For consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies, profitability is under pressure from every direction. Inflation continues to reshape consumer purchasing behavior, retailers are demanding more promotional support, and private label brands are gaining market share. Meanwhile, executive teams are expected to deliver profitable growth—not just top-line revenue. Against this backdrop, trade spend has become one of the most closely scrutinized investments on the income statement.

CPG manufacturers invest 15% to 25% of gross sales in trade spend, making it one of the largest controllable expenses on the income statement. However, the research from McKinsey shows many trade promotions fail to generate profitable returns, highlighting the growing need for better planning, analysis, and decision-making. As a result, the conversation has shifted beyond technology and analytics. Increasingly, it centers on people. The organizations gaining an advantage are hiring professionals who understand how to transform trade spend from a necessary expense into a strategic driver of profitability.

Key Takeaways

• Trade spend is one of the largest controllable expenses for most CPG organizations.
• Margin pressure has made optimizing promotional investments more important than ever.
• Companies are investing in Revenue Growth Management (RGM) teams to improve promotional performance.
• Demand for experienced trade spend professionals continues to outpace supply.
• Hiring individuals with both commercial and analytical expertise can improve profitability and support better business decisions.

What Is Trade Spend?

Trade spend refers to the incentives manufacturers provide retailers to promote, distribute, and sell their products. These investments can include:

• Temporary price reductions
• Off-invoice discounts
• Display and merchandising allowances
• Cooperative advertising
• Slotting fees
• Performance-based incentives

When managed effectively, trade spend strengthens retailer relationships, drives sales volume, and supports market share growth. When managed poorly, however, it can quietly erode margins while delivering little measurable return. Because trade spend often represents one of the largest operating expenses outside of cost of goods sold, even modest improvements in effectiveness can have a meaningful impact on profitability.

Why Trade Spend Has Become More Complex

Trade promotions were once managed through spreadsheets, historical relationships, and experience. However, according to Deloitte, that approach is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain because:

• Retailers expect greater transparency and measurable promotional performance.
• Consumers shop across physical stores, eCommerce platforms, and omnichannel experiences.
• Pricing changes happen more frequently, and supply chain disruptions continue to influence promotional planning.

At the same time, organizations now have access to significantly more data than ever before. The challenge is no longer collecting information. It is turning that information into profitable decisions. Modern trade spend professionals are expected to connect financial outcomes with customer behavior, promotional performance, inventory planning, and retailer strategy.

The Rise of Revenue Growth Management

As trade spend has evolved, many leading CPG companies have expanded their Revenue Growth Management (RGM) capabilities. Rather than viewing promotions solely as a sales function, RGM brings together multiple disciplines, including:

• Finance
• Sales
• Category management
• Supply chain
• Pricing
• Data analytics

This cross-functional approach helps organizations answer important questions before promotional dollars are committed. For example:

• Which customers generate the strongest promotional ROI?
• Which promotions increase volume without sacrificing profitability?
• Where are pricing opportunities being overlooked?
• Which investments drive sustainable growth instead of temporary volume spikes?

These questions require professionals who understand both financial performance and commercial strategy.

The Trade Spend Skills Employers Are Competing For

Hiring demand has expanded well beyond traditional finance positions. Many organizations are actively searching for professionals such as:

• Trade Spend Analysts
• Revenue Growth Managers
• Trade Promotion Managers
• Commercial Finance Managers
• Sales Finance Business Partners
• Pricing Analysts
• TPM System Administrators

What makes these roles particularly difficult to fill is the combination of skills employers expect. Successful candidates often possess:

• Advanced Excel and financial modeling expertise
• Experience with SAP and trade promotion management (TPM) platforms
• Power BI or Tableau reporting capabilities
• Strong analytical and forecasting skills
• Experience working with syndicated retail data
• The ability to communicate complex insights to both finance and commercial teams

Professionals who combine technical expertise with business acumen remain in particularly short supply.

Why Hiring the Wrong Trade Spend Professional Is Expensive

The impact of a poor hire extends well beyond recruiting costs. An inexperienced or poorly aligned professional may contribute to:

• Inefficient promotional spending
• Margin leakage
• Forecast inaccuracies
• Retailer reconciliation issues
• Slower financial reporting
• Reduced confidence in commercial decision-making

Conversely, an experienced trade spend professional can help leadership identify opportunities that improve both revenue quality and operating margins. In today’s competitive environment, that capability is becoming increasingly valuable.

What High-Performing Companies Look For

Technical knowledge is important, but it is rarely enough. The strongest trade spend professionals also demonstrate:

• Commercial curiosity
• Cross-functional communication skills
• Financial discipline
• Strong problem-solving abilities
• Confidence presenting recommendations to senior leadership
• A continuous improvement mindset

During the interview process, employers should explore how candidates have influenced business decisions—not simply whether they have managed promotional budgets. Ask candidates to describe a time they challenged a promotional strategy, uncovered hidden margin opportunities, or used data to influence a commercial decision. Their answers often reveal far more than a discussion of software proficiency alone.

Why Specialized Recruiting Makes a Difference

Trade spend expertise cannot always be identified through a résumé alone. Many finance professionals possess excellent analytical skills but have never worked with retailer deductions, promotional planning, or TPM systems. Likewise, some commercial professionals understand customer strategy but lack the financial expertise needed to optimize promotional investments.

“Technology can tell you what happened. An experienced trade spend professional will help you decide what to do next.”

—Jessica Brooks, Recruiting Director, Finance & Accounting

Finding candidates who bridge both worlds requires a deep understanding of the CPG talent market. Recruiters who specialize in finance and commercial hiring often have established relationships with professionals who are not actively applying for jobs but may be open to the right opportunity. That broader network can significantly improve hiring outcomes, particularly for specialized roles where experienced talent is limited.

Final Thoughts

Technology continues to reshape how CPG companies manage trade spend, but software alone will not improve profitability. The organizations that consistently outperform their competitors are pairing better technology with professionals who understand how to translate data into smarter commercial decisions.

As trade spend becomes an even larger driver of financial performance, hiring the right talent is no longer simply an HR objective. It is a strategic investment in long-term profitability. If your organization is preparing to hire trade spend, commercial finance, or Revenue Growth Management professionals, understanding today’s talent market is just as important as understanding today’s retail environment.

Our team works closely with CPG organizations to identify experienced professionals who can help improve financial performance, strengthen commercial decision-making, and support sustainable growth. We’d be happy to share current hiring trends, candidate availability, and the skills employers are prioritizing in today’s market. Simply reach out to discuss your hiring objectives.

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