Retail & Natural Products Consulting

Our consulting practice grew out of the same experience that shaped Horn of Plenty and Adam's Nutrition — years walking the aisles, negotiating with vendors, sitting with buyers, and running the P&L behind natural products businesses.

We work in small, focused engagements where our operator background actually moves the needle: category strategy, merchandising and set design, product launches, brand positioning, and the operating decisions that separate a good natural-products business from a great one.

How we work

• Category & merchandising: reset the shelf, sharpen the assortment, lift the numbers.
• Brand strategy: position new and existing brands to win with natural retailers.
• Launch & go-to-market: guide products from formulation through first PO.
• Operator counsel: ongoing partnership with founders and leadership teams.

Retail store setup & launch

Opening a natural products store — or reinventing an existing one — is one of the hardest, most rewarding things an operator can do. We've done it ourselves, and we help others do it well. From the first market study to the ribbon cutting and the crucial months that follow, we can partner on every step, or drop in on the specific pieces where an outside operator's eye is worth the most.

Market & site selection

• Market analysis — demographics, competition, and demand for natural products in the trade area.
• Site evaluation — traffic, visibility, parking, neighboring tenants, and lease terms.
• Pro-forma modeling — realistic sales, margin, labor, and occupancy assumptions from actual store data.

Store design & category plan

• Floor plan and department adjacencies built around how natural shoppers actually move.
• Category selection and role — what to carry, what to lead with, and what to leave to competitors.
• Fixture, refrigeration, and equipment specs sized to the concept and the pro forma.
• Planograms, signage, and shelf-set standards ready for opening day.

Vendor, product & pricing setup

• Distributor and vendor selection, account setup, and opening-order negotiation.
• Item file build, UPC and cost load, and pricing strategy by category.
• Private label, local, and specialty sourcing where it strengthens the assortment.

Launch execution

• Pre-opening timeline — construction, permitting, hiring, and training milestones.
• Team hiring, org design, and department manager development.
• Grand opening marketing, community outreach, and event playbook.
• On-site support through soft open, grand opening, and the first critical weeks.

Post-launch operations

• KPI dashboards, weekly reviews, and course corrections against the pro forma.
• Shrink, labor, and margin management from someone who has owned the P&L.
• Ongoing operator counsel as the store matures.