The brands that win are not always the ones with the best product. They are the ones that choose the right doors, in the right order, before they run out of time or money.
Most founders don’t realize they’re choosing a business model, not just a sales channel.
The Setup:
The Growth:
The Outcome:
The Real Cost: ~$2M in wasted efficiency
The Setup:
The Growth:
The Outcome:
The Real Cost: Patience
THE SMART PATH
The data has been clear for decades. NCG and INFRA stores deliver 10x the velocity of conventional doors — with no slotting costs only free fills, stable doors, the right consumer, and profitable unit economics.
of SKUs turn faster in indies vs conventional chains
higher velocity per door vs conventional
Doors Like NCG + INFRA stores buying on the TurnpikeStore site
Independent natural retail is the most capital-efficient growth channel available to emerging brands. Less working capital required. Risk distributed across hundreds of doors instead of concentrated in a handful of chains. Cash flow that funds growth without investor dilution.
So why do most emerging brands still chase chains first? Because until now, there was no scalable way to execute the indie channel. No platform to reach thousands of independent buyers. No system to generate proof of presentation. No infrastructure to connect brands and retailers at scale.
The opportunity was never the problem.
The infrastructure was.
Turnpike is that infrastructure. Built by people who spent 27 years watching great brands take the expensive path — not because they wanted to, but because the smart path had no on-ramp.
Book a 30-minute strategy call. We’ll show you what the data says about your category — before you spend a dollar on the wrong door.
Book Your Strategy CallThe question isn’t whether relationships matter. It’s whether yours are backed by data.
Natural chains give credibility. Indies give traction.
Turnpike builds the proof — iLevel helps you scale it.
Step 1 · Indie Traction
Step 2 · Natural Chains
Foundation — Indie Traction
The indie turnover infrastructure. Target the right independent buyers, generate proof of product market fit, and build real velocity through the distributor networks indies already use.
Expansion — Natural Chains
When indie traction is proven and you’re ready to scale, iLevel adds hands-on strategy, relationships, and execution to help brands expand into regional and natural chains.
WHY ILEVEL GROUP EXISTS
We built iLevel Brands into a successful natural products brokerage over 27 years. We saw the same pattern repeated hundreds of times: emerging brands chase chains, burn through investor capital, and either fail or limp to profitability years later than they should have.
The math always told the same story. Indies — particularly NCG and INFRA stores — delivered consistent 10x store velocity than conventional doors. The working capital requirements were a fraction of chains. The risk was distributed instead of concentrated. But nobody was set up to execute on that channel at scale.
During COVID, when buyers went dark and brokers were silent, brands who had built their foundation in indie retail survived. The ones who bet everything on a few big chain accounts didn’t. That proved what the data already showed: the smart path isn’t just cheaper — it’s safer and more durable.
iLevel Group exists to make the smart path executable.
Two businesses. One mission.
Book a 30-minute strategy call. We’ll show you what the data says about your category — before you spend a dollar on the wrong door.
The question isn’t whether relationships matter. It’s whether yours are backed by data.