Conlego

#AI Won’t Replace Great Retail Negotiators. It Will Make Them Nearly Impossible to Beat. https://lnkd.in/gZp8KqY2 #AI #retail #negotiation #categorymanagement #merchants

For many, Joint Business Planning has become an annual negotiation over funding, forecasts, and last year's results. That's a missed opportunity. Successful retailers don't treat JBP as a contract negotiation—they treat it as a growth strategy. If your team is spending more time reconciling spreadsheets than identifying new growth opportunities, it may be time to rethink your approach. In our latest blog, Joint Business Planning Done Right: A Merchant's Guide to Winning in 2027, we share practical ideas for transforming JBP into a true competitive advantage—from choosing the right partners to building living plans that drive profitable growth. Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/gTW9NQ3P #JointBusinessPlanning #RetailLeadership #Merchandising #RetailStrategy #StrategicPartnerships #SupplierCollaboration #RetailGrowth

Join the Conlego Team in congratulating Scott Robertson on his retirement!

We're #hiring a new Director, Client Engagement, Retail in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Apply today or share this post with your network.

We're #hiring a new Retail Negotiations Associate in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Apply today or share this post with your network.

We're #hiring a new Retail Negotiations Associate in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Apply today or share this post with your network.

In tough markets, it’s tempting to squeeze harder. But extraction isn’t a strategy — it’s a short-term reaction. Margin pressure is real. Budgets are tight. Consumers are stretched. But retailers and brands that outperform in difficult cycles aren’t the ones who extract more — they’re the ones who build stronger partnerships. Mark Hill outlines why a retail partnership strategy is the path forward, with four competencies that distinguish transactional negotiations from long-term value creation. https://lnkd.in/gSasBych #RetailPartnerships #RetailStrategy #Negotiation #Leadership #JointBusinessPlanning

Great deals don’t break down because of numbers — they break down because negotiators get stuck in the same thinking. In “Walking Towards More Creative Negotiation Outcomes,” John Pouchot shows how stepping away from the table can actually move the deal forward. By using movement to trigger creative thinking, negotiators can break the deadlock, surface new value, and structure agreements that work for both parties. If you’re focused on closing smarter, more durable deals — not just winning arguments — this perspective is worth your time. https://lnkd.in/gDBbT4Ar #CreativeThinking #Negotiation #DecisionMaking #BusinessPsychology

2025 Retail Negotiations Recap “Great Negotiation Still Delivers Great Results in 2025” As retail costs and consumer prices at the shelf continued to climb in 2025, there was good news for those retailers that doubled down on building their negotiation processes, technology, and skills. Across Conlego’s client base in 2025, retailers realized between 2.5% and 8% in cost of goods savings and investment from its suppliers, depending on the category in play.  In addition, Joint Business Planning done right drove increased sales, innovation, and profit. According to Daniel Duty, CEO of Conlego, "good negotiation processes, supported by new technology, training, and coaching, significantly elevated our retail clients, allowing them to invest in pricing and marketing to drive sales and profit." One of the biggest game-changers this year came from the launch of Portager.AI, an AI-assisted platform that allows retailers and suppliers to conduct negotiations in an easy and efficient manner, allowing them to find new ways of expanding the pie.  It is quickly becoming the standard for negotiation and JBP at retail. Also, investments in elevating negotiation skills at retailers significantly contributed to greater results.  With over 400 people trained in the art and science of negotiation, with a method and approach recently endorsed by a Harvard negotiation study, these retailers saw increased outcomes in their negotiations. In sum, despite strong economic headwinds, investment in negotiation processes, technology, and skill elevation paid off in 2025 with promises to do even more in 2026. #negotiation #retail #cpg #podcast

Please join Conlego in congratulating John Pouchot, who has been promoted to Sr. Associate.