Brainforge x LMNT: wholesale

Historical data extremely difficult to pull (36 hours trying to download wholesale orders report)
Customer tagging system inconsistent over time
- Previously: single “wholesale” tag for all customers
- Now: segmented tags (trusted health, specialty retail, bulk buyers)
- 2,000 customers manually moved from trusted health to specialty retail
Google Sheet CRM disconnected from Shopify
- Email mismatches break customer linking
- Only 2,000 out of 13,000 customers have clean application matches
- Missing onboarding dates for customers beyond 2 years

13,000 total partners (grew from 200 when Laura started)
Three segments with different pricing/products:
1. Trusted health practitioners (~10,000) - 65% margins, $2 single packs
2. Bulk buyers (~1,500) - increased pricing, same products as trusted health
3. Specialty retail (~1,500) - 30% margins, new SKUs, on hold for January launch
All growth currently inbound, no proactive prospecting
Team of 2 (Laura and Madison) manages entire P&L including inventory planning

Building hiring plan tied to account management structure
Key questions needing data answers:
- Which segments need dedicated account managers vs general support
- Account size thresholds for personalized service
- Optimal portfolio mix across segments
- Impact of retail expansion (Walmart, Target) on wholesale demand
Current monthly applications dropped to 120 vs typical 300+ target
Need segment-specific growth rates and retention analysis

Retail expansion creating pricing pressure on wholesalers
Tennis center owner buying Costco Element instead of wholesale
D2C pricing increased ( $72 \to$ 88 sparkling) to maintain wholesale margin protection
Target availability undermining wholesale value proposition
Specialty retail margins too low (30%) for competitive pricing vs subscription model

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