If you’ve ever felt like you’re throwing trade dollars into a black hole, you’re not alone. Trade spend is one of the largest budget items for consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies, yet many sales and finance teams still struggle to answer basic questions like: Are we spending in the right places? Which accounts are driving the most ROI? Where are we wasting money?

Trade spend is one of the biggest investments CPG companies make—second only to the cost of goods sold. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: a big chunk of that budget might not be pulling its weight. Are those dollars truly driving growth, or just getting lost in the shuffle?

Let’s start with the basics: What is trade spend visibility—and why does it matter so much? For many CPG brands, this term can feel abstract. But the truth is, trade spend visibility is the foundation for sustainable growth. Without it, brands are essentially flying blind, making critical decisions based on gut feel rather than real data

For many consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies, trade spend is one of the largest budget items—but also one of the easiest to mismanage. Without clear visibility and control, promotions can quickly turn into a black hole of inefficiency, eating into margins without delivering measurable results.

If you’re wondering whether your company is managing trade spend effectively, here are 10 key warning signs that your trade dollars may be going to waste—along with real-world examples of how companies have tackled these challenges.

TrewUp, the leading provider of trade spend visibility and deductions management, has launched its Sales Insights Dashboard, a powerful new tool designed to help brands track retailer performance, optimize trade spend, and make smarter, data-driven decisions.

Let’s dive into the final and most crucial step in the Trade Spend Maximizer Framework. If you’re not actively optimizing your trade spend, you’re leaving money on the table while your competitors reinvest their dollars into strategies that fuel their growth. With one-third of trade spend wasted every year, the brands that fine-tune their approach are the ones dominating their categories. Are you making the most of your trade spend—or are inefficiencies holding you back?

Today we’re diving into Trade Spend Metrics—the key to transforming raw spend data into actionable insights that drive smarter decisions and stronger returns.

If you're not optimizing your trade spend, you're leaving money on the table—money that your competitors are reinvesting to dominate the market. Trade spend is the second-largest expense on your P&L, yet one-third of these dollars are wasted annually. The best-performing CPG brands have already figured out how to take control of their trade spend and turn it into a growth engine. The question is: are you keeping up?

In today’s hyper-competitive Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) landscape, the best brands are no longer guessing when it comes to trade spend—they're optimizing every dollar. Trade spend is the second-largest line item on the P&L after the cost of goods sold, yet one-third of all trade dollars are wasted annually. The brands leading the market aren’t letting that happen. They’re implementing data-driven frameworks that eliminate waste, boost profitability, and accelerate growth—and if you’re not doing the same, you’re already behind.

At TrewUp, we’re always looking for ways to make managing your deductions and trade spend easier. This month, we’re excited to roll out several new features designed to improve your experience and give you even more control over your data.

When it comes to managing trade deductions and optimizing trade spend, TrewUp stands out as a powerful solution. During our demos, we’ve heard a wide range of questions and concerns from emerging and established brands. In this article, we’ll address the most frequently asked questions to help you understand how TrewUp can transform your trade spend management.

TrewUp, a leading provider of trade spend insights and optimization solutions for the CPG industry, is thrilled to announce that its CEO and Co-Founder, Kyle Barnholt, has been named a GenNext Award winner by Progressive Grocer. This prestigious award honors leaders under 40 who are setting new standards and making significant contributions to the food and CPG industries.

In the fast-paced and ever-evolving world of Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), understanding trade spend and promotional planning is the key to driving success for your brand. With countless variables like product category, competition, and the specifics of your retailer partnerships, it can feel overwhelming.

Welcome to the final installment of our Deduction Mastery Framework series! If you’ve been following along, you already know that managing deductions can be a complex and daunting task. Today, we’re diving into the crucial final step: Action.

In today's competitive market, natural, organic, and specialty brands face unique challenges in managing their financial processes, with deductions management being one of the most critical aspects.

TrewUp's deductions management platform is specifically designed for natural, organic, and specialty brands, offering innovative features that streamline financial processes, reduce disputes, and improve overall efficiency. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through each aspect of the software and show you how it can revolutionize your brand's financial processes.

Managing deductions in the realm of Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) can often feel like navigating a maze. The intricate processes involved and the sheer volume of data can be overwhelming. However, with a strategic approach and innovative tools like TrewUp, this task can be made more manageable. Here's a smooth five-step guide on how to optimally manage deductions.

Traditionally, CPG and natural products manufacturers see deductions as an expense that is erroneous and out of their control. I’d like to share another perspective.

Our framework is designed to help you manage and understand deductions in a structured way, ensuring that you can implement tangible strategies to improve your business's profitability. The three components that make up the Deductions Mastery Framework include: categorization, insights, and root cause analysis. This post will take a closer look into the "Insights" portion of the framework. 

At TrewUp, we believe that you shouldn’t have to worry about deductions. That’s why we developed our Deductions Mastery Framework. Throughout the course of this series, we delve into how to efficiently categorize deductions by type, retailer, and item, offering practical steps to enhance your deductions process with real-world examples and success stories.