What Acosta Group does

Acosta Group is a privately held collective of retail, marketing, and foodservice agencies headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. Operating since 1904 (121 years in industry), the firm employs 56,000+ associates across 100+ home bases in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, and serves 3,200+ clients including more than 130 billion-dollar CPG brands and 1,500+ emerging brands. The company delivers eight core service lines — Sales Services, Retail Execution, Connected Commerce, Assisted Sales + Training, Integrated Marketing, Foodservice, Data + Insights, and Global Business Services — through a portfolio of sub-brands including Acosta, CROSSMARK, Mosaic, Premium Retail Services, ActionLink, CORE Foodservice, and PCX (formerly Product Connections).

The firm's technology stack combines proprietary first-party shopper data and research analytics (Fresh Insights, Clean Label Insights, GLP-1 research) with partner platforms: CommerceIQ's AI platform for omnichannel commerce (via a January 2026 strategic alliance in which CommerceIQ client services employees joined the Acosta Connected Commerce team), IBM automation and advanced analytics within Global Business Services, and integrations with Walmart Connect, Amazon Sponsored Products, Amazon Live (where Premium is an A-List creator), and Amazon Vendor/Seller Central. In July 2024, Acosta acquired CROSSMARK and Product Connections from WIS International; Product Connections was subsequently rebranded as PCX in April 2026.

The business model is B2B professional services delivered primarily through direct enterprise field sales. Revenue is generated via customized, quote-based engagements covering managed services, retainer arrangements, and performance-based work across sales, retail execution, connected commerce, integrated marketing, foodservice, and global business services. Contract durations extend across multi-year terms. The company does not publicly disclose pricing or revenue.

Name

Acosta Group

Legal name

Acosta Inc.

Website

https://acosta.group

Company type

Private

Founded year

1904

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Acosta Group is a privately held collective of retail, marketing, and foodservice agencies serving 3,200+ CPG brands and major retailers across the US, Canada, and Europe, delivering omnichannel sales, retail execution, connected commerce, and data-driven marketing services through 56,000+ associates and a portfolio of specialized agency brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Jacksonville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Sales and Marketing Agency Services: Acosta Group generates revenue by providing a collective of agency services to CPG brands and retailers. Services include sales services, retail execution, connected commerce, assisted sales and training, integrated marketing, foodservice, data and insights, and global business services. Revenue is generated through service fees for managed services, retainer-based engagements, and performance-based arrangements with brand and retailer clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Acosta Group is a collective of retail, marketing, and foodservice agencies that delivers end-to-end omnichannel and integrated marketing solutions to CPG brands and retailers. Core service lines include Sales Services, Retail Execution, Connected Commerce, Assisted Sales + Training, Integrated Marketing, Foodservice, Data + Insights, and Global Business Services, delivered through specialized sub-brands such as Acosta, CROSSMARK, Mosaic, Premium, ActionLink, CORE Foodservice, and PCX.

Product overview

Acosta Group is a collective of retail, marketing, and foodservice agencies delivering end-to-end omnichannel and integrated marketing solutions. The portfolio consists of a set of eight core service lines — Sales Services, Retail Execution, Connected Commerce, Assisted Sales + Training, Integrated Marketing, Foodservice, Data + Insights, and Global Business Services — supported by multiple sub-brands and acquired agencies including CROSSMARK, PCX (formerly Product Connections), ActionLink, CORE Foodservice, Mosaic, and Premium Retail Services. The architecture is a platform-plus-specialist-agency model where the core services provide foundational capabilities in omnichannel sales, retail activation, digital commerce, and consumer insights, while the subsidiary agencies deliver specialized execution in areas such as Amazon marketplace management, livestream commerce, foodservice innovation, and retail training. Recent additions include the CommerceIQ AI-driven integrated platform within Connected Commerce and the rebranded PCX for retail activation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ActionLink: Retail execution and sales solutions agency
• CORE Foodservice
• CROSSMARK
• Mosaic
• Premium Retail Services
• PCX

Products and services

• Sales Services Advocacy services helping brands secure optimal positioning in brick-and-mortar stores, online retailers, and foodservice channels to increase product visibility and growth.
• Retail Execution In-store sales support including product placement, complex display building, and retail team management to boost sales through availability, accuracy, and visual appeal.
• Connected Commerce Cross-channel strategy and execution for omnichannel e-commerce, including Walmart Connect sponsored advertising, Amazon marketplace management, and CommerceIQ AI-driven platform integration.
• Assisted Sales + Training Brand and product benefit champion services alongside retail associate training programs to amplify products during shopper interactions, including Amazon Live livestreaming support.
• Integrated Marketing Integrated campaign development combining insight, creativity, and planning to drive measurable sales impact and brand affinity across retail and consumer touchpoints.
• Foodservice Wholesale operator and foodservice channel connection services spanning restaurants to stadiums, setting brands up to be seen, purchased, consumed, and popularized through wholesale distribution.
• Data + Insights Proprietary first-party data, research, and analytics services providing comprehensive shopper behavior analysis, including Fresh Insights study, GLP-1 halo effect research, and Clean Label Insights study.
• Global Business Services Operational efficiency services using IBM automation and advanced analytics with modern workflows to cut costs, bring clarity and speed to operations, and allow brands to stay focused on growth.
• CROSSMARK Sales and marketing agency specializing in retail solutions and business intelligence. Operates as a separate brand within the Acosta Group portfolio with headquarters in Lewisville, Texas.
• PCX (formerly Product Connections)
• ActionLink Assisted sales and training agency within the Acosta Group collective, specializing in connecting brands with consumers through experiential retail environments.
• CORE Foodservice Foodservice division of Acosta Group providing restaurant development, menu development, brand identity, and operational design services. Includes The Culinary Edge subsidiary focused on restaurant creation and culinary innovation.
• Mosaic Sales and marketing agency within the Acosta Group collective specializing in field sales, retail execution, and digital commerce solutions.
• Premium Retail Services Retail services agency within the Acosta Group portfolio, recognized by Amazon Live as an A-List creator. Supports brands with Amazon marketplace management, Seller Central operations, and in-store display execution.

Quantifiable outcome

• 59% increase in digital GMV for ZICO through Walmart Sponsored Search campaigns
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• CommerceIQcoreTechnology or Integration · 20 January 2026Connected Commerce team integration of CommerceIQ's retail AI platform into Acosta's commerce services, combining data analysis technology with Acosta's existing work across brands and retailers. As part of the agreement, CommerceIQ client services employees joined the Acosta Group Connected Commerce team.
• CommerceIQcoreTechnology or Integration · 19 January 2026Acosta Group's Connected Commerce team formed a strategic alliance with CommerceIQ on January 19, 2026, creating one of the industry's first AI-driven agency teams for omnichannel commerce. The partnership combines Acosta's omnichannel expertise with CommerceIQ's AI platform serving 2,200+ brands and 1,450+ retail partners, delivering integrated sales, media, and content solutions. Plans include advancing agentic AI capabilities and accelerating data integration to unlock new efficiencies. CommerceIQ employees focused on client services joined the Acosta Group Connected Commerce team to support the rollout.
• Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA)flagshipOthersAcosta Group and MDA marking 40 years of partnership having raised over $102 million to support individuals affected by neuromuscular diseases. The collaboration began with the 'Aisles of Smiles' campaign in 1985, focusing on enhancing awareness and providing resources for those with these conditions. MDA celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2025.
• American Heart AssociationminorOthersBrian Wynne, CEO of Acosta Group, named Chair of American Heart Association's 2026 First Coast Heart Ball, focusing on advocacy, access, and care for military families. The campaign culminates in a fundraising event in March 2026 to support military families and improve community health initiatives.
• Progressive GrocercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAcosta Group partnered with Progressive Grocer on the 76th annual Consumer Expenditures Study, releasing joint industry research on grocery shopping trends shaping American households. The partnership publishes proprietary shopper insights and consumer behavior research, positioning Acosta as a thought leader in the grocery and CPG industry.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Advantage Solutions: Advantage Solutions is the largest direct competitor to Acosta Group, providing sales, marketing, and retail execution services to CPG brands and retailers including in-store merchandising, category management, and integrated marketing - directly mirroring Acosta's collective agency model.
• SPAR Group: SPAR Group is a closely comparable direct peer offering retail merchandising, in-store execution, and brand ambassador services to consumer brands and retailers, directly overlapping with Acosta's Retail Execution and Assisted Sales + Training service lines.
• Daymon (Advantage commerce division): Daymon specializes in retail branding and private-label development services for CPG brands and retailers, overlapping with Acosta's integrated marketing and retail execution offerings; it now sits within Advantage Solutions.
• Saatchi & Saatchi X: Saatchi & Saatchi X is a global shopper marketing and retail activation agency that competes directly with Acosta's Integrated Marketing and Connected Commerce offerings for CPG brand budgets, particularly on in-store and omnichannel campaigns.

Broad incumbents

• Circana: Circana (formed from the merger of IRI and NPD) is a large-scale CPG data, analytics, and insights provider that overlaps with Acosta's Data + Insights service line, though Circana does not deliver Acosta's field execution or agency services.
• NielsenIQ: NielsenIQ is a global CPG measurement and analytics firm whose retail measurement services compete with parts of Acosta's Data + Insights capability, while serving the same CPG brand buyer Acosta targets with its broader agency portfolio.
• Kantar: Kantar is a broad-based marketing data, insights, and consulting incumbent whose CPG analytics and shopper research practices intersect with Acosta's Data + Insights services, addressing similar enterprise brand clients with research-led offerings.

Others

• WIS International: WIS International was the prior owner of CROSSMARK and Product Connections (PCX) before divesting them to Acosta Group in 2024; it remains a related-party ecosystem participant in retail labor and inventory services adjacent to Acosta's operational model.
• Smarsh (Opendorse / Mercato) related commerce partners: Mercato is an online grocery marketplace platform; while not a peer agency, it serves the same CPG brand customers Acosta helps with retail execution, illustrating the broader ecosystem of connected commerce partners Acosta integrates with via its CommerceIQ and retail media offerings.

Emerging players

• Repsly: Repsly provides a retail execution and field activity management platform used by CPG brands and retail execution agencies; while not a direct services competitor to Acosta, its software increasingly supports the in-store execution workflows Acosta delivers at scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/about
• Instagraminstagram.com/acostagroup_
• Facebookfacebook.com/acostagrp

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A2 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Acosta Group