Most retail partners have marketing development funds allocated to vendors, and most brands simply never ask, or ask too late.
This is one of the few truly underused levers left in a wholesale relationship.
This Money Exists, Whether You Ask Or Not
This is genuinely available budget, not a favor you’re requesting, and timing your ask to their cycle determines whether it’s actually available. The funds can cover real marketing costs you’d otherwise pay for yourself.
Know What’s Available Every Season
MDF and co-op structures vary by retailer, and most buyers won’t volunteer the details unless asked directly. Ask whether a program exists for your category, what percentage of sales it’s typically based on, and whether funds roll over or expire each season. A program that isn’t advertised isn’t the same as one that doesn’t exist.
What Can It Fund: Signage, Digital, Events
Common uses include in-store signage, digital co-marketing campaigns, and launch event support, but requirements and pre-approval processes vary. Funded activities can also include gift-with-purchase costs and content production for retailer-specific marketing. Know the exact rules before you spend a dollar assuming it’ll be reimbursed.
Time It To Their Cycle, Not Yours
Retail marketing budgets are typically allocated well ahead of the season, often before most brands have started their own planning. Time your ask around the retailer’s fiscal year, buy meeting timing, and any deadline the retailer sets for co-op requests. Asking after the budget is set is asking for money that’s already spoken for.
Track ROI Like Any Other Marketing Spend
Measuring what co-op dollars actually drove in sell-through gives you real leverage for the next conversation, instead of a vague sense that it helped. Track sell-through lift during the funded period, sales performance in stores that used the funds versus those that didn’t, and cost per unit of lift. This season’s data is the strongest argument for a bigger allocation next season.
Be The Partner Worth Investing In
Brands that use co-op funds well and can show real results become the kind of partner a retailer wants to keep investing marketing budget in. That means consistent, professional use of funds that builds buyer trust, and results shared proactively rather than only when asked.
MDF and co-op dollars are one of the more overlooked resources in a wholesale relationship.
Brands that ask early, understand the rules, and track results aren’t asking for a favor.
They’re claiming a budget that already exists and putting it to work.
Swipe through for the deck: MDF And Co-Op Dollars. The Budget Left Unclaimed. 👇
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