Why 70% is Enough

In traditional retail or large consumer goods companies, decisions can stretch endlessly. Data is analyzed from every angle, approvals climb the hierarchy, and by the time a move is made, the opportunity may already be gone.

Off-price doesn’t work that way. In this business, if you wait until you’re “sure,” you’ve already lost the buy, missed the trend, or watched the consumer move on.

The beauty of the off-price model is that it rewards those who act quickly with conviction. Not recklessness, but the kind of decisive action you take when you’re 70% certain.

A Lesson from Common Shelf

At Common Shelf, we learned this firsthand. We recently had the chance to work with a supplement brand that was gaining traction on TikTok Shop. Instead of trying to perfect every aspect of the strategy, we moved quickly:

• We were flexible in negotiations.

• We prioritized getting product into TJX stores as proof of concept.

• We focused on building momentum instead of waiting for every detail to be “exactly right.”

The result? We scaled that brand to more than $100k/month in sales.

If we had hesitated, waiting for 100% certainty about the opportunity or ironing out every last detail, we would have missed the moment. Off-price is unforgiving in that way: the window opens and closes fast.

Others Who Play the 70% Rule Well

We’ve seen other brands thrive by following this principle.

GuruNanda and Goli both made bold decisions to flood shelves in TJ Maxx. They didn’t wait until every variable was nailed down. Instead, they tested, learned, and quickly pivoted based on what worked. That decisiveness not only secured shelf space but also kept them relevant, visible, and growing brand awareness.

This is what 70% certainty looks like in action: get your product in front of the consumer, learn from what happens, and adjust with speed.

Lessons for Scaling in CPG

While this mindset feels natural in off-price, it’s also a lesson for scaling in consumer packaged goods more broadly.

Large companies often fall into the trap of over-analysis. Layers of approvals and a culture of risk avoidance can stifle growth. Unilever’s Fernandez is right to push back on that. Whether you’re building a global brand or trying to secure an placement in TJX, the principle holds: imperfect action beats perfect hesitation.

The companies that win are those that:

• Build teams empowered to make quick decisions.

• Reward boldness and accountability over bureaucracy.

• Accept that not every move will be right—but recognize that speed creates its own opportunities.

What Leaders Should Take Away

For leaders in looking to scale their brands in off-price (and beyond), the “70% rule” comes down to three practices:

1. Empower your teams to act. Don’t create a culture where people are afraid of being wrong. Create one where they are afraid of missing the moment.

2. Reward momentum. Celebrate progress even if it’s messy. The market teaches you more than a spreadsheet ever can.

3. View decisions as iterative. Acting doesn’t mean locking in forever; it means starting, learning, and adapting quickly. Get 1% better everyday.

Final Thoughts

When I think back to Fernandez’s words, I realize why they stuck with me. In off-price, the 70% rule isn’t just good advice… It’s survival.

At Common Shelf, it has meant scaling brands fast, proving concepts in real stores, and building partnerships that might not have happened if we had waited for everything to be perfect. And in the broader CPG space, it’s a principle that can unlock growth in companies that risk becoming paralyzed by their own processes.

In the end, Fernandez is right: you don’t need 100% certainty to win. You need the courage to act, and the discipline to learn along the way.