SMARTeam CPG Consulting

What SMARTeam CPG Consulting does

SMARTeam CPG Consulting is a B2B consulting firm headquartered in Boise, Idaho, that provides market research, shopper insights, category management, and merchandising architecture services to consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands, manufacturers, and retail buyers/merchants. The firm operates as an operating division of Advantage Solutions, one of North America's largest CPG consulting and marketing services companies, giving it access to the parent organization's broader shopper datasets and the Advantage 360 platform. SMARTeam positions itself around data-driven storytelling, helping CPG clients translate category data into narratives that secure merchant attention and drive measurable sales outcomes across nine retail channels including Grocery, Mass Merchandisers, Club, Specialty, Drug, Dollar, Convenience, Online, and Omnichannel/Global.

The company's core delivery combines professional services engagements with a suite of proprietary branded tools. Web-based applications include SMARTdock2.0, a customizable reporting platform for accessing customer-specific data, and OnTrack, a communication portal that informs vendors throughout the category review process. Market research and analytics tools include SMARTgauge (targeted survey, 7-10 business day turnaround), SnapShot (2-day quick feedback survey), Path-to-Purchase (shopper journey mapping), ShopperCast (survey paired with shopper video), and PriceGauge (pricing optimization). The firm also publishes periodic Shopper Outlook reports and co-branded research (e.g., Advantage Solutions + Data Essentials flavor trends) to support top-of-funnel thought leadership.

SMARTeam generates revenue through a mix of professional services engagements (category management, merchandising architecture, market research, and consultative advisory), subscription-based access to its reporting platforms, and à la carte research outputs. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market motion is consultative and sales-led, structured as a four-step engagement (consultative session, goal sharing, strategic action plan, solution delivery). The company employs 51-100 people and operates from a single Boise office, with a publicly stated global service claim.

Name

SMARTeam CPG Consulting

Legal name

SMARTeam CPG Consulting

Website

https://thesmarteam.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

SMARTeam CPG Consulting is a Boise-based B2B consulting division of Advantage Solutions that provides category management, merchandising architecture, shopper insights, and proprietary research tools to CPG brands and retail buyers across nine retail channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

CPG Management Consulting

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910), Marketing Consulting Services (541613), Advertising Agencies (541810)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Customer, Marketing & Sales Consulting (BPAHACAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Pricing, Revenue & Commercial Analytics (BPAHALAM)

Keywords

• CPG consulting services
• Category management
• Shopper insights research
• Market research surveys
• Merchandising strategy consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Boise

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: Professional consulting services including category management, merchandising architecture, market research, and strategic advisory. Delivered through consultative engagements and collaborative sessions with CPG clients.
2. Application and Reporting Tools: Subscription-based access to proprietary web-based reporting platforms including SMARTdock2.0 and OnTrack for ongoing client use.
3. Market Research Services: A la carte market research solutions including SMARTgauge surveys, SnapShot quick feedback, ShopperCast, and In-store intercepts providing research outputs to clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SMARTeam CPG Consulting provides strategic business consulting, category management, merchandising architecture, and market research services to consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands, manufacturers, and retailers. Its core deliverable is data-driven storytelling and shopper insights packaged through proprietary research tools (e.g., SMARTgauge, SMARTdock 2.0, OnTrack, SnapShot, Path-to-Purchase, PriceGauge, ShopperCast) and consultative engagements that help CPG clients get noticed by retail buyers and achieve measurable sales results across grocery, mass, club, specialty, drug, dollar, convenience, online, and omnichannel channels.

Product overview

SMARTeam CPG Consulting is a strategic business consulting firm offering a portfolio of proprietary research tools and consulting services for the consumer packaged goods industry. The core offering combines consultative services (category management, merchandising architecture, market research) with a suite of branded research products including SMARTgauge (survey tool), SMARTdock 2.0 (reporting platform), OnTrack (communication portal), SMART SnapShot (quick feedback), Path-to-Purchase, ShopperCast, and PriceGauge. The company operates as a division of Advantage Solutions and serves clients across multiple retail channels including grocery, mass merchandisers, club, specialty, drug, dollar, convenience, online, and omnichannel/global markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SMARTgauge Fast and affordable survey tool providing direction to a single specific business question, delivering results in 7-10 business days from survey launch; used by CPG brands for targeted market research.
• SMARTdock 2.0 Web-based application enabling clients to access customer-specific data through easy-to-use, customizable reports; provides ongoing access to category and shopper data for CPG and retail clients.
• OnTrack Comprehensive communication portal powered by SMART that informs vendors of important activities throughout the category review process; serves as the engagement backbone for category reviews.
• SMART SnapShot Short survey providing quick feedback to guide decisions on marketing ideas, names, visuals, themes, or what resonates with buyers; delivers results in 2 business days with a national sample.
• Path-to-Purchase Custom survey that maps the shopper's purchase journey and helps businesses understand relevant points of influence along the path to purchase.
• ShopperCast Custom survey paired with shopper videos that provides quantitative findings through targeted shopper video content combined with SMARTgauge survey methodology.
• PriceGauge Pricing strategy tool that determines what product claims contribute the most value to a product's price and identifies the price range offering highest potential profit without turning away buyers.
• Shopper Consideration Path + Aisle Flow Assessment Assessment of shoppers' key decisions in aisle and the attributes that influence their purchase decisions; delivered as an analytics engagement for CPG brands and retailers.
• In-Store Intercepts Onsite interviews conducted in-store with shoppers at targeted locations, ideal for impulse purchases and understanding shopper motivations.
• Shopper-Centric Category Management Category management service that starts with traditional category management data and overlays shopper insights to provide a holistic view of shopper behavior.
• Merchandising Architecture Services Integrated solutions spanning from store layout to data analysis for merchandising optimization; delivered to CPG brands and retailers.
• SMART Consultative Engagement Session Collaborative approach to uncovering client's key business issues and opportunities during consultative sessions; entry point for new SMARTeam engagements.
• Storytelling and Creative Visuals Impactful creative visuals for buyers, distributors, or stakeholders that tell the brand's story through data-driven storytelling.
• Customer-Specific Category Loyalty Programs Loyalty program analytics that enhance understanding of shopper purchase dynamics, product incrementality, and store-level performance.
• Shopper Outlook Reports Periodic research reports providing insights on shopper behavior, trends, and preferences including State of Shopper, Store Choice, What Matters to Grocery Shoppers, and Life Stages Segmentation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Brand achieved +32% sales vs YA in 2019 (vs +0% vs YA in 2018) with gain of 17pts of ACV
• +4 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Advantage SolutionscoreOthersSMARTeam is an operating division of Advantage Solutions, one of North America's largest CPG consulting and marketing services firms. This parent-subsidiary relationship provides SMARTeam access to Advantage Solutions' broader resources, methodologies, and market research capabilities including the Advantage 360 platform and proprietary shopper insights data.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• IRI: IRI (now part of Circana) historically offered retail measurement, shopper insights, and CPG category management—directly comparable to SMARTeam's offering set, but at enterprise scale with syndicated data assets.
• NielsenIQ: NIQ is a global leader in CPG retail measurement and consumer insights; it competes broadly with SMARTeam's market research and category management services but operates a far larger syndicated panel and analytics infrastructure.
• Kantar: Kantar is a major market research and insights firm serving CPG and retail clients with brand tracking, shopper insights, and category consulting—broader in scope than SMARTeam but overlapping in CPG consulting and analytics.
• Advantage Solutions: SMARTeam's parent company and a leading North American provider of sales, marketing, and retail services to CPG manufacturers and retailers—overlapping broadly in category management, shopper insights, and retail activation, but operating at much greater scale.

Direct peers

• Acosta: Acosta is a CPG sales and marketing agency offering retail sales, category management, and shopper marketing services—closely comparable to SMARTeam's category management and merchandising architecture offerings for CPG brands and retailers.
• Spins: Spins provides CPG-focused shopper intelligence, product attribute data, and analytics for natural and conventional channels—overlapping directly with SMARTeam's shopper insights, market research, and category management offerings for CPG brands.
• Circana: Circana (formed from the merger of IRI and The NPD Group) is one of the largest providers of CPG and retail measurement, analytics, and shopper insights—directly competing with SMARTeam's category management and shopper insights offerings, but at vastly greater scale.
• Daymon Worldwide: Daymon provides private brand development, retail merchandising, and category management services to retailers and CPG brands—directly comparable to SMARTeam's merchandising architecture and category management consulting.
• Inmar Intelligence: Inmar provides retail analytics, category management, and shopper marketing services—competing with SMARTeam in retail-facing category management, shopper insights, and merchandising strategy for CPG manufacturers and retailers.

Emerging players

• Numerator: Numerator provides panel-based consumer and shopper data, including purchase behavior and attitudes for CPG brands—overlapping with SMARTeam's Path-to-Purchase, shopper surveys, and category insights, but with a technology-led, self-serve orientation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thesmarteam
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-smarteam

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SMARTeam CPG Consulting