Marketing, retail media and marketplaces built for CPG brands.
A consumer packaged goods brand lives or dies on velocity.
Retail buyers look at units per store per week and distribution, and they cut slow items at the next category review no matter how good the brand story is. We run growth for CPG brands across the whole shelf: Amazon as a first or third party seller, Walmart and Target Plus, Instacart and the brand's own subscription store. Retail media on Amazon Ads, Walmart Connect, Instacart Ads and Roundel is planned against the retailers where the product actually sits, so ad dollars move sell-through where the buyer is watching. We read SPINS or syndicated data alongside marketplace reports, and we build replenishment so a customer who likes the product keeps buying it.
Questions this page answers
- Cpg marketing agency for an emerging brand
- Should a CPG brand sell on Amazon 1P or 3P
- How do CPG brands use retail media networks
- How to increase velocity at retail for a CPG brand
- Do I need GS1 barcodes to sell on Amazon and at retail
- How to grow Subscribe and Save for a consumable product
Step 1 of 2
How can we help you get found?
Next: name, email and budget. That’s it.
Where growth is won or lost in cpg.
A CPG product reaches shoppers in many places at once: a grocery shelf, a club store, Amazon, Walmart online, Target, an Instacart order and the brand's own store. The shopper often discovers it on social or in store, buys it wherever is convenient that week and reorders out of habit. That habit is the business. A product that earns trial but not repeat looks fine for a quarter, then velocity drops, the buyer notices and the item loses its slot at the next category review.
Retail economics are unforgiving. Slotting fees, free fills, promotional allowances and deductions are paid before the product proves itself. Brokers and distributors take their share. Buyers watch velocity and distribution, often through SPINS or syndicated data, and compare you to the category. Online, Amazon brings a choice between selling to Amazon as a vendor or directly as a seller, each with different price control and margin. Retail media networks keep multiplying, and each reports its own success. Prior vendors often ran one channel well and ignored the rest.
Theory Road runs CPG growth from velocity outward. We combine retailer, marketplace and syndicated data into one view, set clear roles and pricing for each channel and decide 1P or 3P item by item. Retail media on Amazon, Walmart Connect, Instacart and Roundel follows distribution and promotions. We build Subscribe and Save and a subscription store for repeat purchase, and we make sure GS1 barcodes, labels and claims hold up in every channel before launch.
The problems we fix in cpg brands.
Distribution without velocity
Winning a new retailer feels like the finish line, but slotting, free fills and trade spend come due while the product sits on shelf. If velocity is weak by the next category review, the item gets cut.
Retail media spread thin
Amazon Ads, Walmart Connect, Instacart Ads and Roundel each want a budget. Brands that fund every network evenly, without tying spend to where the product is stocked and selling, get reports but not sell-through.
Channel conflict on price
Amazon, Walmart marketplace sellers, club packs and retail promotions all show different prices. When one channel drops, retailers notice, Amazon price matching kicks in and margin erodes across the board.
Data in six places
Vendor Central, Seller Central, Walmart, Instacart, SPINS or syndicated data and Shopify each tell part of the story. Without one view, nobody can say whether a promotion or ad actually moved units.
Web, marketing, creative and systems for cpg brands.
Built on your accounts, wired into the tools your team already runs, and measured to booked work.
- Home page built for replenishment
- Product pages with usage and nutrition
- Store locator
- Subscribe and save page
- Variety packs and bundles
- Recipes or routines
- Retailers and brokers page
- Our standards page
Each page answers one intent, carries one call to action, and lands the lead in your CRM with the page attached.
Websites and digital product.
A Shopify store built around replenishment: subscribe and save pricing, variety packs, bundles and a clean where-to-buy locator for shoppers who prefer their grocery store or Amazon.
- Store locator and retail finderA product finder that shows which nearby retailers carry which items, driving shoppers into stores where velocity is measured and supporting new distribution.
- Amazon listings and Brand StoreTitles, images, A+ content and a Brand Store built for replenishment searches, with pack sizes and variety packs set up as clean variations.
- Retailer and buyer pagesA trade page with sell sheets, pack configurations, case pack details and velocity story for buyers and brokers considering the line.
- Amazon AdsAlways on
- Walmart ConnectAlways on, heavier at resets
- Instacart AdsAround promotions and launches
- RoundelTarget promotions and resets
- Meta and TikTokLaunches and new distribution
- Klaviyo email and SMSAlways on
Demand, search and reputation.
Amazon Ads, Walmart Connect, Instacart Ads and Roundel budgets set by where the product is stocked, which retailers are in review and where promotions run, rather than split evenly.
- Amazon Subscribe and Save growthSubscribe and Save enrollment, targeted discounts and Sponsored Products aimed at replenishment terms, building repeat revenue that lifts ranking and forecast accuracy.
- Shopper marketing around promotionsMeta, Instacart and retail media timed to temporary price reductions, displays and features, so the in-store promotion gets a lift from people already looking for it.
- Sampling and trial programsDigital sampling, in-store demo support and creator seeding designed to create first purchase in the retailers that just took the product.
- Packaging-led creativeCreative built so shoppers recognize the pack on shelf and in a grocery app thumbnail, with the same colors and claims used across ads, listings and in-store materials.
- Retailer content packagesImage sets, enhanced content and copy prepared to each retailer's specifications, so Walmart, Target, Instacart and Amazon pages look complete from launch day.
- Short usage videoQuick videos showing how the product fits into a routine or recipe, cut for social, retail media video placements and listing video.
Brand, photography and collateral.
Creative built so shoppers recognize the pack on shelf and in a grocery app thumbnail, with the same colors and claims used across ads, listings and in-store materials.
- Retailer content packagesImage sets, enhanced content and copy prepared to each retailer's specifications, so Walmart, Target, Instacart and Amazon pages look complete from launch day.
- Short usage videoQuick videos showing how the product fits into a routine or recipe, cut for social, retail media video placements and listing video.
Comes in from
- Website forms
- Tracked calls
- Ads and LSA
- Google Business Profile
Lands in
- Amazon Vendor Central and Seller Central
- Walmart Seller Center and Walmart Connect
- Instacart Ads
Comes back as
- Per-source attribution
- Automated follow-up
- One weekly scoreboard
Built to your system of record, not around it. Nothing is re-keyed by hand.
Integration, automation and data.
Vendor Central, Seller Central, Walmart, Instacart, Shopify and SPINS or syndicated data pulled into one report of units, velocity and distribution by retailer and item.
- 1P and 3P decision modelA model comparing Vendor Central wholesale terms, chargebacks and co-op with Seller Central fees, fulfillment and price control, reviewed by item rather than decided once.
- Price and promotion monitoringTracking of shelf prices, marketplace offers and promotion calendars across channels, flagging conflicts before a retailer or Amazon price matching turns them into margin loss.
- Trade spend trackingSlotting, free fills, promotions and deductions recorded against each retailer's velocity, so the brand can see which accounts earn back their trade investment.
What a great cpg website contains.
The pages that do the selling for this kind of company, and what each one has to do to turn a visit into a call.
Home page built for replenishment
Leads with the core products, subscription savings and a where-to-buy finder, serving both online buyers and shoppers heading to a store.
Product pages with usage and nutrition
Ingredients, nutrition or usage facts, pack sizes and subscription options, with claims matching the packaging exactly.
Store locator
Shows nearby retailers carrying each item, pushing demand into the stores where velocity is measured and supporting new distribution.
Subscribe and save page
Explains subscription pricing, delivery intervals and easy skips, turning first purchases into steady replenishment revenue.
Variety packs and bundles
Trial-sized and variety packs that lower the risk of trying new flavors or scents and raise order value online.
Recipes or routines
Content showing how the product is used, earning search traffic and giving AI assistants concrete answers to cite.
Retailers and brokers page
Sell sheets, case pack and pallet details and the velocity story for buyers and brokers evaluating the line.
Our standards page
Sourcing, certifications the brand actually holds and ingredient standards, written specifically and backed by documentation.
Where the demand comes from, and when.
The tools cpg brands already run on.
We build to your system of record rather than around it. Leads, calls, jobs and revenue land where your team already works, with the attribution attached.
Amazon Vendor Central and Seller Central
1P purchase orders and co-op, or 3P listings, Subscribe and Save and Sponsored Ads.
Walmart Seller Center and Walmart Connect
Marketplace listings, content and retail media campaigns planned against store and online distribution.
Instacart Ads
Sponsored product and shoppable campaigns in the markets and retailers where the item is stocked.
Target Plus and Roundel
Target marketplace content where invited, and Roundel campaigns supporting Target store distribution.
Shopify
Direct store with subscriptions, variety packs, bundles and a retail store locator.
Klaviyo
Replenishment reminders, subscription saves, new flavor launches and where-to-buy messages.
SPINS
Velocity, distribution and category trends for natural and specialty channels read with marketplace data.
What we run the account by
Units per store per week.
Velocity by item and retailer, the number buyers use to decide whether a product keeps its slot.
Distribution.
Number of stores or share of category volume where the item is stocked, tracked by retailer and region.
Retail media incremental sales.
Sales lift attributable to retail media, read against syndicated or retailer data rather than each network's own reporting alone.
Repeat and subscription rate.
Share of buyers who purchase again or subscribe on Amazon and the direct store, the base of long-term volume.
Trade spend return by account.
Slotting, promotions and deductions compared against the velocity and margin each retailer produces.
Rules we respect
GS1 barcodes.
Major retailers and Amazon expect GS1-issued UPCs that match the brand owner. Resold barcodes can block listings, so we confirm GS1 records before launch.
FDA labeling rules.
Food and personal care labels carry FDA requirements for ingredients, allergens, nutrition and claims. Marketing copy must stay consistent with the approved label and substantiated claims.
MAP and pricing policy.
Minimum advertised price policies should be unilateral and written with counsel. We monitor prices across channels and follow the policy as written.
FTC endorsement and review rules.
Creators must disclose material connections, and the FTC prohibits fake or bought reviews and review suppression. Sampling programs never condition product on positive reviews.
The cpg playbook.
Read velocity by retailer.
We combine syndicated data, retailer portals and marketplace reports to see units per store and distribution by item and account, and identify which retailers are at risk at the next review.
Set channel roles and price.
We decide which items go 1P or 3P on Amazon, how Walmart and Target Plus fit, and a price architecture across pack sizes and channels that avoids conflicts and protects margin.
Put media where the shelf is.
Retail media, Instacart and shopper marketing budgets follow distribution and promotions, concentrating spend where lifting velocity keeps the product on shelf and wins more doors.
Build repeat and report weekly.
Subscribe and Save, DTC subscriptions and Klaviyo replenishment turn trial into repeat purchase, and a weekly report shows velocity, distribution, contribution margin and trade return by account.
- Strategy and brandwe lead it or back your team
- Paid mediamanaged day to day
- Search and AI visibilityrun and reported monthly
- Websites and hostingbuilt, hosted and cared for
- CRM and lead systemsrun for you or with you
- Creative and contentproduced in-house
Fully managed, alongside your team, or built and handed off. Month to month after the initial term.
Why cpg brands choose us.
We run our own Amazon Professional Seller accounts with Brand Registry, defend the Buy Box at full price and remove unauthorized resellers. The 1P versus 3P call comes from hands-on experience.
- Velocity is the scoreboardRetail buyers judge you on units per store and distribution. We plan retail media, promotions and shopper marketing to move those numbers, not just to report return on ad spend.
- One view of every channelWe bring Vendor Central, Seller Central, Walmart, Instacart, SPINS and the DTC store into one report, so decisions about trade spend and media rest on the same numbers.
Reading for cpg brands.
- Agency Guide · Takeaway
Getting into US retail means pitching buyers ahead of their category line review with a sell sheet, a working price ladder and evidence that American shoppers already buy the product.
Agency Guide · 12 min read
How to Get Into US Retail: Buyers, Line Reviews and Marketplaces.
US retail buyers review categories on fixed calendars and choose items with proof behind them. This is how a foreign or emerging brand builds that proof, gets the meeting and survives the first year on shelf.
Read - Agency Guide · Takeaway
Finding US distributors starts with knowing which layer you need, because importers, broadline and specialty distributors, brokers and direct store delivery houses each do a different job.
Agency Guide · 11 min read
Finding US Distributors: A Guide for Foreign Product Brands.
US distributors do not take on brands, they take on proven sales rates. This guide covers which kind of distributor fits your category, what they check, where to meet them and how to pitch.
Read - E-commerce · Takeaway
In 1P you sell wholesale to Amazon through Vendor Central and Amazon becomes the retailer; in 3P you sell to shoppers yourself through Seller Central and keep control of price and content.
E-commerce · 10 min read
Amazon 1P vs 3P: Vendor Central vs Seller Central for Brands.
Selling to Amazon and selling on Amazon look similar from the product page and behave nothing alike in the P&L. Here is how the two models work, what each really costs, and how to choose.
Read
Hiring an agency for a cpg business.
- Should a CPG brand sell on Amazon 1P or 3P?
- It depends on the item. As a 1P vendor, Amazon buys wholesale and controls retail price, which can mean volume but also chargebacks, co-op and less price control. As a 3P seller you set price and own the customer data Amazon provides, but handle fees and fulfillment. Many brands run a hybrid. We model margin, price risk and operational load per item before recommending either.
- How do CPG brands use retail media networks?
- Retail media lets brands advertise inside the retailer's own site and app, close to the purchase. We use Amazon Ads, Walmart Connect, Instacart Ads and Roundel where the product is actually stocked, timed to promotions and category reviews. Budgets follow distribution and velocity goals, and we read results against syndicated data, not just each network's own attribution.
- How to increase velocity at retail for a CPG brand
- Velocity grows when more shoppers try the product and come back for it. We concentrate retail media and Instacart spend in stores where you are stocked, support promotions with shopper marketing, run sampling for trial and use store locators to send DTC and social traffic into retail. Weekly velocity by account shows which efforts move units before the next review.
- Do I need GS1 barcodes to sell on Amazon and at retail?
- Major retailers expect UPCs licensed from GS1, and Amazon checks product IDs against the GS1 database, so barcodes bought from resellers can cause listing problems. Some brands qualify for Amazon's GTIN exemption, but that does not help at retail. We recommend licensing your own GS1 company prefix before launch and keeping item and case pack data consistent everywhere.
- How do you grow Subscribe and Save for a consumable product?
- We enroll eligible items, set subscription discounts that protect margin, and target Sponsored Products at replenishment searches and your own branded terms. Listings explain usage rate so shoppers choose the right delivery interval. On the direct store, subscription pricing, flexible skips and Klaviyo reminders reduce cancellations. Repeat subscribers improve both ranking and demand forecasting.
Let’s grow your cpg business.
A short note on where the business is and where it needs to go. A senior partner replies within one business day.