Why founders care
They may work on retainer, commission, or the greater of the two. They can secure and manage opportunities, but the founder still owns the sell story, buyer relationship, and in-store velocity.
The CPG Founder’s Dictionary
Learn to speak CPG.
Retail buyers, brokers, distributors, investors, and operators all speak in shorthand. This is the plain-English translation—plus the part that matters when you’re building the company.
331 terms9 operating areas0 assumed experienceReviewed September 2026
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The 15 terms most likely to cost you money
Learn these before your next buyer meeting, promotion, production run, or distributor negotiation.
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331 terms
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More help for the decisions behind the definitions.
Use Jeff’s free calculators, workshops, and playbooks—or bring the term you heard in the wild to 350+ CPG founders.
How this was built
Operator-first. Researched second.
We started with Jeff Church’s 35 years of operating experience, founder calls, playbooks, and writing. Then we checked technical definitions against regulators, standards bodies, and the industry’s data providers.
Educational only—not legal, accounting, food-safety, regulatory, or investment advice. Customer contracts and data-provider definitions vary, so confirm the version that governs your business.
Jeff’s field notesJeff Church’s natural-channel playbookJeff’s field notesJeff Church’s broker strategyJeff’s field notesJeff Church’s scan-data guidePrimary referenceFDA food-business and labeling guidancePrimary referenceFDA Food Traceability RulePrimary referenceUSDA organic labeling guidanceIndustry standardGS1 US: What is a GTIN?Industry standardGS1 US barcode typesData referenceSPINS CPG glossaryData referenceNielsenIQ distribution referencePrimary referenceSEC startup securities guide