Markdowns happen. Every retailer has them. Every supplier funds them at some point.
The problem isn’t markdown funding.
The problem is markdown drift—when price protection and markdown deductions creep beyond what was approved. Wider store lists. Longer windows. Wrong base costs. Caps ignored.
Promotional allowances are supposed to be the controlled part of the retailer relationship.
You plan the event.You fund the discount. You track the lift.
And then… two months later… deductions show up that don’t match anything anyone remembers approving.
That’s the moment trade spend stops feeling like growth investment and starts feeling like a slow leak.
Last year, you could win a dispute with a decent note and a screenshot.
This year, that same package gets denied because it’s missing the lot code, the timestamp, the condition photo, and the proof of delivery.
It feels personal.
It’s not.
