So you think your margin is healthy. One brand I worked with was sure of it, until we built an accurate landed cost and found they were losing money on core SKUs. Here are the four gaps that hide the truth, and what they cost in the decisions you make with every order.

Your COGS calculator from last year has a revolving door of columns, fees, temporary tariffs, and more. Here are four moves modern consumer brands are using to protect margin while the rate keeps moving: buy-ahead discipline, HTS classification, FTZs, and First Sale.

A placement in Bloomingdale’s will add a layer of credibility and prestige to any brand. However, getting into Bloomingdale's and running Bloomingdale's profitably are two different things. Brands that don’t go in prepared will likely write off their first season as a learning experience.

Chargebacks exist because retailers want you to succeed in their stores. The brands that struggle aren't doing anything catastrophically wrong; they just need better systems. Here’s how emerging brands can get started.

Rhode sold to e.l.f. for $800 million. Three years old on 11% marketing spend. High visibility cuts 2 ways. Raving fans that flood your website on launch day, and raging fans that flood socials when the delivery fails. Product and operations are the differentiators.

Amazon MCF gives CPG brands access to world-class logistics infrastructure. It also hands over the one thing you spent years building. Here's what to weigh before you decide.

Your products are already in ChatGPT. Being in the catalog and being found are two different things. Here's what AI actually needs to recommend your product to shoppers and what to fix now.

Olaplex built a cult brand on a single molecule and 60% EBITDA margins. Four years after its IPO, it sold for a fraction of its peak value. The science worked. The operations didn't.

Fashion return rates now average well above 20% and most brands are solving the wrong problem. Here's where the losses are actually coming from.

The SCOTUS ruling cracked the refund window open. Most brands won't collect a dollar -- not because they don't qualify, but because they don't have the paperwork.