The 5 Growth Leaks Quietly Killing Most CPG Brands Under $5M

Most founders think they have a marketing problem. In reality, they have leakage and the numbers tell you exactly where it’s happening.

LEAK #1: FUZZY POSITIONING
If you can’t say who you’re for and why you win in one sentence, you’re paying you’re paying 20–40% more for every conversion — a direct result of broader targeting, weaker CTR, and lower CVR. Most founders stay broad because it feels safer. In practice, it kills velocity.

LEAK #2: NO 2nd-PURCHASE OR SUBSCRIPTION STRATEGY
If <30% of customers buy again (for replenishable goods), you don’t have a marketing problem — you have a retention vacuum. No usage cues. No timing triggers. No reason to return.

And here’s the part founders miss:
Subscribe & Save is not a repeat strategy. It’s a convenience feature. If customers don’t fully understand when and why to use your product, S&S just becomes a cancellation funnel. Your second purchase rate is the clearest indicator of whether you have a real business or a leaky one.

LEAK #3: CHANNEL SPRAWL
If you’re running more than 3 channels and none contribute >15% of revenue, you don’t have a growth engine — you have chaos. Activity ≠ traction.

LEAK #4: PDPs THAT DON’T CONVERT
Pretty designs don’t always convert. Most PDPs bury value, overcomplicate choices, and rely on “brand voice” instead of conversion psychology. This leak alone can cost 20–30% of total revenue. (And yes: social proof + urgency matter far more than founders think.)

LEAK #5: NO VELOCITY SYSTEM
If you can’t explain why your velocities look the way they do — or what levers actually move them — you’re not running a retail business. You’re hoping for the best.

Most brands don’t need more marketing. They need to plug the leak that’s draining the most money.