With features like Buy Online Plus, you can connect shoppers to online retail partners in a single click. Our SearchTracker analytics reveal how customers search for your products and where they’re buying, helping you make smarter distribution decisions.
Why Grappos is the Best Product Locator for Growing Brands
Whether you’re managing a regional beverage startup or an established national CPG portfolio, your product locator should make growth easier, not harder. Grappos was designed from the ground up for brands that want a seamless, professional locator experience without the technical headaches.
Here’s why growing brands choose Grappos.
Fully managed service—no software to learn.
You focus on marketing and sales; we handle everything behind the scenes. From data management to QA and reporting, Grappos runs your product locator so your team doesn’t have to.
Modern, mobile-friendly design.
Every locator is built to load fast, look polished, and perform beautifully on any device. A better user experience means happier customers and higher conversions.
Works with any website platform.
Whether your site runs on Shopify, WordPress, Squarespace, or a custom CMS, Grappos integrates easily using a simple embed code with no complex development required.
Fast go-live timeline.
Most brands are live in days, not weeks. You’ll see your new locator in action almost immediately, with zero downtime or disruption to your customers.
Custom branding and map icons.
Match your colors, fonts, and visual identity for a consistent brand experience. Grappos even supports custom map markers to make your products stand out on the map.
Actionable analytics with SearchTracker.
See exactly where shoppers are searching for your products, identify growth opportunities, and measure product locator performance—all with easy-to-understand reporting.
Learn more about Grappos SearchTracker →
Trusted by leading beverage and CPG brands.
From emerging startups to household names, a wide variety of brands rely on Grappos to connect customers with their products every day.
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What the Switch Looks Like With Grappos
Once you’ve decided it’s time to upgrade, the next question is usually, “What does the switch actually look like?”
With Grappos, it’s simple. There’s no downtime, no technical confusion, and no heavy lift for your team. We’ve refined our onboarding process to make switching as quick and seamless as possible. Here’s exactly what to expect.
Step 1: Kickoff and data review.
We start by reviewing what you already have. Whether your current data lives in a spreadsheet, CRM, or custom system, we’ll walk through everything together and identify the best structure for your new locator. Don’t worry if your files are inconsistent, outdated, or scattered. Our team will help clean and organize them so your store data is complete and ready to go.
This step also gives us a chance to learn about your goals. Do you want to highlight online retailers? Track regional growth? Integrate analytics? We use your priorities to tailor the build exactly to your needs.
Step 2: Build and preview.
Next, our team gets to work building your new product locator. You don’t have to provide any assets unless you want to. We’ll design the locator to match your website’s look and feel so it feels like a natural extension of your brand.
Once the build is complete, you’ll receive a demo link where you can test drive your new locator before it goes live. We’ll make any refinements you’d like before launch.
Step 3: Approve and go live.
When you’re happy with the preview, we’ll send over a lightweight embed code. Your team simply drops that code into your website, no special setup required. Most clients’ product locators are live the same day.
There’s no downtime or disruption for your customers; your old locator can remain visible until your new one is ready. Once live, Grappos begins tracking data immediately, so you can start gathering insights right away.
Step 4: Ongoing management and optimization.
The best part? You’re done. From here, Grappos handles everything behind the scenes. That includes data updates and updates to locator design and user interface settings to meet your changing needs.
Need to add new locations, new products, or new channels like UberEats or Instacart? Just let us know and we’ll handle it for you.
Plus, our SearchTracker analytics will also show you where customers are searching most, helping your sales and distribution teams make smarter decisions.
No navigating complex interfaces. No manual uploads. No software learning curve. Just a fully managed locator that keeps working for you, 24/7.
How long does it take?
Every brand is different, but most Grappos clients are fully transitioned and live in less than a week. Some brands can be live in as little as 24 hours. The process is designed to be as efficient as possible to eliminate pressure on your team and reduce friction for your customers.
And unlike other providers, we don’t charge hidden onboarding fees or require long-term contracts. You’ll know exactly what to expect up front, and you’ll only stay because you’re happy with the results.
The end result:
When your Grappos locator goes live, you’ll have a solution that delights customers, saves your team time, and helps you identify new market opportunities. Every update is managed for you. Every interaction is tracked. And every shopper who wants to find your product can do so easily, whether online or in-store.
Switching might sound complicated, but with Grappos, it’s as effortless as sending an email and approving a demo.
Ready to Switch? Let Grappos Make it Easy
If your current locator isn’t pulling its weight, it’s time to upgrade, and you don’t have to settle. Switching product locator providers is one of the simplest and most rewarding upgrades you can make to your customer experience, and it doesn’t have to be difficult.
We’ve helped hundreds of brands move to Grappos quickly, seamlessly, and affordably. Schedule a quick demo today, and see how effortless it can be to give your customers a better way to find your products.
Request a Grappos Product Locator demo →
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