We have sat on both sides of the retail table.
Channel Checkride is an advisory practice built by commercial operators — people who have carried a number, defended a price, run a distributor network, and been in the room when a buyer says no. We exist for founders who want more than a pitch deck, a broker introduction, or generic growth advice.
Operator experience, not observer experience.
The practice was formed out of two decades of consumer-goods commercial work: global sales leadership inside branded consumer electronics, category and merchandising exposure on the retail side of the table, and hands-on responsibility for the distributor and rep networks that actually move product once a buyer says yes.
That means the work is shaped by things that only show up from the inside — how a category plan is really built, what a buyer is personally measured on, how a routing-guide chargeback compounds into a delisting, why a price concession granted in March becomes a structural margin problem by September, and what separates a distributor who is busy from a distributor who is effective.
We are deliberately not a broker and not an agency. We do not take a commission on your placement, and we are not compensated by any retailer or distributor. Our only product is judgment, written down.
Six systems, and the judgment to sequence them.
Anyone can produce a list of gaps. The value is in knowing which two to fix first, and what it costs you to defer the rest.
Product & assortment
Channel-appropriate architecture, good/better/best hierarchy, packaging that sells in two seconds, pack configuration by format.
Profitability
Fully landed cost, price architecture across channels, trade spend, deductions, markdown liability, and the working-capital consequences of terms.
Operations
Forecast ownership, item and vendor setup, routing and labelling, lead-time reliability, chargeback and exception handling.
Compliance
Vendor manual obligations, product testing and certification, labelling, MAP policy and enforcement — each with a named owner.
Demand
Door-level velocity modelling, sell-through evidence, and a buyer narrative built for the specific test that retailer runs.
Scale
Channel roles and conflict guardrails, commercial cadence, cross-functional ownership, and entry criteria for the next channel.
Our operating principles.
- Commercial truth over easy optimism. We name the tradeoffs before they turn into commitments.
- Systems over isolated actions. Channel performance is produced by connected decisions, not by tactics.
- Evidence before assertion. We look for what is documented, repeatable, owned, and observable — not simply what is intended.
- Capability that stays with the team. The work should leave the organisation stronger, not dependent on us.
- A written document, every time. Not a presentation. Something you can hand to an operator and act on.
Consumer products where channel economics and operating detail decide the outcome.
Electronics & connected products
Commercial strategy, distribution, marketplaces, and operational scale.
Toys, games, gift & lifestyle
Assortment, buyer relevance, presentation, and retail merchandising logic.
Housewares, outdoor, pet & selective CPG
Channel fit, product architecture, price, operations, and demand discipline.
Short engagements. Written output. No retainer required.
Start with the free Channel Gap Scorecard.
Eighteen statements, six systems, eight to twelve minutes. It costs nothing and it tells both of us whether there is anything worth talking about.
A written assessment within 48 hours.
Findings, not a sales call. If there is no fit, we say so.
A scoped engagement, delivered in 14–21 days.
A written strategy document with an implementation roadmap and named owners. Pricing reflects scope, not hours.
Ongoing support only if you want it.
Most brands add a retainer once execution starts. It is optional, and it always has been.
Part of Draymoor Ventures.
Channel Checkride is the advisory and commercialisation brand of Draymoor Ventures. Channel Checkride helps build successful retail businesses; Draymoor Ventures may invest in, partner with, or acquire exceptional operators as they mature.
Advisory services stand on their own. Clients are never expected to pursue a financial relationship with Draymoor Ventures, and no engagement is contingent on one.
Start where the risk actually is.
The Channel Gap Scorecard is free, takes eight to twelve minutes, and gives you a per-system view of what to fix first.
Take the Channel Gap Scorecard Email INFO@draymoorventures.com