Advantage Solutions Inc. (ADV), commonly known as Advantage, is a global sales and marketing company known for its work with consumer goods manufacturers and retailers. Advantage was founded in Irvine, California in 1987 and is currently headquartered in St. Louis with corporate offices in Chicago.
The company went public in October 2020 following a merger with SPAC Conyers Park II Acquisition Corp.
Advantage Solutions was founded in 1987 by Sonny King in Irvine, California, under the name Advantage Sales & Marketing, and focused on marketing and outsourced sales for consumer packaged goods manufacturers. Over the following decades, the company expanded, completing more than 50 M&A transactions since 2014.
In 2014, private equity firms Leonard Green & Partners and CVC Capital Partners acquired Advantage Sales & Marketing, the parent company of Advantage Solutions, from Apax Partners.
On November 14, 2017, Advantage Solutions agreed to acquire Daymon Worldwide, a Stamford-based private-label brand development and retail services firm, from Bain Capital and Yonghui Superstores. The combined company ended up with operations in 45 countries.
In October 2020, Advantage Solutions became a publicly traded company through a merger with the special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Conyers Park II Acquisition Corp,. It started trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker âÂÂADVâ starting October 29, 2020.
In February 2023, Dave Peacock was appointed the new CEO, replacing Jill Griffin.
In early 2024, Advantage Solutions relocated its corporate headquarters from Irvine, California, to Clayton, Missouri.
In June 2024, Advantage Solutions announced the sale of digital advertising platform Jun Group to Sweden-based Verve Group SE for $185 million. The transaction completed in July 2024.
Advantage Solutions merged two of its subsidiaries, Amp Agency and Advantage United Commerce, to form AMP (Advantage Marketing Partners) in 2025. In 2025, Advantage Solutions partnered with Instacart to provide real-time shelf data for consumer packaged goods companies.