Vaaha · Resources
CPG Glossary
Key Terms for Consumer Packaged Goods · 24 terms
All Commodity Volume — a measure of distribution that weights each store carrying your product by that store's total sales, so it is not a simple count of stores. 50% ACV means your product is in stores that together make up half of all sales in that market and period.
Stock Keeping Unit — the internal code for one distinct item you stock and sell, so each flavor or size is usually its own SKU. It is different from the UPC or GTIN barcode printed on the package.
How fast a product sells once it is on shelf. Vaaha's Discovery report shows an estimated dollar figure per SKU per store per year ($/SKU/yr); retail data is more often quoted as units per store per week.
YoY Growth
Year-over-Year Growth — the change compared with the same period a year earlier: (this year − last year) ÷ last year × 100. +15% YoY means sales were 15% higher than the year before.
Share
The percentage of a category's total sales that happen in one channel. A 35% Natural/Specialty share means 35 cents of every dollar spent in the category is spent in natural stores; it is not your brand's share of the category.
Growth (Channel)
The year-over-year change in this category's sales within one channel. +18% means the category sold 18% more in that channel than in the same period last year.
Avg Price
The typical price shoppers pay for products in this category within a channel. Compare it to your own price at the same pack size.
Fit Score
Vaaha's 0–100 estimate of how well your concept fits a channel, based on price point, target shopper, product format and how crowded the channel is. It is a planning estimate to compare channels, not an industry-standard metric.
Stores focused on natural, organic and health-focused products, such as Whole Foods, Sprouts, Natural Grocers, Erewhon and independent natural stores. Being sold there is not a product certification.
Grocery
Conventional supermarkets, such as Kroger, Safeway, Publix, HEB and Albertsons. Buying requirements and terms vary by chain; brokers and slotting fees are common but not universal.
Mass
Broad-assortment retailers that sell many categories under one roof, such as Walmart and Target. Some data providers count dollar and discount stores separately, so check which stores a figure includes.
eCommerce
Sales made online — through Amazon, online retailers like Thrive Market, or your own website. Only sales through your own site are direct-to-consumer (DTC).
Membership warehouse stores, such as Costco, Sam's Club and BJ's. They usually want larger packs or multipacks and have their own pricing and packaging requirements.
A payment a retailer or distributor charges to place a new product on its shelves or in its warehouse. Terms vary by account, and paying one does not guarantee the product stays on shelf.
Gross profit as a percentage of net revenue: (net revenue − COGS) ÷ net revenue × 100. If you sell wholesale, use what you invoice, not the shelf price.
Direct-to-Consumer — selling straight to shoppers through your own website or customer relationship instead of through a retailer. You keep more of the price but pay for acquisition, fulfillment, returns and customer service.
A sales agent who represents your brand to retail buyers and helps with presentations, promotions and account management, usually for a commission on sales. A broker sells; a distributor buys, stores and delivers.
Minimum Order Quantity — the smallest amount a manufacturer or supplier will make or sell in one order. Check whether it applies to finished product, packaging or ingredients, and in what unit.
A contract manufacturer who makes or packs your product for you. Most emerging brands don't own factories; the agreement sets who sources materials, who owns the formula and who is responsible for quality.
A popular term for products made with short ingredient lists of recognizable ingredients. It has no single official definition and is not a certification, so any specific claim on the package still needs support.
A third-party verification that a product meets the Non-GMO Project Standard for avoiding genetically modified ingredients, shown by the butterfly seal. It does not guarantee zero GMO material.
Whitespace
An underserved need or market position that no competitor fully owns. Vaaha's report scores it 0–100; a gap can also mean weak demand or poor economics, so check it with real customers and data.
Competitive Intensity
How much competitive pressure your product would face — the number of brands, plus how hard they compete on price, distribution and promotion. Vaaha's report scores it 0–100 as one of the validation dimensions.
Brand Differentiation
The meaningful reasons your product stands apart from alternatives that shoppers care about and you can back up. Vaaha's report scores it 0–100 as one of the validation dimensions.