What eXPD8 does

eXPD8 Limited is a privately held UK field marketing and retail execution agency headquartered in Bristol, founded in 2002/2003 by Mark Thurgood and Peter Bailey. The company operates a fully-employed field team of more than 2,000 (with broader company headcount between 1,001 and 5,000) merchandisers covering every UK postcode, servicing 14,152+ retail outlets weekly across the UK and Ireland. eXPD8 delivers merchandising, point-of-sale (POS) display installation, promotional campaign execution, planogram compliance, replenishment, mystery shopping, space planning, and product sampling for major UK grocery and health-and-beauty retailers — Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, and Boots — and global consumer brands across entertainment, FMCG, beauty, food and beverage, and gifting.

Service delivery is supported by three proprietary technology platforms developed in-house: PXL8, a cloud-based photo management system capturing approximately 120,000 in-store photographs per week for compliance verification and client reporting; eDUK8, a learning management system hosting 220+ training modules deployed to field and office staff; and CROWDY, a crowdsourcing service launched in 2022 that activates the existing trained merchandiser workforce for 48-hour-turnaround retail audits. The business also operates eXPD8 beauty as a specialized sub-brand for cosmetics retail support and maintains a centralized warehouse for end-to-end fulfilment in partnerships such as InComm gift card category management.

eXPD8's revenue model is predominantly project- and contract-based professional services, supplemented by managed services (CROWDY) and data-monetisation through the bespoke reporting suite. The company holds preferred-provider status with multiple top UK retailers, generating recurring category-management revenue alongside campaign-based brand work. Geographic operations are confined to the UK and Ireland, with no disclosed external funding, parent company, or public listing; ownership remains with the co-founders.

Name

eXPD8

Legal name

eXPD8 Limited

Website

https://expd8.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

eXPD8 is a privately held UK field marketing agency operating a fully-employed team of 2,000+ merchandisers to deliver in-store retail execution, merchandising, POS displays, planogram compliance, and crowdsourced audits for major UK retailers — Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, and Boots — and global consumer brands, supported by proprietary PXL8, eDUK8, and CROWDY platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Field Merchandising Services: Providing merchandising services across UK retail stores for consumer brands. Includes product placement, replenishment, POS display setup, and planogram compliance.
2. Retail Data Analytics & Reporting: Real-time retail data capture using tablets, photo verification, and performance reporting for clients. Revenue generated through bespoke reporting suites and data insights services.
3. CROWDY (Crowdsourcing): Quick-turnaround crowdsourcing service for retail audits, availability checks, and simple interventions using the existing field team.
4. Specialist Category Services: Specialist services including beauty retail support (eXPD8 beauty), mystery shopping, seasonal campaign support, and category management.

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

eXPD8 is a UK field marketing agency providing in-store retail execution services for consumer brands and major retailers. Core offerings include merchandising, POS display installation, promotional campaigns, planogram compliance audits, replenishment, mystery shopping, and category management, delivered through a fully-employed field team of over 2,500 merchandisers covering every UK postcode. The company also operates proprietary platforms (PXL8 photo management, eDUK8 learning management, CROWDY crowdsourcing) and a specialized eXPD8 beauty sub-brand for cosmetics retail support.

Product overview

eXPD8 is a field marketing agency offering a portfolio of retail execution services and proprietary technology platforms. The core offering includes merchandising services, POS displays, and promotional campaigns across UK retailers. Key proprietary products include PXL8 (cloud-based photo management platform), eDUK8 (learning management system), and CROWDY (crowdsourcing service). The company also operates eXPD8 beauty as a specialized sub-brand for cosmetics retail support. Services are delivered through a fully-employed field team of over 2,500 merchandisers operating in every UK postcode.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PXL8: Cloud-based photo management platform for retail activity visibility, search, and sharing.
• CROWDY
• eDUK8

Products and services

• Field Marketing Agency Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 98%+ scheduled call coverage rate achieved for beauty retail support
• +13 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Routes to RetailcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnereXPD8 partnered with Routes to Retail from June 2023 to deliver a fully outsourced, end-to-end category management solution for Morrisons' entertainment category (CDs, DVDs, books) across 481 stores. eXPD8 provided in-store presentation, merchandising, and real-time data collection while Routes to Retail contributed logistics, commercial agreements, and category strategy. The partnership achieved 98% weekly coverage and 22,126+ units merchandised weekly.
• InCommcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnereXPD8 provides InComm with end-to-end gift card category execution across Sainsbury's, ASDA and Boots — covering over 2,000 stores. Services include merchandising, replenishment, fixture maintenance, POS management, and central fulfilment via eXPD8's warehouse. The partnership grew from short-term in-store support to a national, multi-retailer service achieving InComm's best-ever Q4 performance in Sainsbury's.
• Tesco (as preferred provider)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnereXPD8 is the only fully accredited and preferred field marketing partner across Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury's. Trusted relationships at all levels within these retailers allow eXPD8 to operate as an extension of the store colleague workforce with access to retailer internal systems and data.
• Asda (as preferred provider)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnereXPD8 holds preferred provider status with Asda across entertainment, gift cards, and general merchandising. Field team provides FSDU setup, POS installation, replenishment, and planogram compliance across Asda stores.
• Sainsbury's (as preferred provider)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFully accredited and preferred provider across Sainsbury's main estate and convenience formats. Delivers weekly merchandising, stock replenishment, and promotional execution across the Sainsbury's estate.
• BootsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributoreXPD8 provides Boots with estate-wide gift card merchandising, card range refreshes, POS implementation, and full fixture changeovers. Onboarding from previous provider achieved strong ongoing compliance.
• WastebusterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnereXPD8 volunteered its services free of charge for the entire 12-week Recycle to Read trial — monitoring toy recycling bins across 19 South East retail stores, 4 visits per week per store. This is the world's first toy rehoming and recycling programme in retail.
• GroceryAidminorOtherseXPD8 supports GroceryAid, the grocery industry's charity providing emotional, practical, and financial support to grocery colleagues since 1857. eXPD8 participates in GroceryAid Day annually, raises awareness among colleagues, and signposts GroceryAid's 24/7 helpline (08088 021 122). GroceryAid also provides financial guidance and support to eXPD8 colleagues.
• Maybelline (Recycling Partnership)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnereXPD8 supports Maybelline with in-store makeup recycling bin setup across Tesco stores in the UK, contributing to clients' sustainability and recycling goals.
• Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)minorOtherseXPD8 works closely with the local DWP team to develop strategies for attracting and employing individuals with disabilities or health conditions, supporting the Disability Confident employer programme.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CPM Group: CPM is the largest independent field marketing and sales activation agency in the UK, providing merchandising, mystery shopping, POS execution and retail audit services to brand owners and retailers. It is the most direct head-to-head competitor to eXPD8 in the UK grocery and convenience-retail channel and runs at significantly larger scale.
• REL Field Marketing: REL is a UK-headquartered field marketing agency that delivers merchandising, retail audit, promotional and category management services across grocery, convenience and high-street retail. It is a frequent co-bidder against eXPD8 for major UK grocery contracts and serves many of the same enterprise brands.
• McCurrach: McCurrach is a UK/Ireland field marketing and retail execution agency offering merchandising, sales support and category management across grocery, pharmacy and convenience channels. It closely parallels eXPD8's UK/Ireland-only field force model and customer base of consumer brands and major retailers.
• Cosine (REL Group): Cosine is a UK retail field marketing and experiential agency providing merchandising, retail audits, sampling and brand activation. Operates under the REL Group and overlaps closely with eXPD8 in merchandising-led retail execution for major UK brands and retailers.
• Instore (Retail Marketing Services): Instore is a UK-headquartered retail marketing services company providing field merchandising, mystery shopping and in-store execution to consumer brands and grocery retailers. It competes directly with eXPD8 for retail execution and merchandising contracts in the UK.

Broad incumbents

• Mosaic (Dentsu): Mosaic is Dentsu's commerce and retail media network, providing in-store retail media, merchandising analytics and category management globally. While much larger and broader, its in-store activation and retail-media offerings overlap with eXPD8's POS execution, planogram analytics and category management services.
• Advantage Solutions: Advantage Solutions is a large North American-headquartered provider of business transformation, sales, marketing and retail merchandising services. It is a much larger, broadly diversified incumbent in retail execution with significant overlap on merchandising services, retail audits and in-store execution for major consumer brands.
• Acosta: Acosta is a large US-based sales and marketing agency providing retail merchandising, broker services and category management to consumer brands across grocery and convenience channels. It is a global incumbent in the same retail-execution category where eXPD8 operates.
• Crossmark: Crossmark is a US-originated retail execution, merchandising and supply-chain services provider operating in multiple geographies. It is comparable to eXPD8 in offering in-store merchandising, audits and category-level execution support for major retailer and brand clients.

Emerging players

• Premium Retail Services: Premium Retail Services is a US-headquartered retail merchandising and field services agency providing in-store execution and project work for consumer brands. Its model and service mix (merchandising, audits, POS set-up, project work) map closely to eXPD8's core offering, though at smaller and more regionally focused scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/expd8_fm

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

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 eXPD8