UK FMCG & Retail Media Consultancy
ADS Commercial Ventures helps FMCG brands accelerate UK sales and helps retailers build profitable retail media networks — with the commercial rigour of a buyer and the measurement standards of a media operator.
What we do
For brands, suppliers and challenger FMCG businesses that need to win listings, drive velocity and build lasting retailer partnerships.
For retailers, venue operators and media owners who want to monetise their estate with a network that brands actually want to buy.
How we help
Concept to delivery for market-entry and premium lines — specs, factory partners, costing, listings and launch at scale.
Business cases, category plans and go-to-market frameworks grounded in how UK retail actually buys and sells.
From zero to live: format selection, tech integration, sales collateral and the commercial infrastructure to scale.
Rate cards, packaging, vendor management and the sales motion to fill your inventory and grow yield.
Attribution models, reporting frameworks and the proof points that turn retail media from a cost line into a growth channel.
Embedded commercial leadership for teams building capability — from Head of Retail Media to category trading.
Board-level counsel, due diligence and strategic reviews for investors, PE and leadership teams entering retail media.
Selected work
Turned a fragmented, ad-hoc retail media estate into a supplier-ready full-funnel network.
Brought a US snack brand from zero UK presence to 1,240 stores in under a year.
Guided a chilled supplier through own-label development — from concept kitchen to 620 stores.
Core expertise
Two tracks Adam has run at scale: opening new supply corridors and world-first formats for market entry, and premium own-label development at the top end — with the same rigour from kitchen concept through to live on shelf.
The first frozen potato from Vietnam into the UK — then world-first formats including Crispy Battered Potato Rings, a line that did not exist on a British shelf before.
Coatings, shapes and pack formats innovated with Far East manufacturing partners — landed as own-label and branded lines across a £400m frozen portfolio.
Own-label and supplier-led development at the top of category — from chilled bakery through to premium fish and seafood, built to retailer quality and margin standards.
Specs, audits, logistics and economics — built from scratch so new corridors and formats could scale, not just pilot. That is the same muscle ADS brings to brands entering the UK and to retailers launching own label.
From Iceland store estate to supplier factory floors, Adam has sat on both sides of the table: buyer, developer and the operator accountable for the P&L when product hits the shelf.
Commercial leadership
Boards, buyers, suppliers and brand partners expect clarity under pressure. Adam presents retail media strategy, connected retail and category growth — from supplier pitch decks to international marketplace stages.
What clients say
"I've worked with a lot of consultants. Adam is different — he actually gets his hands dirty. He rebuilt our entire retail media commercial model in months, trained our team, and suppliers finally want to work with us. Genuinely the best commercial hire we've never made permanent."
"Adam has a rare combination: he thinks like a retailer, sells like a brand, and delivers like an operator. He took our US business from 'we should probably enter the UK' to live on shelf faster than we thought possible — and he's the person I call when I need the honest answer, not the comfortable one."
The consultant
Adam Smith. ADS Commercial Ventures Ltd. Sixteen years in FMCG, across international supply and local supply — from the factory floor and the buyer's desk to building a retail media network from scratch.
linkedin.com/in/adam-smith-28366547Seafood, from the factory. Then a supplier, sat inside Tesco.
Buying manager, fish and lamb. The UK balance sheet, and the supply chain that fed it.
Fresh and frozen. UK supply to independent retailers, and bulk into wholesale and export.
Own-label bakery, £147m. Then frozen potato, vegetables and fish, £400m — including the first UK potato supply from Vietnam and world-first Far East NPD. Eight years, the last of them as Head of Retail Media.
Our approach
Audit your commercial position, network maturity and the gaps between ambition and execution.
Build the strategy, commercial model and roadmap — with clear milestones and accountability.
Hands-on execution: embedded in your team, not observing from the sidelines.
Define success upfront. Report against it. Optimise until the numbers move.
Get in touch
Whether you're launching a product, building a retail media network, or need interim commercial leadership — start with a briefing so we understand your requirements and what you'll need from us.