So. About that 52% gross margin in year one. IT LOOKS SO GOOD RIGHT! But I have to be honest with you — that number's about to change. Year one, we sold mostly through DTC and independent shops. Premium channels, premium margins. Year two, we're going into bigger grocery doors. To get on those shelves at a price that makes sense for real people, the margin has to come down. Making this category more accessible — and making sure it's still genuinely delicious — is a key part of what we're building. New product innovation is a huge piece of that, and it's something we're scaling this year and into next. I want Nice Cans on shelf, deliciously. And to me that means honest, well-made, chef-crafted, responsible canned goods. We're building our hockey stick with intention and transparency. That's the whole game. If that aligns with how you invest, let's talk.
This is the nuance that often gets lost: a lower gross-margin percentage is not automatically bad if contribution dollars, velocity, and the cash cycle improve with the channel mix. Tracking DTC, independents, and major grocery separately should make the real trade-off much easier to see. Thank you for sharing the number and the reasoning behind it.