Question 1

Why do you not publish fixed prices on the site?

Accepted Answer

Because the right scope depends on the brand's spend level, channel mix, reporting expectations, and how much cleanup the current account needs. A brand spending $5K/month on Instacart alone needs a very different engagement than one running $50K across Instacart, Meta, and Google. Grocer Folk keeps the buying process simple, but we do not want to force every brand into the same package when the operating reality is different. The strategy call usually surfaces the right scope in about 20 minutes.

Question 2

Why do you price as a retainer instead of a percentage of ad spend?

Accepted Answer

Because retainer pricing aligns incentives differently than percentage-of-spend models. Agencies paid on a percentage of spend have a structural incentive to increase budget regardless of whether that spend is efficient — more spend means more agency revenue, independent of whether the campaigns are working. Grocer Folk prices around the operating work: strategy, optimization, reporting, and cross-channel accountability. That keeps costs predictable for smaller brands and means the advice is never distorted by what would be most profitable for the agency.

Question 3

Do you only work with Instacart?

Accepted Answer

No. Instacart is usually the first channel because it serves high-intent grocery shoppers and the attribution is clearer than most retail media environments — you can see exactly which campaigns are driving incremental purchases and at what cost. But grocery growth rarely lives on one channel. Grocer Folk can also coordinate Meta, Google, and other retail media platforms when they affect blended performance. The goal is a single view of what your ad spend is doing across all channels, not just the one that is easiest to optimize in isolation.

Question 4

What if we are a Canadian brand?

Accepted Answer

That is normal for Grocer Folk. Canadian and US brands can both be supported, whether that means Instacart Canada, Loblaw Advance, or cross-border campaigns running on Meta and Google. Final quotes can be provided in the currency that makes the most sense for the engagement. The reporting and operating model is the same regardless of where the brand operates.

Question 5

What happens before the retainer starts?

Accepted Answer

Every engagement starts with a strategy call where Grocer Folk reviews the current account structure, spend levels, and reporting setup. From there, the recommendation will be one of three paths: a direct paid engagement if the account is structurally sound, a short audit to fix foundational issues before optimizing, or a pilot if the fit is strong and pilot capacity is open. Most brands come in with at least one structural issue that needs addressing before optimization can meaningfully move ROAS, so the initial assessment matters.

Question 6

Is there a long-term contract?

Accepted Answer

The recommended structure is a 90-day initial term. That gives enough time to clean up the account, establish a reporting rhythm, and see whether the optimization work is actually moving the numbers. Most agencies either lock brands into long contracts before proving results or work month-to-month in a way that prevents them from committing to a real account overhaul. Ninety days is the window where real account-level changes become visible in the data. After that, most brands move to rolling engagements.

Question 7

How do you prove value?

Accepted Answer

Grocer Folk uses weekly reporting anchored to blended ROAS — the combined return across all ad channels, not just one. Single-channel ROAS is easy to make look good by concentrating spend where returns are highest; blended ROAS forces honest accounting across everything that is running. Every weekly report includes what changed, what was tested, and what the numbers look like compared to prior periods. One of our pilot brands moved blended ROAS from under 2x to 4x+ by tightening campaign structure, budget discipline, and reporting visibility.

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