FAQ + Additional Resources
Feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, concerns, praise – we’re here to hear you out and help wherever and whenever we can.
Interested in working with us? Please reach out to [email protected]
Brands - Please reach out to [email protected]
Retailers - Please reach out to [email protected]
Download detailed sales data when you navigate to Orders > Fulfilled Tab > Export > Order Details in your Vendor Dashboard. Orders are not sales. Sales payouts are initiated on the 10th of the month after an order is fulfilled.
Download detailed payments data when you navigate to Payments > Monthly Statements > Month > Export in your Vendor Dashboard.
When these reports are requested they are emailed as an attachment
We’re here to support your growth.
Need money for a new production run or to pay off business expenses? To support your growth, we have launched Pod Foods Capital where you can apply for easy and affordable financing through a few simple steps via your dashboard. Click here to find out more and get access to capital now!
Vendors may submit a claim via the dashboard
Retailers can submit a claim here
Please contact [email protected] if you have any questions
Email [email protected] to give your 60 day notice required before closing your account. A representative will follow up with you to provide next steps.
Orders are marked as fulfilled when a POD is confirmed by our team. This can take up to 10 business days from ship date. Please see our Order Fulfillment Compliance Policy for additional information.
Brands are able to set their own wholesale pricing. For additional information please see our regional pricing section.
Please refer to Vendor Payout Information
Please refer to Pod Direct Order and Payout Policy
Case Pack - wholesale unit distributed to retailers by Pod Foods.
Case Stack - display strategy used by retailers in which cases are stacked on one another; consumers are meant to take cases from the top of the stack.
Case Stack Deal - a promotion offered by vendors to retailers; retailers must purchase a specified number of cases of product to receive a particular promotion.
Discontinued - refers to a product that is no longer available for distribution (if discontinued by the vendor) or retail sale (if discontinued by a retailer). Discontinued products are set to ‘Inactive’ on the Pod Foods platform.
Distribution Center (DC) - a term used to describe a warehouse space utilized to pick, pack, and transport orders. DCs also receive inbound shipments and slot inventory for order fulfillment.
Eaches – see Units
End Cap - a merchandising space, normally reserved for promotions, located at the end of retail store aisles.
End Cap Promotion - a discount or deal applied to an end cap display.
Everyday Low Price (EDLP) - a term used to describe a consistently-priced product without a promotion applied
Expired - a term used to describe a product that has reached or exceeded its set expiration date. All products have an expiration.
Free Fill - a term used to describe a product sold at no cost to a retailer as an incentive to sell and continue to purchase a vendor’s product. Free fills allow retailers to test out a new product and offer the product at a discount to encourage consumers to try the item.
Freight on Board (FOB) - refers to the set of terms that determines who owns and pays for a shipment of products
GTIN (Global Trade Identification Number) - a number used by a company to uniquely identify all of its trade items; GTIN can be used to identify products at any packaging level, e.g. unit or case. GTINs are normally encoded in a scannable barcode (GS1, 2022).
Guaranteed Sale - refers to a contractual agreement through which a vendor agrees to take back unsold products at the end of a specified period. The vendor will be billed backed to ensure the retailer does not pay for unsold products.
In Stock - a term used to describe products that have sufficient inventory to fulfill outbound orders.
Item Code - a unique identifier for SKUs that helps retailers search products and order with ease. Item Code number is listed under each individual Published SKU in the Vendor Dashboard.
Launching Soon - a term used to describe a new product or SKU that shall become available to order in the near future. Previously referred to as “Coming Soon.”
Lead Time (Manufacturing Time) - days required to produce and initiate shipment of the requested amount of inventory from the date of request (not including transportation time).
Less Than Truckload (LTL) - refers to a freight service that allows multiple shippers to share a single truck given each load is not large enough to require the space of a full truck.
Lot Code - a unique identification number assigned to a specific and defined production period. Lot codes are used to identify manufactured goods and the chain of custody of their components t in the event of a quality or safety issue, such as a food recall.
Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) - a term used to describe the price at which a manufacturer/vendor recommends a retailer charge for the sale of the product.
Market Withdrawal - a firm's removal or correction of a distributed product that involves a minor violation that would not be subject to legal action by the FDA or which involves no violation (FDA,2020).
Master Carton - Outermost box containing Case Packs; goods at its largest quantity other than a pallet.
Merchandising - refers to the practice of presenting retail products in a visually appealing manner to entice customers and encourage sales.
Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) - refers to the lowest number of units a retailer must purchase atone time; also refers to the lowest total order value required for a retailer to be exempt from a small order surcharge.
Minimum Order Value (MOV) - refers to the lowest order value a retailer must meet at one time; also refers to the lowest total order value required for a retailer to be exempt from a small order surcharge.
Out of Stock (OOS) - a term used to describe a product as temporarily unavailable to fulfill out bound orders due to insufficient inventory.
POD (Proof of Delivery) - refers to the physical document that shows an order has been successfully delivered. Normally in the form of an invoice or BOL. PODs must be signed by the receiving customer tobe a valid proof of completed delivery.
Pod Direct - Pod Foods’ Direct Ship Distribution program wherein vendors list their products on the Pod catalog to capture sales. Vendors are responsible for packing and shipping orders directly to the buyer's address.
Pod Express - Pod Foods’ wholesale and distribution program. Vendors store inventory on consignment at partnering Distribution Centers; DCs are responsible for picking, packing, and delivering orders to retailers.
Pod Foods Service Fee - the percentage of sales deducted from the price the retailer pays for the product. Pod foods does not markup. The Pod Foods service fee is calculated like a margin off the wholesale price.
Product/Inventory Withdrawal - refers to a vendor’s act of removing inventory from a Distribution Center. Withdrawals require an approved request and an appointment.
Promotion - a discount-based sales strategy used to promote larger reorders of a product by retailers.
Pull Date - the date on which a lot of inventory is pulled, or made unavailable to fulfill orders. The pull date is based on a product’s pull date threshold (see below).
Pull Date Threshold - refers to a set amount of time that, when reached, triggers a product to be pulled from active inventory. Once pulled, the inventory cannot be used to fulfill orders.
Recall/Product Recall - a method of removing or correcting products that are in violation of laws administered by the FDA (FDA, 2020).
Voluntary Recall - Recall is a voluntary action that takes place because manufacturers and distributors carry out their responsibility to protect the public health and well-being from products that present a risk of injury or gross deception or are otherwise defective (FDA,2020)
Mandatory Recall - refers to an FDA-mandated removal or correction of products that are in violation of laws administered by the FDA (FDA, 2020)
Replenishment MOQ - refers to the minimum amount of product (in cases) that a vendor must ship toa Distribution Center.
Sampling - refers to the process through which a retailer submits a request to try a new product. Sampling requests are fulfilled with individual retail units, not full cases.
Shelf Life - a term used to describe the length of time for which a product can be stored and consumed or used by a consumer before its quality and safety begin to deteriorate. All products have a shelf life.
Short Dated - a term used to describe a product that has less than 40% of its shelf life remaining. Short-dated product is usually refused by retailers at delivery.
Slotting/Slotting Fee - refers to the fee paid by a vendor to a retailer in order to stock the product on the retailer’s shelf.
Sorting/Sorting Fee - warehouse process occasionally required for inbounds that arrive with damages. Damaged cases are sorted and segregated from sellable cases. Sorting fees normally apply; fees vary by warehouse.
Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) - refers to a unique identifier for an item manufactured by a vendor and sold by a retailer. The term is commonly used to refer to a particular variation of a product.
Temporary Price Reduction (TPR) - a temporary decrease in price (promotion) for a predetermined period of time.
Traceability - a term used to describe the ability to track the origin and course of a lot, product, or ingredient.
Units - also referred to as eaches; units are singular pieces of product, normally the form in which consumers purchase an item. Pod Foods and its Distribution Centers do not handle products in units; retailers receive multiple units as case packs and normally break down cases for merchandising.
