For years, retailer-supplier relationships centered on an annual cycle of cost negotiations, trade funding arrangements, promotional calendar planning, and margin discussions. In today’s evolving retail environment, characterized by retail media, digital commerce, AI, supply-chain automation, private brands, and rapidly shifting consumer behaviors, this traditional approach has become increasingly outdated.

AS THE CPG INDUSTRY pivots from price-led growth to volume-driven, brand-led expansion, traditional trade markets—long viewed as complex and fragmented—are emerging as a critical growth...