Food Biz Wiz

I help producers of packaged products in the food industry understand how to get on the retail shelf!

I am a food industry consultant in San Francisco, CA, specializing in wholesale strategy for packaged food, beverage and taxable grocery businesses. I focus on helping packaged food producers understand the ins and outs of wholesale, and how to stand out in a crowded retail space (whether that's physical or digital!) through my online course, Retail Ready®. Since launching in 2016, Retail Ready® has supported about 1,000 emerging brands from all around the globe inside of our program. Join the waitlist to find out when Retail Ready® next opens for enrollment here: www.alliball.com/waitlist

Prior to launching Allison Ball Consulting, I was essential in the growth the Bi-Rite Family of Businesses in San Francisco, sourcing product and developing grocery staff for years at Bi-Rite Market on 18th Street, and then in the position of Head of Grocery and Store Manager at Bi-Rite Divisadero, building and managing a team and operations to support over half of the products in the store.

10/01/2026

Oh thank gooooodness it’s FINALLY Q4 and I can talk about the holiday season and what it means for food founders without everyone thinking I’m being alarmist! 😬🤷🏻‍♀️🎁

Soooooo…. Buckle up. Fourth quarter wisdom for packaged product brands coming your way, straight from this former wholesale buyer who worked one too many holiday seasons in specialty grocery!

(Hi, it’s me. Alli! Tap follow for advice on what wholesale buyers actually need from you to say YES! 🛒💃🏻)

09/30/2026

I’m celebrating 92%!!! 💃🏻👌🏼🛒🔥

Men hold nearly 8 in 10 artificial intelligence jobs, according to a report this week from UN Women.

Which is why I’m SOOOOO excited that our founding cohort of ScaleCPG™ is 92% women.

That’s 21 more women in CPG, learning how to BUILD their sales, marketing, and finance workspaces in Claude (with our help!).

Week one just started, and this cohort was invite-only for Retail Ready® alumni. We’ll open it publicly to the broader CPG community next year (send me a DM or LMK below if you wanna to save your spot!)

So my big question is…. should I lean in and make it women-only, since that’s who is raising their hand anyway? Women CPG founders - would you be more likely to join if it were women only? 🤫

(and… if you’re a CPG founder also going all-in on Claude in your biz - say hi below! let’s compare notes!)

09/25/2026

I heard Babylon is the best? 🤷🏻‍♀️

But in the meantime, comment 100 and we’ll get you prepped for your next buyer pitch!

09/19/2026

We’ve got an answer for all your urgent questions about building a successful packaged products brand, and we go deep into every single one (and more!) inside Retail Ready® ⬇️

Retail Ready® was made for you if you’re hustling alone, building your packaged product brand, and have caught yourself recently saying:

💸“My margins feel SO low, but I’m afraid of raising my prices…”

👻“How the heck do I get that buyer to email me back? There’s got to be a better way.”

😳“I’m making $10k decisions in a silo, and wish there were a playbook for self-funded brands. IDK what I’m doing.”

We’ve got you covered, and have supported over 3,500 food, beverages, pet, wellness, and beauty brands over the past decade in Retail Ready®, selling more than $1 BILLION in combined product sales.

If you’re ready to wrap up 2026 with your highest sales quarter yet - with better sales systems and LESS overwhelm - comment READY (or head straight to the 🔗 in my bio!) and I’ll send ya a DM.

See you in there,
Alli

09/18/2026

Sales really can be this simple.

You don’t have to get intimidated as a newbie in this industry, but you DO have to learn the language of wholesale!

Want to increase YOUR sales velocity? I’ve got a free Reorder Checklist that walks you through how you can go from opening order to reorder, fast 💨

Want it? Comment REORDER and I’ll send it straight to your DMs 🛒💕

09/03/2026

Building a sustainable packaged products business takes a lot of industry knowledge, patience, creativity, and tenacity. 🛒💪✨🚛💰🥵

One of the most valuable qualities I see in CPG founders is the belief that you CAN figure it out.

“I can figure out how to get better at sales.”

“I can figure out how to make my pricing work for everyone - including me.”

“I can figure out how to fund this next stage of biz growth without getting investors.”

(And it’s rarely “I can figure it out on my own and never lean on anyone for support and DIY it until I get so burnt out that I have to throw in the towel.”)

Soooo a little love note & a little tough love for my hard working founders today! Which reminder did you need to hear?

09/01/2026

Tough love for CPG founders 🛒⤵️

If you can’t hit your sales goals in your own backyard, how the heck are you going to sell in that retail account across the country?

Instead of saying YES to any account that wants your product, focus on going FULL OUT in your own region first.

(I’ll save my rant about one-off accounts on Faire for another day 😜)

In your first ~50 accounts, you’ll learn how to pitch so a wholesale buyer says yes, what promos work to move off the shelf once you’re there, and how to support your brand at the store level.

Until you’ve got this down (and systematized!) - hold off on the temptation to go further afield, no matter how flattering it is when a buyer across the country asks for samples.

Has this worked for you? Let me know in the comments, or prove me wrong! ✨

Address

San Francisco, CA

Website

http://www.alliball.com/

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