Righteous Felon taps Downtime to boost retail growth

Righteous Felon Craft Jerky is partnering with Downtime to support its expansion at Target and build stronger shopper engagement as the meat snack brand scales nationwide. The move comes alongside new leadership, board additions and broader retail investment aimed at turning distribution into repeat purchases.

Why it matters: - Righteous Felon is trying to convert faster retail expansion into lasting consumer demand. - The partnership adds retail technology, shopper insights and activation tools as the brand pushes deeper into national distribution. - The initial focus on Target gives the company a test case for improving trial, conversion and repeat purchases.

What happened: - Righteous Felon Craft Jerky partnered with Downtime, a retail growth technology platform for brands and retailers. - The partnership was announced Sept. 22, 2026. - The company said the effort will first support growth at Target stores nationwide. - Based on results, the program could expand to additional retail partners.

The details: - Downtime will help Righteous Felon drive product trial, conversion and repeat purchase. - The program combines interactive shopper engagement technology with strategic and managed support. - The campaign mix includes retail media, interactive shopper experiences, coupons, offers, product sampling, out-of-home advertising and digital out-of-home advertising. - Downtime’s platform will also help Righteous Felon collect first-party insights and connect consumers with approved offers and purchase opportunities. - The initial phase will establish performance benchmarks and identify the audiences, messaging and offers that perform best. - Righteous Felon is based in Pennsylvania and is known for bold flavors, clean ingredients and a rebellious brand voice. - The company was founded in 2013 and is employee-owned. - The brand recently launched in Target stores nationwide. - Righteous Felon also recently added key board members and hired Cristina Marinucci as chief commercial officer.

Between the lines: - The partnership suggests Righteous Felon is pairing distribution gains with stronger retail execution rather than relying on shelf presence alone. - The strategy points to a broader push to turn shopper engagement data into smarter spending on future retail channels. - Downtime’s role shows how brands are increasingly using interactive promotions and first-party data to measure what drives purchase behavior.

What's next: - Righteous Felon and Downtime will use the Target rollout to set benchmarks for future campaigns. - The brand will likely use the results to decide whether to expand the program across more retail partners. - The company is building out its retail infrastructure as nationwide distribution continues to grow.

The bottom line: - Righteous Felon is investing in technology and retail capabilities to make its national expansion stick, not just grow.**