Written by Daniel Fusch
In today’s hyper-competitive business world, numbers dominate the conversation. Transactions, margins, and quarterly sales are often the benchmarks companies use to measure success. Yet for Jean-Marc Gilg, founder and CEO of ADVSell, an exclusive commercial partner of Advantage Group International, this focus tells only part of the story. “Transactions give you KPIs, but they don’t tell you the quality of your partnership,” he said. “Real growth comes when businesses work together, not just trade with each other.”
This perspective underpins ADVSell’s approach in the Middle East and North Africa, where the company helps businesses strengthen supplier–retailer relationships. The philosophy is clear: if businesses only look at numbers, they risk overlooking the very factors that sustain long-term success.
Gilg argues that relationships, not transactions, are what determine whether businesses thrive or stagnate. “A company can grow its revenue simply because the market is growing, but that doesn’t mean it’s doing a better job with its partners,” he explained. “We provide the tools to qualify relationships, where you are strong, where you are weak, and what needs to change to grow the value for everyone.”
One of the key risks of a purely transactional approach is rising costs. In many supply chains, inefficiencies and duplication of effort push expenses higher, which ultimately fall on the consumer. “If businesses don’t collaborate, costs go up, and eventually the consumer pays for it,” Gilg noted. “By working together strategically, you can take costs out of the system and create value without raising prices.”
Sustainability is another critical dimension where collaboration matters more than transactions. With packaging, recycling, and supply chain localization becoming urgent global issues, companies are under pressure to rethink their practices. “It’s not just about margins anymore,” Gilg said. “Retailers want to know: are you recycling, are you reducing waste, are you innovating for a sustainable future? These are questions that shape the quality of the partnership.”
The shift to e-commerce has also reinforced the need for deeper collaboration. Traditional models of consumer engagement, such as television advertising leading to in-store sales, have been replaced by digital-first strategies that rely on shared investment between retailers and suppliers. “Retail media is now one of the biggest disruptors,” Gilg explained. “You don’t succeed alone; you co-invest with retailers to reach consumers online. That requires trust and alignment, not just transactional negotiation.”
Data plays a central role in making these partnerships work. By understanding consumer behaviors in different markets and districts, businesses can tailor assortments, pricing, and promotions more effectively. In Dubai, for example, neighborhoods differ dramatically in demographics and purchasing power. Without collaboration, retailers risk offering irrelevant assortments, while suppliers miss opportunities. “Data tells you what to offer, but collaboration ensures it’s executed right,” said Gilg.
For Gilg, a fundamental problem is that too many business interactions remain tactical rather than strategic. Negotiations often focus narrowly on price, discounting, or short-term margin improvements. “What we encourage is a shift from fighting over the margin to growing the pie,” he explained. “When both sides align on long-term goals, whether it’s sustainability, e-commerce capability, or supply chain efficiency, both sides win.”
ADVSell enables this shift by providing transparency. Its surveys are anonymous, allowing retailers and suppliers to speak openly about challenges without fear of damaging relationships. This transparency is especially vital in cultures where direct criticism is rare. “Anonymity helps us get to the root cause,” Gilg said. “People feel free to say, ‘This is not working.’ Once you know that, you can create an action plan and allocate resources where they matter most.”
The future, according to Gilg, lies in continuous visibility. Instead of annual reviews, ADVSell is moving toward quarterly or even ongoing assessments, made possible by AI-powered data processing. This gives companies the ability to track relationship quality in real-time and adjust quickly. “Annual reports are like snapshots,” he said. “Quarterly reviews are more like a live stream, you can see how the relationship evolves and make changes before small issues become big problems.”
At its core, Gilg’s message is a call to rethink what truly drives value in business. Numbers are necessary, but insufficient. Transactions keep the lights on, but collaboration ensures the lights stay on for the long term. Whether it’s managing the transition to e-commerce, addressing sustainability, or reducing inefficiencies in the supply chain, meaningful relationships are what make growth possible.
“We are not just helping companies sell more,” Gilg said. “We are helping them build partnerships that are stronger, more efficient, and more sustainable. That’s the only way to create real, lasting value.”
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