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Avoid Costly Deduction Mistakes: Top Tips for Food Suppliers

Top Four Deduction Mistakes Food Suppliers Make. Women holding up four fingers.

Every supplier has been there: a deduction shows up, and everyone points fingers—sales blames ops, ops blames finance. Meanwhile, the money’s gone.

Here are the most common mistakes food suppliers make:

  1. Ignoring small deductions – They add up. What looks minor can snowball into six figures.

  2. Missing dispute deadlines – Retailers set strict windows. Wait too long, and it’s game over.

  3. Weak documentation – No proof, no win. Retailers won’t take your word for it.

  4. Assuming deductions are valid – Many aren’t. Don’t just accept them as “the cost of doing business.”

One fictional example: a snack brand wrote off “only” $1,200 a month in deductions, thinking it wasn’t worth the hassle. After a year, they realized they’d lost nearly $15,000—money that could’ve funded their next retailer launch.

Avoid costly mistakes. Woodridge deduction recovery solutions, powered by HRG, help food suppliers recover and prevent deductions—before they crush your margins.



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