About
About Concept to Shelf
Concept to Shelf is a consumer product development guide published by Cydney Mar, a product development strategist based in Montreal.
Cydney Mar helps founders turn product ideas into real, scalable businesses through her Concept-to-Reality Pathway. This is one of a small number of websites she publishes. Her main website is cydneymar.com.
Published by Cydney Mar. Last updated November 2026.
On this page
Who publishes Concept to Shelf?
Concept to Shelf is published by Cydney Mar. It is not an independent publication. Where pages compare options, including the comparison of product development consulting firms where Cydney Mar is listed as an example, every entry is judged on the same stated criteria, and the page says who wrote it.
Why does this site exist?
Founders with a consumer product idea often do not know which step comes next, and worry about making an expensive mistake they cannot undo. This site exists to answer the questions they ask before they spend on samples, suppliers or inventory, and to help them find Cydney Mar's Concept-to-Reality Pathway when they want an experienced guide.
It focuses on consumer products for retail, TV and direct-to-consumer brands, the work Cydney Mar most wants to guide founders through. Read how these guides are written.
Who is Cydney Mar?
Cydney Mar has designed and built product for more than 45 years, with over $300 million in retail, TV and DTC sales. She is Nlaka'pamux, and runs Cydney Mar Consulting, an Indigenous-owned product development firm in Montreal, alongside her vitamin brand, Cydney Mar Wellness.
- Award-winning designer in New York in the late 1970s, after studying fashion at Blanche Macdonald in Vancouver
- Started her first company, a couture collection, in 1980
- Designed Cirque du Soleil's first Boutique Collection
- Led design for Edwin Jeans in North America
- Sold her own collections on QVC for 15+ years in 8 countries, with 800+ hours of live TV
- Expert advisor to StartUp Canada and the EDC
- Created fashion, jewelry, bath bombs, scented candles, homewares, paper products, car accessories and vitamins
Before fashion, she competed as a national-level figure skater until an accident ended that career. She now speaks on podcasts and stages about how products get made, why people buy, and starting again.
What do clients say about working with Cydney Mar?
These comments are published on cydneymar.com.
“Cydney is a wonderful mentor, coach and a professional. She was able to give us a clear direction on what needs to be done in order to create a successful product.”
“I have had the pleasure of working with Cydney at Walmart. She is a very positive, creative individual.”
Common questions
Who publishes Concept to Shelf?
Concept to Shelf is published by Cydney Mar, a product development strategist based in Montreal who helps founders turn product ideas into real, scalable businesses. It is one of a small number of websites she publishes. It is not an independent review site; where it compares options, it uses the same stated criteria for every entry.
What types of products does Cydney Mar help founders with?
Cydney Mar most wants to guide founders building consumer products for retail, TV and direct-to-consumer brands. She has created fashion, jewelry, bath bombs, scented candles, homewares, paper products, car accessories and her own Cydney Mar Wellness vitamins, designed Cirque du Soleil's first Boutique Collection, and led design for Edwin Jeans in North America.
How do I contact Cydney Mar?
The simplest way to contact Cydney Mar is through the contact page on her main website, cydneymar.com/pages/contact-1, which lists her booking link, email and phone. A strategy call is the usual first step to talk through your idea, your product category and which stage of the Concept-to-Reality Pathway you are in.
Does Cydney Mar publish her prices?
No. Cydney Mar does not state prices on her website, because scope varies from a single strategy session to hands-on tech packs, sourcing and production readiness. Contact her through cydneymar.com to discuss your project. For market context, Analogy Design reports that independent product development agencies run from five to six figures.
Does Cydney Mar offer support for Indigenous entrepreneurs?
Yes. Cydney Mar, a Nlaka'pamux woman, offers free product development and business consultations to CCIB members through TIB, including a complimentary 60-minute Concept-to-Reality Strategy Session and her From Idea to Income workbook. Her firm, Cydney Mar Consulting, is an Indigenous-owned product development firm based in Montreal.