NextStep CPG
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Free planning tool

Will your retail deal actually make money?

Work backwards from shelf price, account for every hand in the margin stack, and see what you really keep per case.

Already know your cost per case? Skip straight to the deal math. Pre-launch? We'll build your COGS line by line. Takes about 5 minutes · No spreadsheet required
Product basics

Start with the deal.

Use the suggested values as starting points, then replace them with the numbers your buyer or distributor gave you.

Starting points based on publicly known ranges — replace with your actual terms. Picking a retailer loads its typical values once; everything stays editable.
$
Starting point — replace with your actual quote.
Used to amortize fees and project annual profit.
Route to market

Who gets paid before you do?

Turn on only what applies. Each percentage stays editable.

%
Typical: 25–30%
%
Typical: 5–10% of sell price
Optional: up to 3 volume tiers. The rate for the tier your annual cases fall in applies to all cases.
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%
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%
Typical: 3–10% of sell price
Trade & programs

What does the account take back?

These deductions are easy to miss in a buyer conversation—and painful to discover later.

Foodbuy is Compass Group’s procurement arm; Entegra is Sodexo’s GPO; Avendra is an Aramark division; Groupex is an independent Canadian GPO.
$
Flat amount per case
$
If entered, this fixed per-case rate replaces your sell price in the results.
No program yet? Find independent Canadian foodservice distributors →
%
Sysco/GFS national ~10%; regionals from 5%.
%
Defaults to 100%.
%
Typical: 10–20%, but model your actual promo plan where possible.
%
$
$
Annual spend
Hi-lo net margin—
EDLP net margin—
Annualized promo rate—

EDLP models an everyday price cut of half the TPR depth with no promo spend — an illustration, not a forecast.

$
Costed at your fully loaded COGS per case.
Or build it from doors:
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$
%
Typical: 1–2%
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100% means every invoice takes the discount.
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Per case
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Per case
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Per case
%
Typical: 1–2%
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$
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Cost of goods

What does one case truly cost?

Include every direct production and logistics cost. Small omissions compound quickly at scale.

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$
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%
Typical: 3–8% of direct COGS
%
Starting point: 3%
Fully loaded COGS per case$0.00

Advanced planning add-ons

Optional
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$
$
$
Fixed monthly 3PL / warehouse fee, spread over cases.
$
$
Tailgate, appointment, heating or fuel.
Weighted average replaces the single delivery surcharge above.
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Quotes often omit this — ask your co-packer.
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Micro, nutritional panels, Kosher, Organic, etc.
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Weighted annual promo rate: 0.0%. Monthly volume makes high-volume promo periods count more.
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$
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$
Scenario A
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$
%
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Scenario B
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Scenario C
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$
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days
days
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Your margin picture

Here’s what the deal leaves you.

A planning view—not a quote. Replace every starting point with your actual terms before making a decision.

VERDICT

Healthy

Net contribution per case$0.000.0% of sell price

Margin waterfall

Annual revenue$0
Total deductions$0
Annual contribution$0
Net effective price / case$0.00
Net effective price / unit$0.00
Net sales / case$0.00
Margin on net sales0.0%
Launch payback—

Revenue check optional

Working from a pitch deck or report? Enter the claimed revenue — we’ll see if your unit economics support it.

$
Enter a claimed revenue above to run the check.

Rules of thumb only—not distributor or retailer quotes.

Conventional retailer35–40%
Natural retailer40–45%
Club markup on cost14–15%
Distributor20–30%
Broker5–10%
Waste~3%
Healthy net margin25%+

Costing a Costco or banner launch?

The Retailer Launch Coster models depot freight, MVM funding, demos, free fill and year-over-year cost-downs for launches you have never done — carrying your numbers over automatically. Free with an access code.

Open the Retailer Launch Coster →

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