How Garrett Popcorn Simplified Trade Spend Management and Gave Sales Teams More Time to Sell

The Challenge

As Garrett Popcorn expanded from a beloved regional brand into a nationally distributed grocery product, managing trade spend, deductions, and distributor relationships became increasingly complex.

For Jerry Maddi, Senior Key Account Manager at Garrett Popcorn, joining the organization during a period of rapid growth meant quickly getting up to speed on a growing network of retailers, distributors, and promotional programs.

With distribution spanning partners like UNFI and KeHE, answering simple business questions often required digging through multiple systems, invoices, and retailer records.

Questions like:

• Where are we currently distributed?
• What does our trade spend look like by distributor?
• Which deductions are still open?
• Which deductions should be approved versus disputed?

didn't always have quick answers.

Without a centralized source of truth, managing distributor deductions and trade spend required reviewing invoices one by one, distribution center by distribution center, retailer by retailer.

"What is extremely monotonous is made a lot more simplified because of the TrewUp platform."

The Turning Point

When Garrett Popcorn implemented TrewUp, the team gained a centralized platform for trade spend visibility, deduction management, and distributor performance tracking.

Instead of searching across spreadsheets, invoices, and retailer records, Jerry could access everything from a single location.

The result was faster decision-making, greater visibility, and significantly less administrative work.

The Solution

With TrewUp, Garrett Popcorn gained a streamlined approach to managing distributor deductions and trade spend across its growing retail network.

1. A Single Source of Truth for Trade Spend

Whether leadership needed visibility into:

• KeHE distribution
• UNFI Conventional performance
• UNFI Natural performance
• Open deductions
• Retailer-specific spending

the information was immediately available.

"It's a one-stop shop."

Instead of spending hours gathering data, the team could quickly answer critical business questions with confidence.

2. Faster Deduction Management

Managing retailer deductions became significantly more efficient.

Within the platform, Jerry can:

• Review deductions
• Approve valid charges
• Confirm payment status
• Request backup documentation
• Dispute incorrect deductions

all without leaving the system.

"We can dispute deductions on there all in one platform."

3. Simplified Distributor Oversight

As Garrett Popcorn continues expanding nationally, distributor management becomes increasingly important.

Rather than navigating individual invoices from multiple distributors and retailers, the team now has a consolidated view of activity across their network.

This visibility helps ensure promotions, deductions, and trade spend are properly tracked and accounted for.

The Result

More Time Selling, Less Time Managing Paperwork

For Garrett Popcorn, the most significant return on investment wasn't just financial—it was operational.

Before TrewUp, hours each week were spent:

• Reviewing invoices
• Tracking deductions
• Searching for documentation
• Reconciling distributor records

Today, those same tasks take a fraction of the time.

"The best way for me to describe the ROI is on my time."

Improved Sales Productivity

By reducing administrative work, Jerry can spend more time focused on revenue-generating activities:

• Building retailer relationships
• Expanding distribution
• Identifying new account opportunities
• Growing existing business

"I'm allowed to sell as a salesman because I don't have to spend hours on hours walking through invoices."

Better Visibility Across the Business

With immediate access to trade spend data, distribution metrics, and deduction activity, Garrett Popcorn can make faster, more informed decisions.

Leadership gains visibility into performance while sales teams gain the confidence that critical information is always accessible.

The Bigger Shift: From Administrative Work to Strategic Growth

As Garrett Popcorn evolves from an emerging grocery brand into a nationally recognized player in the ready-to-eat popcorn category, operational efficiency becomes increasingly important.

TrewUp didn't just help organize deductions.

It helped create a scalable process for managing distributor relationships, trade spend, and retail performance.

Instead of spending valuable selling time chasing invoices and documentation, the team can focus on what matters most: growing the business.

Looking Ahead

With new product launches, retailer expansion, and continued growth across grocery channels, Garrett Popcorn is building for the future.

Having a centralized trade spend and deduction management platform ensures the team can scale efficiently without adding unnecessary complexity.

As distribution continues to expand, TrewUp provides the visibility and operational foundation needed to support that growth.

The Bottom Line

For Garrett Popcorn, TrewUp transformed trade spend management from a manual, time-consuming process into a streamlined workflow.

The result:

• Faster deduction management
• Better trade spend visibility
• Simplified distributor oversight
• More time spent selling
• Greater confidence in business decisions

Most importantly, it allows the sales team to focus less on invoices and more on driving growth.