Glossary

Our CPG glossary offers clear and concise definitions of essential industry terms. Perfect for newcomers and professionals alike to quickly understand the Consumer Packaged Goods landscape.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

Advertising Allowance

Also referred to as marketing co-op allowance or promotional allowance, it is the dollar amount that

Assortment

The variety of products that a retailer offers for sale to meet the diverse preferences and

Average Price

Weighted average of actual price and promoted price for an item. It does not take into

B

Base Price

Also referred to as non-promoted price, it is the average price of an item across all

Baseline Sales

Amount of organic sales for a product in a marketplace without any marketing effort.

Basket Size

The amount that a customer spends in a retail store in single transaction.

Blocking

Also called facing, zoning or fronting, a retail merchandizing concept where all products of the same

Brand Affinity

It is the level of positive association and emotional connection that consumers have with a particular

Brand Assessment

Evaluates a brand’s strengths, weaknessess and opportunities for brand development and repositioning.

Brand Identity

Includes the visual elements of a brand such as the logo, design, color that helps the

Brand Loyalty

Refers to a consumer’s consistent preference for purchasing the same brand over competing ones, driven by

Brand positioning

Refers to the unique offering or key differentiations of the brand’s products for its customers.

Brand Refresh

When a brand improvises its existing image and communications while maintaining its core identity.

Bulk Stacking

Optimal way to story inventory in a vertical manner when there is large quantities or excess

Buying Rate

It is the average quantity or value of a product purchased by a single household within

C

Category Buyer

The person is responsible for assisting the procurement manager and category team in implementing procurement and

Category management

Involves grouping products into suitable categories and managing category performance. This involves inputs from both brand

Category Manager

The person is responsible for overseeing a specific category of products of a brand. They develop

Club

Also called a warehouse club, it is a membership-based retail outlet offering a wide selection of

Consumer Promotion

Also known as sales promotion, is a temporary marketing strategy aimed at boosting brand awareness and

Convenience

A small-format retail outlet that offers a limited selection of basic and immediate consumption items, such

Coupon

A document or digital code that grants the holder a discount or rebate on a purchase.

CPG manufacturing

In the Consumer Packaged Goods industry, the term “CPG company” typically denotes manufacturers within the sector.

Cross Merchandising

Also known as secondary product placement, it is a retail strategy that places complementary products together

Customer Loyalty

Emerges when customers consistently favor a brand over its competitors, leading to repeat purchases and a

D

Dollar

Refers to a retail outlet that specializes in selling a wide range of general merchandise and

Dollar Sales

Measures the total revenue generated from products sold at retail, calculated by multiplying the number of

E

Everyday Low Price (EDLP)

A retail pricing strategy offering customers consistently low prices on products without requiring coupons, waiting for

Excess Inventory

Also referred to as surplus inventory, denotes the surplus stock held by a company beyond what

F

Field Marketing Representative

A professional responsible for actively promoting and increasing brand awareness by engaging in direct, face-to-face interactions

Forecast Accuracy

Forecast accuracy refers to the degree to which a forecast aligns with actual sales data, indicating

Forward Buying

Refers to the purchase of goods in quantities greater than immediately needed, with the intent to

Frequent Buyer Program

A customer loyalty scheme designed to incentivize repeat purchases by offering rewards based on the accumulation

G

Generic Brand

A consumer product without a widely recognized name or logo, often lacking extensive advertising compared to

Grocery

A retail establishment primarily focused on selling a broad assortment of food products, encompassing items such

Gross Margin

The difference between the revenue generated from sales and the cost of goods sold, expressed as

H

Heavy Buyers

Consumers who consistently spend significantly more than average within a specific product category, making them a

High-Low Pricing

A strategy where a company sets an initial high price for a product and later reduces

Horizontal Merchandizing

A retail display technique where products are arranged in a left-to-right manner along a horizontal plane.

Hyper Market

A large retail store that integrates both a department store and a grocery supermarket within a

I

Incremental Revenue

Represents the additional profit generated by a business as a result of increased sales volume. It

Incremental Sales

Refers to the additional units of a product sold to retailers or consumers directly attributed to

J

Just in time inventory

An inventory management that is focused on optimizing inventory levels by receiving raw materials and components

K

Kitting

A logistical technique involving the assembly and packaging of various related items together as a single

L

Lifestage

Refers to one of the distinct phases within a retail business’s lifecycle, encompassing its birth, growth,

Loyalty program

A initiative by a company to incentivize repeat purchases and customer loyalty by offering rewards, discounts,

M

Markdown Pricing

A pricing strategy where retailers lower the prices of products to boost sales and manage inventory

Market Basket Analysis

A data mining tool used to identify patterns of items frequently purchased together by analyzing transaction

Market Share

Represents the portion of an industry’s total sales that is accounted for by a specific company

Mass Merchandizer

Also refered to as mass market retailer, it is a retail business that sells a wide

Merchandising

It includes the comprehensive strategies and practices retailers employ to promote and sell products to customers

N

O

Out of stock (OOS)

A situation occurs when a product that is supposed to be available for sale is completely

P

Purchase Frequency (PF)

Refers to the rate at which customers make purchases within a specific timeframe. It offers businesses

Product Listings

A product listing is an item’s entry in the broader catalog of an eCommerce website, designed

Promotion Effectiveness

Refers to the degree to which a promotional marketing campaign successfully achieves its intended objectives, such

Product Attributes

A descriptive facet of a product that helps to specify, classify, and differentiate it within a

Prestige Pricing

A pricing strategy where products are priced at a premium to signal superior quality and status,

Product Variants

A specific version of a ‘master’ product that is differentiated by one or more attributes, such

Q

R

S

T

U

Unplanned Out-of-Stocks

Instances where a product is unexpectedly unavailable for purchase, often resulting in lost sales and dissatisfied

V

Velocity Analysis

A method of analyzing sales data to identify products with high sales velocity. Velocity analysis helps

W

X

Y

Yield Management

A pricing strategy used to maximize revenue by varying prices based on demand and inventory levels.

Z