Tips for Competing With Retail Giants

For FMCG brands, shelf space is the battleground. And winning it comes down to one thing: trust. Retailers don’t just want more products. They want partners who help grow the category, not just their own brand. The good news? Smaller and challenger brands can earn that trust, even against the biggest competitors. Here are 5 practical steps to start earning retailer trust and winning at the shelf: 🍏 Know Your Shopper Better Than Anyone Retailers want suppliers who can answer: Who’s buying, why, and how often? Use loyalty data, shopper panels, or in-store observations to uncover real insights. Turn these into actionable recommendations – like filling a family meal gap or boosting impulse purchases. Specific, evidence-based insights build confidence. 📈 Show How You’ll Grow The Category It’s not just about your sales. Show how your brand drives incremental growth: attracting new shoppers, increasing basket size, or boosting repeat purchases. Back it with proof – case studies, trials, or comparable market data. Retailers want partners who expand the pie, not just take share. 🤝 Make It Easy To Do Business With You Reliability is table stakes. Flawless logistics, accurate forecasting, and clear communication matter. Add marketing support, promo plans, and shared KPIs. Think of yourself as an extension of their team – the smoother the process, the more they trust you with premium shelf space. 🚀 Bring Meaningful Innovation Innovation isn’t flashy packaging or token launches. Solve real shopper problems and refresh the category: health-conscious options, convenient meal solutions, eco-friendly packaging. When your NPD makes shopping easier or more enjoyable, retailers see real value beyond novelty. 💡 Play The Long Game Consistency builds trust. Deliver quality, insight, and support year after year. Focus on long-term partnerships, not short-term wins. Think regular business reviews, joint marketing, and measured promotions that grow both your brand and the category sustainably. The brands that win retailer trust aren’t the loudest or cheapest. They make the buyer’s job easier, help categories grow, and show up reliably every single time. 👉 Ask yourself: Is your brand truly adding value to your retailer’s category… or just taking up space? 📩 DM me to discuss how you can win at the shelf 🔁 Share if you believe trust is the ultimate currency with retailers. 👥 Tag a brand you think does this well. #FMCG #RetailerTrust #BrandStrategy #ShelfSpace #Innovation #AustralianRetail #CategoryGrowth #MarketingLeadership

Every business is a game to some extent and to me there’s only one way to play it… …and that’s to play your own game. What does that mean? It means if you want to compete with the market leader, you can never win by playing their game. You’ll always be a smaller or worse version. You have to play your own game to carve out your own space. You can see it in so many industries. In sneakers Nike built the modern game. Sign super star athletes, sponsor schools, run circuits, and give athletes a cradle to grave experience because they are the ones who will sell shoes for you. And it worked. Nike is so good at it that they sign hundreds of athletes. What do competitors do? They try to play the same game - sign as many schools and athletes as they can. They are literally trying to play Nike’s game but they didn’t create it and they don’t have the same scale as the market leader. That’s what’s so interesting about On Running. If everyone else was about endorsing top athletes, and hype-driven sneaker drops. On prioritized tech appeal and Swiss engineering. They built performance-first marketing (cloud cushioning) and investor-athlete partnerships outside of the major sports (Roger Federer). Literally they played a completely different game. How has it turned out? Today On is anywhere from 20-40 percent the market cap of the major sports apparel brands, companies that have been around way way longer. That’s pretty great proof. This was always the plan at Overtime. I mean I shouldn’t write some LinkedIn thought piece if I haven’t tried to live it in my own endeavors.  We used to say you can’t out espn - espn. Many have failed trying to beat them at their own game because espn has been the market leader forever. At Overtime we started by covering different athletes in a different way on different platforms and with a different voice. Our mantra was - if this post could be on the account of a market leader, we shouldn't post it. We baked playing our own game into the operating principles of the company.    In the competition for customers you need to give them something original and that starts with how you think about playing the game . Our story is still being written but every day we try to write it ourselves instead of copying someone else’s playbook. So play your own game - in business, but pretty good advice in life as well.

A challenger brand’s death knell is competing with the market leader on number of SKUs. HUL will have a million haircare or laundry SKUs. Philips will have a million trimmer SKUs. Google will have a million products in its suite. If you’re a challenger, resist the urge. Find a winner. Build a right-to-win. Double down with your head down. Your team, your channel partners, your suppliers - everyone will compare your range with the leader’s. The FOMO will be real. But width of assortment kills more companies than narrowness of assortment: - Supply chain complexities: a million SKUs in a million warehouses through a million suppliers, when your business has wild fluctuations is impossible to manage efficiently - Value prop confusion: if you have everything for everyone, it’s tough to stand for something without a value-concentrated hero SKU. Hero SKUs do wonders to business stability - Channel signals: Your revenue per SKU is a huge reputation builder both for partners and algorithms. That 1% extra revenue through a new SKU is just not worth it - Diluted platform spends: food for 5 when divided in 10 starves no one, but doesnt give anyone the right nutrition. Performance Marketing is that food At the same time, listen to all. Your team is closer to the consumer. Your partners are closer to the shop. Your suppliers are closer to the products. Evaluate everything. Don’t be rigid. There will be some trends that you will HAVE to participate in. See if you can keep that to a minimum, especially if trends in your category change every year.

If you looked at last week’s performance and thought, “Wow, we were down…” dig deeper. It wasn’t just you. Amazon Prime Day shifted buyer behaviour across the board. Many brands felt the impact, lower traffic, slower conversions, and customers holding off for bigger deals elsewhere. Amazon is only growing its share of wallet and burying your head in the sand won’t fix it. So what can you do? 1. Re-evaluate your channel mix You don’t have to sell on Amazon (or maybe you should?) but you do need a strategy for how to compete with it. That might mean exploring marketplaces, refining your owned channels, or even testing Amazon as a top-of-funnel discovery tool (many brands use it for visibility, not margin). 2. Get proactive around retail events Map out key retail moments like Prime Day, Black Friday, and EOFY now. Run your own promos early, lean into loyalty campaigns, or promote “non-discount” value (bundles, GWP, exclusives) to avoid being drowned out. What about free express shipping? 3. Focus on lifetime value A one-week dip isn’t the problem, failing to build long-term customer relationships is. Invest in post-purchase journeys, community engagement, and email/SMS retention flows that outlive Amazon’s flash sales. 4. Strengthen your brand moat Amazon sells products. You sell a brand experience. Use it. Whether it’s through storytelling, content, or service, your brand equity should be doing the heavy lifting, especially when price isn’t your edge. 5. Don’t panic — plan Performance blips are part of the game. But if they keep catching you off guard, it’s time to shift from reactive to resilient. Understand the macro forces at play, and build a commercial calendar that supports consistency, not chaos.

Never compete on price. (unless you are Costco or Ryanair) When everyone in your market starts discounting, most founders make the same mistake: They join them. I would do the opposite. Because the moment every competitor looks cheaper, the real opportunity is to stop looking comparable. Here is the strategy I would use instead: → First, narrow the problem. Do not sell “marketing,” “software” or “consulting.” Sell a specific outcome for a specific customer. The more precise the problem, the less useful the competitor’s cheaper quote becomes. → Second, quantify the cost of doing nothing. If your solution costs $50,000 but the problem is leaking $300,000 a year, the conversation should not be about your fee. It should be about the $250,000 gap. Founders lose pricing power when they present the price without presenting the economics. → Third, change the offer before changing the price. If a buyer cannot afford the full scope, reduce the scope. Remove custom work. Extend the timeline. Change the service level. But do not quietly sell the same thing for less. That trains the market to wait for a discount. → Fourth, create proof around the outcome. Not more testimonials saying you were “great to work with.” Show: Time saved. Revenue created. Costs removed. Risk reduced. Speed to result. Proof makes price harder to argue with. → Fifth, make switching away from you feel expensive. This does not mean trapping customers. It means building knowledge, workflows, data and relationships that compound over time. The strongest pricing power often comes after the sale, not before it. → And finally, know your walk-away number. Every founder should know: The minimum gross margin worth accepting. The maximum delivery effort per customer. The discount level that makes the deal financially unattractive. Without those numbers, pricing becomes emotional. You start negotiating against yourself. When competitors cut prices, do not ask: “How do we match them?” Ask: “How do we make the comparison irrelevant?” Because price competition is usually a sign that the market cannot see enough difference. The answer is not always to charge less. Sometimes it is to become harder to compare.

I've worked with countless sellers who jump on Amazon expecting instant sales at any price point. My advice? Slow down. Amazon isn’t a vending machine.  You can’t just throw in some ads, slap on discounts, and expect consistent sales. Yes, ads, coupons, and discounts are part of the game.  But they’re not where you should start. Instead, Amazon operates like a funnel.  Ads might bring customers to your listing, but what converts them—and keeps them coming back—are fundamentals: a strong listing, a high-quality product, and exceptional customer experience. So before you burn money on PPC or discount stacking, ask yourself: 𝗜𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱? Here’s the 𝗔𝗺𝗮𝘇𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗩𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗣𝘆𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗱 I share with clients. It’s a step-by-step blueprint to build a sustainable Amazon business: 𝟭. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘀 ➤ Clear, high-quality images that showcase your product from every angle. ➤ Benefit-driven copy addressing customer pain points. ➤ Efficient fulfillment setup (FBA or FBM). ➤ Solid inventory management to prevent stockouts. ➤ Strong Buy Box strategy for consistent visibility. ➤ Optimized backend keywords and product titles for discoverability. 𝟮. 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗩𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 ➤ Prioritize inventory turnover for sales momentum. ➤ Refine pricing strategies to maintain Buy Box ownership. ➤ Improve fulfillment efficiency to cut costs and speed up delivery. ➤ Regularly enhance your listing quality score to stay competitive. 𝟯. 𝗔𝗱𝗱 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 ➤ PPC bid automation for smarter ad spending ➤ Conversion rate analysis to identify bottlenecks. ➤ Keyword optimization for high-intent traffic. ➤ Rapid suppression issue resolution to avoid lost sales. ➤ Competitor benchmarking to outpace rivals. 𝟰. 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝘅𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗺 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 ➤ Multi-channel advertising campaigns. ➤ Seasonal sales strategies for peak periods. ➤ A+ Content to build trust and loyalty. ➤ Influencer partnerships and external affiliates. ➤ Pricing elasticity tests for maximum profitability. ➤ A/B testing images for higher click-through rates. 𝟱. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 ➤ Track your KPIs religiously. ➤ Stay adaptable to Amazon's constant algorithm changes. ➤ Keep an eye on competitors and market trends. ➤ Invest in tools and education to stay ahead. So next time you think, "I need more ads," ask yourself: "Is my house in order first?" Get the fundamentals right, and growth will follow. If you're stuck, DM me—I’m here to help. Anything I missed? Drop it in the comments. 🚀

I outmaneuvered incumbents without competing head-on. The big supply chain platforms own the Fortune 500 market: o9, Kinaxis, and Blue Yonder. I'm not trying to beat them there. Here's the strategy: 1. Find what they won't do. They won't rebuild for a $500M manufacturer. The economics don't work. The model doesn't scale down. 2. Serve that segment better. Faster implementation. Simpler interface. Pricing that fits. 3. Own it before expanding. We're the best option for one segment. That's defensible. Don't compete where the incumbent is strong. Find the segment they won't serve. Serve it so well they can't catch up.

The most dangerous competitor for national brands isn’t another brand. It’s their own retail partner. The private label war is no longer subtle. And it’s changing who national brands are hiring. Retailers like Walmart and Costco are no longer just selling private label. They are engineering it. Better packaging. Cleaner formulations. Aggressive pricing. Prime shelf placement. For national brands, this has created a quiet but urgent talent problem. Brand storytelling alone doesn’t defend shelf space anymore. What I’m seeing now is a very specific search brief emerging: Private Label Fighters. These are executives with deep category management DNA. Leaders who understand how retailers actually think. Who can read margin structures, assortment logic, and space allocation models. Who know how decisions get made when a retailer is choosing between their own brand and yours. This is commercial combat. The leaders being hired right now are fluent in questions like: Where does our SKU earn its space versus where it’s vulnerable? Which items should we defend aggressively, and which should we exit? How do we partner with retailers without training them to replace us? Many national brands are learning this the hard way. You can have the strongest brand equity in the world and still lose relevance if you don’t understand the economics of the shelf. This is why category experience has become a differentiator, not a nice-to-have. Executives who have sat on the retailer side. Who have negotiated planograms. Who understand how private label strategy is built from the inside. Those profiles are suddenly in demand. If you’re a national brand still hiring only for brand builders, you’re playing yesterday’s game. And if you’re an executive with real category and retailer-facing experience, your value has never been higher. #privatelabelbrands #cpg

At my last company, our top 3 competitors (and us) raised a combined $1.29 BILLION in VC. Pure knife fight. Now I’m the CEO of a startup in one of the most crowded categories in tech. Here are my 7 hard-earned lessons on winning in ultra-competitive sales cycles: 1. Different > better You can’t be better than your competitor(s) in all facets. But you can be different. Being different AND opinionated is actually more powerful than being better.  2. Competitive win rate needs a single owner (and a trusted face) Your edge today might be gone in 60 days. New competitors pop up constantly. You need one person responsible for owning, updating, and activating your competitive strategy. And here’s the key. It needs to be delivered by someone the sales team RESPECTS. A great message from the wrong messenger gets ignored and sends your reps scrambling 3. Offense > defense Defense wins championships. But a good offense wins competitive deals. A good offensive strategy proactively plants land mines, defines the narrative, and positions what your solution does best as most important. Every rep interaction is a chance to shape perception. 4. Simple differentiators, repeated relentlessly Shoutout to Isaiah Crossman (ex CRO at Tropic) for this one. Don’t let your differentiators become internal dust-collecting slides. Every rep needs 2-4 differentiators, but more importantly, they need to learn to constantly repeat them across the entire sales cycle. 5. Social proof is king No matter what your sellers say, social proof from customers and prospects who have switched or chose you over X competitor is more important than anything they can say. Build a library of customer quotes, videos, and win stories. Give your sellers that ammo. 6. How you sell and service is a differentiator Ryan Heinig scaled Thoughtspot as the VP-Sales from $8-125m+ competing in the bloodbath category that is BI. It wasn’t just the product -- itt was how they sold, how they supported, and how they showed up that allowed them to scale. Responsiveness, clarity, consultative selling, and honestly are often more valuable than features. 7. Know when to talk away (**This is hard**) If your competitor shaped the buying criteria, has prospects speaking their language, and got there first -- you already lost. This is the hardest lesson for super competitive sellers that want to win every at bat. But the right thing to do is walk away. It’s not giving up, it’s buying back your time to win somewhere else. TAKEAWAY In hyper-competitive markets, the way you sell is part of your offering. Your ability to learn, react, and enable is a differentiator in itself. And staying still? That’s the fastest way to lose. PS: Ryan and Isaiah recently came on the pod and I found myself taking notes for our sales process the majority of the time they were talking. DM me if you want the episodes.