Weekly Updates 10/30/23

😋 This Week in CPG

October 30, 2023

The Online Community for Food and Beverage Startups

Hey , 

You have more control over your business than you think.

Yesterday I read that Alex Bayer discontinued his signature line of Coconut Smoothies in August 2023.

The business did:

  • $8 million in sales (over last 7 years)

  • Launched in 4k stores including Target, Whole Foods, and Costco.

Why?

  • The business was losing money and there were core issues with the business model and supply chain.

What is he doing about it?

  • Alex is pivoting the business to focus on his new shots line with better economics.

I’m really impressed with Alex’s transition because it takes a lot of emotional reflection to make a big transition like this… even when the numbers are clear.

What got you to where you are won’t always get you to where you’re going.

What changes can you make in your business to get you where you want to go?

😋 CPG Weekly News

A roundup of CPG news that happened last week brought to you by Amber Caro

🛒 Retail Rollouts

➡ Let's Date ! has had recent rollouts at Roche Brothers, Moms Organic, United Markets, Market Street, Woodmans, Bristol Farms, and Coborn’s! (Noor Yaseen)Botivo Drinks has launched in Whole Foods in the UK. (Sam Paget Steavenson)➡ Gymkhana Fine Foods has launched their cooking sauces and marinades exclusively at UK Whole Foods. (Gulrez Arora)➡ Hiatus Cheesecake is now available in Mid-Atlantic Kroger locations. (Matthew Featherstone)➡ Pureboost Energy Drink Mix has launched on Costco.com (Sean Ross)➡ Heura Foods has launched their original chicken, sausage, and burgers in Whole Foods UK. (Marc Coloma)➡ DrnxMyth is now in Whole Foods across Southern California. (Lawrence Cisneros)➡ Sabor Verde is launching in Anuga. (Manon Daggers)➡ Planted is now available in Tesco. (Pascal Bieri➡ Discover-In Meal Kits are available online at Ocado.➡ Grubby has released plant-based recipe kits into Tesco. (Martin Holden-White)

  🚀 Product / Brand Launches

➡ Ciao Pappy has released a Creamy Calabrian sauce. (Francesca Pittaluga)➡ Bare Life has launched a new Pumpkin Spice Hot Cocoa flavor. (Ali Lazowski)➡ Enliven Foods has created a new line of plant-based Mug Muffin Meals. (Chase Worthen)➡ Elmhurst® 1925 has dropped limited edition fall flavors, Apple Pie Spice blend and Pumpkin Spice creamer.➡ Hot Chip Dublin has come out with a new line of Ready-to-Bake Cookie Dough Balls. (David McSharry)➡ Pukka just released a new Doner Kebab Pie.➡ The Jolly Hog has dropped all new Cocktail Sausages and Pulled Pork Hoguettes. (Oliver Kohn)➡ Little Freddie Organic Baby Food has launched a new dairy-free baby food yoghurt. (Piers Buck)Have an announcement? Shoot me an e-mail.

CPG Weekly Updates

  ASK AN EXPERT: PACKAGING   -POUCHES, BAGS AND WRAPPERS

Selecting the best packaging for your products is a crucial decision for CPG founders. But what are all the variables you need to consider?

Moisture Barriers?Glossy vs Matte printing?Sizing?Zipper Seal?Shipped Zipped or Unzipped?

I’ve invited on Jeff Jacobs with ePac to answer all of your flexible packaging questions. Join our exclusive webinar and secure your spot.

  WHAT IS A "PHYGITAL"     SHOPPING EXPERIENCE?  

Omnichannel customer journeys are nuanced. Their shopping methods are made up of different forms of retail ecommerce, including: buy online/pick up in-store, research online/buy in-store, and look in-store/buy online. These consumers blend their physical and digital shopping experiences frequently, and they expect their favorite brands to follow suit.

This hybrid — “phygital” — approach puts new demands on consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands to support a customer experience that’s seamless, dynamic, and consolidated.Read Full Article

  ADVANTAGES OF IMPLEMENTATING     AUTOMATED BANKRECONCILIATION     IN SMALL BUSINESSES  

Time-consuming, stressful, and tedious are often words associated with the manual bank reconciliation process. It is typical for businesses to do bank reconciliation every month. But other businesses choose to do them more frequently, so there are fewer transactions to check and a lesser possibility of errors and inconsistencies.

For businesses, bank reconciliations might be a hassle, but it doesn't have to be. Bank reconciliation software can speed up the process and make it easier for you. We'll discuss the automation process's benefits and give a quick overview of how to do it.

  THE 6 TOP MISTAKES BRANDS     MAKE WHEN GOING INTO RETAIL  

No matter what business you are in, getting experience in what you do and avoiding mistakes is often based on the principle “learning by doing.” But if you are a new founder or owner of an emerging CPG brand getting their product on store shelves, there isn’t much time to learn – it’s more do, do, do.

Naturally, when you’re getting into a business without much knowledge and experience there’s going to be lots you don’t know…until it slaps you in the face. And if there is an industry where you’ll get slapped around a few times, it’s CPG! 😱

Yes, there are a lot of mistakes to be made because CPG is a complex world. But hey – it’s absolutely ok because you are not alone. I was once there too, and made all of these mistakes and more. I won’t be able to save you from making all the mistakes, but I can try to save you – and your bank account – from a few significant ones.

This is a list we put together for a webinar focused on survival strategies for emerging brands. 

STARTUP TO SCALE PODCAST

145. The Story of Uncharted Coffee, a Black-Woman-Owned Ethical Coffee Roaster

Today’s guest is Jasmine Neveles, co-founder and CEO of Uncharted Coffee, a Black-woman-owned ethical coffee roaster with rare and limited-edition coffee bean drops produced by multi-generational coffee farmers across the globe.

Starting as a way of connecting with their ancestral roots and mother – Jasmine learned more about the disparities amongst coffee farming communities and the negative impacts of the primarily white-dominated industry. To reclaim the BIPOC narrative around coffee, Uncharted was founded and now produces ethically sourced and single-origin beans that are environmentally sound with a 1% promise for the planet, farmer equity, and transparency.

Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

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Maverick allows you to create individually personalized videos (with a customer's name) welcoming them to your community. 

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