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Retail Strategies & Supplier Insights

Discover the strategies and insights you need to thrive in the competitive retail landscape. Retail Strategies & Supplier Insights delivers expert advice, actionable tips, and the latest industry trends tailored specifically for retail suppliers. Whether you’re looking to boost sales, recover profits, or navigate retailer relationships, our blog is your go-to resource for success.

Red cup of coffee on wood, next to a notepad reading "CHANGES AHEAD" and a red pen. Mood is anticipatory.

SNAP Changes 2025: What Suppliers Must Do Now

If your brand touches center store, fresh, or private label, the latest SNAP shifts aren’t just policy news—they’re a demand signal.

Jon Allen

Oct 215 min read

Eye-level view of a warehouse shelf stocked with consumer packaged goods

Navigating Walmart Readiness with Expert Guidance

Entering the Walmart marketplace is like setting sail on a vast ocean filled with opportunity and challenge. For consumer packaged goods brands and suppliers, Walmart represents a treasure trove of potential sales and growth.

Jon Allen

Oct 94 min read

Close-up of a map highlighting Bentonville with bold black text. Thin colored lines and nearby roads are visible. Softly blurred background.

Open Call 2025: What to Know Now

Walmart’s annual Open Call is happening right now in Bentonville—and the energy is real. Think hundreds of founders from nearly every corner of the country streaming into town to pitch U.S.-made, grown, or assembled products to Walmart and Sam’s Club merchants.

Jon Allen

Oct 83 min read

Red-haired woman holding a magic wand. Pictured on a vivid yellow background.

Unlocking the Benefits of CPG Broker Solutions

Navigating the retail world can feel like trying to find your way through a dense forest without a map. You know there’s a path to success, but the twists and turns can be overwhelming.

Jon Allen

Oct 74 min read

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Retail Deductions 101: Terms, Causes & Solutions

“Retail deductions” are amounts a retailer withholds from your invoice—usually for shortages, compliance issues, pricing discrepancies, freight/OTIF misses, or after-the-fact (post-audit) claims.

Jon Allen

Oct 65 min read

A person in a blue jacket is joyfully surrounded by falling dollar bills on a white background, creating a dynamic and exuberant scene.

Deduction Recovery with Your Broker—A How-To

Think triage and workflow. The goal is to recover fast while preventing the next hit.

Jon Allen

Oct 21 min read

Woman in white shirt holds glasses and large calculator displaying "$$$$," with surprised expression, on white background.

Post-Audit Surprises: Prepare, Don’t Panic

Here’s the curveball: post-audit deductions can arrive months—even two years—after the sale. If your documentation is messy, those “closed” periods reopen with painful surprises.

Jon Allen

Oct 11 min read

Food Broker + Deduction Recovery

You don’t have to choose between a food broker and a deduction recovery team. The compounding effect comes from both: brokers prevent...

Jon Allen

Sep 301 min read

Understanding the Impact of a Government Shutdown on Retailers and Suppliers

If Congress misses the October 1 funding deadline, parts of the U.S. government will shut down. Essential services will keep running, but...

Jon Allen

Sep 294 min read

The Hidden ROI on Retail Deductions

Retail deductions aren’t a one-time clean-up—they’re a tax on sloppy hand-offs. A strong food broker earns their keep long before the first PO by preventing the errors that become chargebacks: mis-keyed price files, barcode hiccups, promo mismatches, late/short deliveries, and compliance misses.

Jon Allen

Sep 292 min read

Photographer and creative director reviewing product photos on a computer

Your Product Photos Are Killing Conversion (Here’s How to Fix Them)

Shoppers buy the image first, then the product. Low-quality product photos don’t just hurt conversion—they can trigger returns, bad reviews, or even compliance flags.

Jon Allen

Sep 252 min read

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Elevate Your Brand with Expert Product Photography

What is Product Photography? (Simple Definition) Product photography is the disciplined process of planning, lighting, styling, and capturing images of a product, allowing customers to evaluate it online or in print.

Jon Allen

Sep 244 min read

Retail Deductions 101: Terms, Causes & Solutions

“Retail deductions” are amounts a retailer withholds from your invoice—usually for shortages, compliance issues, pricing discrepancies,...

Jon Allen

Sep 245 min read

What Is a Food Broker? (And When You Should Use One)

A food broker is a contract sales representative who connects food and beverage manufacturers with retail buyers—think grocery chains, club stores, mass, and specialty. They don’t buy or own your product; they sell it, manage the relationship, and help move it through existing retail channels.

Jon Allen

Sep 234 min read

Retail Deduction Software: Why Tools Need Humans to Win

Let’s be real: retail deduction software is essential. But software surfaces claims; experts recover dollars. Winners use both.

Jon Allen

Sep 232 min read

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