Frequently Asked Questions

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Absolutely, we have worked with dozens of brands.  Some have become household names while some were ideas launched by small entrepreneurs and are now sitting on the shelves of major retailers.  We can provide an analysis of your concept and help with more rigorous concept screening as needed; this will help you to make the best possible decisions on pursuing your idea

Yes we can. APEX offers full service broker services and expertise. Choosing your Broker partner is very important, but it is a downstream decision for most new brands. More important are the upstream decisions that will have a much greater impact on your ability to sell your brand or concept into retail. There is a proven model and it is known only by the few Sales and Marketing leaders who have spent decades refining their craft and their storytelling skills. Most start-ups and small brands just don't have access to the knowledgeable, talented and successful Sales & Marketing minds that drive retail distribution; that is until NOW!  APEX provides startup and midsize brands access to a highly experienced and accomplished team of retail experts at a fraction of the price!

Yes, we are extremely well-connected within the industry and are knowledgeable across most all Food, Drug, Mass, Club, Natural, Specialty, and Pet retailers whether brick-and-mortar or e-commerce. As your contracted Sales/Marketing team we act as your Broker or Broker Managers. We are your dedicated sales experts across all retail channels and retailer partners. We prepare for and attend customer meetings and trade shows on your behalf, and we ensure that your entire Sales function is delivering exceptional results at the most affordable cost! 

This is another area where we excel.  Each retail Channel and often retailers within the same Channel have a very unique set of buying criteria that they use to evaluate new brands and products.  We help brand owners navigate these nuances and complexities to arrive at a strategy and an action plan that optimizes the likelihood of success ensuring the most efficient and cost cost-effective path to growth

Our fees are based on the level of services provided to each client from our menu of services.  All clients are unique in their product, brand, and sales cycle, therefore there is no 'typical' client need and therefore no typical client fee. However, we are ALWAYS much more proficient and much less costly than hiring internally or cobbling together piecemeal agencies to assist with the myriad of sales and marketing tasks required for successful CPG startups. If you would like to learn more about how APEX can help you, or about our menu of services, please contact us to schedule your FREE 1-hour NO obligation consultation. You will be shocked to learn how much time, money, and frustration we can save you!

Yes, this is our ultimate goal in working with all clients.  Getting on the shelf and helping you to STAY on the shelf by informing and educating you on what is required to be a successful CPG brand in the eyes of retailers.  All retail channels and Retailers operate differently, and we can help you to navigate the differences and the nuances of each based upon your targeted consumer.  The Retail selling cycle is minimally 6-24 months, so be prepared for seed planting, watering and nurturing of your brand.

We have experience working across most all retail channels including Traditional Food, Drug, Mass, Club, Natural Channel, Convenience stores, Farm & Fleet, Hardware, Sports, Specialty, Pet Specialty, and Independent Pet retailers. We also work with dotcom retailers like Amazon and Chewy.

Yes, the best advice is to look for a small to midsize broker like APEX who can provide you with customized, white-glove services.  Be sure that they are not representing competitive brands that would negatively impact their focus, attention, and priority given to your brand.  Be sure that your Broker or Sales partner has senior-level experience working with targeted retailers and channels, is both strategic and tactical, and has a full grasp of what is required to be successful based on strong retailer knowledge and expertise  Finally, make sure your Broker partner has expertise across multiple retail channels and not only the ones you are targeting in the short term; this will be critical as you look to scale.  Net, there is much to consider and APEX is here to inform, educate, and help you to arrive at the best possible decision to move your business forward.