Angie Balian

😮 What has Walmart Canada done now??? You have to read this... 😮 If you or someone you know is sensitive to bright lights, loud music, general chaos - then you will love this....I promise. 🛒 Just imagine walking into a Walmart store one weekday morning and there’s a sense of calm hanging over the store. 🛒 No loud music, no loud announcements, the lights are dimmed -- all to help shoppers during sensory-friendly hours at Walmart retailers. 🛒 The subdued atmosphere is all part of a sensory-friendly experience Walmart Canada recently launched every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at its 403 stores in a bid to make shopping trips easier for people who are sensitive to busied and loud environments or who are just looking for a quieter retail shopping experience. 🛒 No music is blaring, announcements can’t be heard, and in the sprawling entertainment section the TVs are displaying a static blue screen instead of their usual flashy programming. 🛒 Well done Walmart Canada. This is a huge step in creating a more inclusive shopping experience. 🛒 This shows that even behemoth retailers like Walmart can make huge improvements to their shopper experience, and in turn have a huge impact on over-all shopping experiences for everyone. Field Agent Canada Field Agent #retail #shoppingexperience #inclusion #welldone #customerexperience #shopperjourney #mysteryshopping Rob Nicol Harsh Mall Shariq Hasan Gonzalo Gebara Jeff Doucette Diane J. Brisebois

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Still strong results for NARTD (Soft Drinks) players with top & bottom line beat for both PepsiCo and Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. Yet, that's not to say all is rosy, with all the growth being exclusively price driven with negative volumes across all the main categories. Trend that is driven by a weaker demand from lower-income consumers and that we do not expect to revert in the upcoming quarters To be monitored carefully at a time consumption patterns are increasingly diverging in most of the developed economies (US, Europe and beyond...) between lower-income consumers & the rest Specifically: Pepsico Q1 FY24 results summary: • NR: $18.3bn • OSG: 2.7%; Volume: -2%; Price/ mix: 5% • GM%: 54.8%; -43 bps vs Q1 FY23 • OP%: 16.1%; +40 bps vs Q1 FY23 • Beat analysts’ consensus for revenue as well as EPS Keurig Dr Pepper Q1 FY24 results summary: • NR: $ 3.47bn • OSG: 2.8%; Volume: -0.3%; Price/ mix: 3.1% • GM%: 56%; +393 bps vs Q1 FY23 • Adj. OP%: 23.8%; +300 bps vs Q1 FY23 Results by Division: • U.S. Refreshment Beverages o NR: $ 2,093m o OSG: 4.3% (Volume: -1.3%, Price/mix: 5.6%) o Adj.OP%: 29.7 %; +440bps vs Q1 2023 • U.S. Coffee o NR: $ 911m o OSG: -2.1% (Volume: -0.3%, Price/mix: -1.8%) o Adj.OP%: 31.7%; +110bps vs Q1 2023 • International o NR: $ 464m o OSG: 7.0% (Volume: 4.8%, Price/mix:2.2.6%) o Adj.OP%: 23.5%; +330bps vs Q1 2023 𝗧𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀, 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝘀/ 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗙𝗠𝗖𝗚 𝗖𝗘𝗢𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿: 𝗵𝘁𝘁𝗽𝘀://𝗹𝗻𝗸𝗱.𝗶𝗻/𝗲𝗥𝟴𝘃𝗗𝗽𝘃𝗘 #strategy #cpg #fmcg Frederic Fernandez & Associates

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"Social media has democratized attention; it's now a privilege to earn it." Wow, what an epic masterclass in storytelling from Jake Karls of Mid-Day Squares during a session with SKU yesterday. Today, emerging brands can generate millions of views on social media to capture the elusive attention of their audiences, evening the playing field. Back in the day, the name of the game was spending millions on media to get this same attention. This isn't a post about "going viral" though (which is not a strategy, btw). It's about emotive storytelling. Mid-Day Squares created a reality show on the entrepreneurial journey, telling the story of David vs Goliath. And you can't help but root for the underdog through the ups, downs and the hilarity in between. They stand for something bigger than their product benefits because while you can copy graphics, ingredients, claims, etc. you can't copy how you make people feel. Here are some of the brands elevating the playing field by standing for something bigger than their product benefits: 🍫 Mid-Day Squares: David vs Goliath (more than a better-for-you Hersheys) 🌮 Siete Family Foods: togetherness (or as they say, "juntos es mejor") 🥤 OLIPOP PBC: the simple joys in life (watch out Coke, they're coming for your happiness) 🥣 GOODLES and 🌈 Unreal Snacks: being a kid again! (adulting doesn't have to be so serious) 🍍 King's Hawaiian: aloha vibes (who needs to go to Hawaii when you can bring Hawaii to your kitchen?) If it doesn't evoke emotion, what's the point? Who else do you think is winning the storytelling game? #cpg #storytelling #branding #socialmedia #marketing #entrepreneurship

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CPG Is Constantly Changing - Except When It's Not (part 19 in a series) Why Are 75% of Your Trade Promotion $'s Going to Increasing Others' Profitability? Seems crazy, no? Isn't the role of trade promotion in CPG rather simple when you break it down? Isn't it to get consumers to look at your brand, try your brand and keep putting more of your brand in their shopping carts, their cars, their homes and eventually their stomachs. You're spending a lot of $ to do this to, right? Look at the last invoice you sent out and what you got back - most of that difference (deduction) is trade promotion. Now, look at the difference between your list price and your net price on the invoice going out. There might be a 15% difference on a lot of them. Now add the two together - probably well over 25%. What are you getting for this? No, in real results. By retailer. If you're like most, 15% of this 25% you are spending on trade is for OI's. Recognize 15% once a quarter is pretty much 15% on everything - analyze it. What are you getting for it? No, not in 'soft' benefits - this is business. In real extra cases. With details. I'd challenge any brand or broker to challenge this will real facts and feel very confident >90% cannot do this. Next, look at all the fees and other charges that are related to scans, MCB's, etc. It's significant. Probably over 5%. Well, just with that, we're at 75% of your trade promotion budget - that's close to 20% of your gross revenue - you could probably use this for other brand building activities, no? Maybe to get consumers to look at your brand, try your brand and keep putting more of your brand in their shopping carts, their cars, their homes and eventually their stomachs. Seems crazy, huh? Let's develop some objectives, a strategy and a process to address this - quickly and painlessly - before 2025 planning hits. We'd look forward to assisting. __________________________________________________________________________________ For more information visit us at www.schroedercpg.com, contact me at [email protected] or just send me a DM - why wait?

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Electronic Shelf Labelling will soon be the norm for US and UK shoppers and here I share my thoughts about its rapid adoption in the market. With the flexbility to change prices more regularly, will we see significant changes in pricing/promo strategies by brands and retailers. 💰 Also ESLs offer more than just prices, we will soon be talking about optimising the In-Store Electronic Shelf. 💡 🥫

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Reflecting on this monumental moment, I wanted to wait until the news was "official" before sharing my thoughts and feelings... Almost 7 years ago, a good friend now who started as a good client invited me to his new office in NJ to explore a plant-based protein company he was considering acquiring. That's when I first encountered OWYN. Honestly, I wasn't sure what to make of it initially. Plant-based, vegan protein drinks weren't in my usual "repertoire" of ideation and marketing. But after trying the product that day, I knew I wanted to be part of the journey. And what an incredible journey it has been! Throughout the last 7 years, in my capacity as a "strategic advisor," I've embraced a multitude of roles and responsibilities, working closely with a diverse array of talented leaders. From individuals who made significant contributions from the outset and have since moved on, to those who have ascended to leadership positions, such as CEO Mark O. and Chief Sales Officer Matt OConnell, as well as "more recent" additions like CMO Julia Perez, who came in and made an immediate and substantial impact, our collaboration has been characterized by passion, mutual respect, and an unwavering commitment to innovation. Now, fast forward to today. After countless hours of strategic discussions, meetings, and partnerships, we've achieved something remarkable. We've taken a niche brand, crafted with the finest ingredients, and found the perfect successor in our recent acquisition. If you notice, even as a "consultant" I always will refer to it as we. When I work with brands, especially from day 1, I consider myself a true part of the team. Being part of a brand from inception to this pivotal moment is incredibly special. As a matter of fact, it's been a huge goal of mine since that fateful day 7 years ago. I'm eager to see what lies ahead for OWYN and hopeful that I can continue contributing to a product and brand that means so much to me and countless others, especially our consumers. #OWYN #PlantBased #Acquisition #Journey #Gratitude #Business #CPG #SimplyGood https://lnkd.in/emY6UT2g

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Do consumers know CPG companies? This is a trend we’ve seen on the rise for the past 5 years, that I don’t think would have occurred if not for the digital shelf. However, I often wonder if the consumer looks at these as weird or doesn’t care? A couple thoughts… - Big Costco guy of course and still desperately waiting for Scan & Go. - P&G is the largest of the CPGs by market cap, but there’s a lot of undercover brands over the years that they have bought that don’t get rolled under these “line drives” - this is obviously a great basket building promotion (drives AOV up) but given the limited competition in some of their categories, this pits the shopper in a weird divide in my mind because so much of big CPG has been, up until this point, about the BRANDS. - building off that, if I’m a Cascade guy, that doesn’t translate to the same company that produces my laundry detergent or paper towels? Thoughts? Does this drive any LTV or HH penetration?

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New CPG Brands - Know Your Retailer Volume Expectations Before You Pay Slotting! There's nothing worse than spending the significant slotting and new intro dollars to get your new brand or SKU into a new chain, only to find out that it is discontinued in the next cycle, no? That's a huge punch to the gut! Well, based on comments from a survey I launched a couple weeks ago, these volume minimums vary by customer & by category. However, there are minimums. If you are leading a CPG brand, your broker (or outsourced sales function) should be providing this information to you and assisting in analyzing & developing the promotional plans to exceed these minimums significantly - that's what you pay commissions dollars for! Your goal should be never losing an SKU until long after it you exceed profitability on your investment - and ideally not even then. One of the basics in building a brand in a highly challenging environment - comments welcome! _______________________________________________________ Schroeder & Associated assists small & midsize brands maximize their trade promotion effectiveness through process, defined roles & responsibilities and analysis. For more information, contact us at www.schroedercpg.com or [email protected]. We'd look forward to assisting you address your opportunities!

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CPG Is Constantly Changing - Except When It's Not (part 19 in a series) Why Are 75% of Your Trade Promotion $'s Going to Increased Others' Profitability? Seems crazy, no? Isn't the role of trade promotion in CPG rather simple when you break it down? Isn't it to get consumers to look at your brand, try your brand and keep putting more of your brand in their shopping carts, their cars, their homes and eventually their stomachs. You're spending a lot of $ to do this to, right? Look at the last invoice you sent out and what you got back - most of that difference (deduction) is trade promotion. Now, look at the difference between your list price and your net price on the invoice going out. There might be a 15% difference on a lot of them. Now add the two together - probably well over 25%. What are you getting for this? No, in real results. By retailer. If you're like most, 15% of this 25% you are spending on trade is for OI's. Recognize 15% once a quarter is pretty much 15% on everything - analyze it. What are you getting for it? No, not in 'soft' benefits - this is business. In real extra cases. With details. I'd challenge any brand or broker to challenge this will real facts and feel very confident >90% cannot do this. Next, look at all the fees and other charges that are related to scans, MCB's, etc. It's significant. Probably over 5%. Well, just with that, we're at 75% of your trade promotion budget - that's close to 20% of your gross revenue - you could probably use this for other brand building activities, no? Maybe to get consumers to look at your brand, try your brand and keep putting more of your brand in their shopping carts, their cars, their homes and eventually their stomachs. Seems crazy, huh? Let's develop some objectives, a strategy and a process to address this - quickly and painlessly - before 2025 planning hits. We'd look forward to assisting. __________________________________________________________________________________ For more information visit us at www.schroedercpg.com, contact me at [email protected] or just send me a DM - why wait?

3

1 Comment

CPG Is Constantly Changing - Except When It's Not (part 19 in a series) Why Are 75% of Your Trade Promotion $'s Going to Increased Others' Profitability? Seems crazy, no? Isn't the role of trade promotion in CPG rather simple when you break it down? Isn't it to get consumers to look at your brand, try your brand and keep putting more of your brand in their shopping carts, their cars, their homes and eventually their stomachs. You're spending a lot of $ to do this to, right? Look at the last invoice you sent out and what you got back - most of that difference (deduction) is trade promotion. Now, look at the difference between your list price and your net price on the invoice going out. There might be a 15% difference on a lot of them. Now add the two together - probably well over 25%. What are you getting for this? No, in real results. By retailer. If you're like most, 15% of this 25% you are spending on trade is for OI's. Recognize 15% once a quarter is pretty much 15% on everything - analyze it. What are you getting for it? No, not in 'soft' benefits - this is business. In real extra cases. With details. I'd challenge any brand or broker to challenge this will real facts and feel very confident >90% cannot do this. Next, look at all the fees and other charges that are related to scans, MCB's, etc. It's significant. Probably over 5%. Well, just with that, we're at 75% of your trade promotion budget - that's close to 20% of your gross revenue - you could probably use this for other brand building activities, no? Maybe to get consumers to look at your brand, try your brand and keep putting more of your brand in their shopping carts, their cars, their homes and eventually their stomachs. Seems crazy, huh? Let's develop some objectives, a strategy and a process to address this - quickly and painlessly - before 2025 planning hits. We'd look forward to assisting. __________________________________________________________________________________ For more information visit us at www.schroedercpg.com, contact me at [email protected] or just send me a DM - why wait? Schroeder & Associatesschroedercpg.com • 1 min read

1

🚀 Ready to Elevate Your Brand? 🚀 Are you tired of your brand blending in with the crowd? Do you want to stand out like a unicorn in a field of horses? 🦄✨ As a classically trained CPG Brand Manager with a knack for turning the ordinary into the extraordinary, I’m on the lookout for new clients who are ready to take their brand to the next level. Whether you’re a startup looking to make a splash or an established business aiming for a refresh, I’ve got the creative juice to make it happen. 🍹 🔹 What I Bring to the Table: ✔️ Strategic Mastery: Crafting and defining brand strategies that resonate. ✔️ Modern Tactics: Leveraging the latest in digital and traditional marketing. ✔️ Brand Positioning: Establishing a unique and compelling brand identity. ✔️ Full-Funnel Communications: From awareness to conversion, I’ve got you covered. Ready to transform your brand into a household name? 🏠✨ Let’s connect and create a strategy that turns heads and drives results. Drop me a message or connect with me to start the conversation. Let’s make your brand the talk of the town! #BrandManagement #CPGMarketing #ModernMarketing #BrandStrategy #FullFunnelMarketing #NewClients

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Perhaps a dumb question: Given it’s fairly common for sub-scale Canadian CPG brands to go public on the Canadian stock exchange… Could a sub-scale U.S. CPG brand IPO on the Canadian market? And if so, why don’t more brands doing, say, $25-75M in revenue do this? (considering alternative exit paths have been close to nil since Jan, 2022) Mike Fata - any ideas? #canada #canadianstockexchange

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Owner Of 7-Eleven Receives Takeover Offer Global convenience store giant 7-Eleven has received a buyout offer from Canadian rival Alimentation Couche-Tard (ACT), owner of Circle K chain. Seven & i have set up a special committee of non-executive board directors to examine the proposal from ACT to acquire all its outstanding shares for an undisclosed amount. They will conduct a “prompt, careful and comprehensive review of the proposal, the company’s stand-alone plans and other alternatives for enhancing corporate value, after which a response will be made to ACT.” According to the Financial Times, Seven & i has been working with bankers to manage the rising threat of a foreign-led acquisition. The FT said ACT had been circling Seven & i for some time, making on-and-off contact with the Japanese company since 2022 to open friendly deal discussions. The ACT move could attract private equity groups to acquire the world’s biggest convenience store chain operator. Seven & I generated sales of JPY17.8trn (£94bn) in 2023 from Seven-Eleven Japan, Seven-Eleven Okinawa, and 7-Eleven, Inc. franchisees. The group’s store estate includes 22,800 sites across Japan and 85,800 worldwide, predominantly convenience outlets and its Ito-Yokado supermarkets. If a deal goes ahead with ACT, there would be big competition hurdles. 7-Eleven has 13,000 stores in US and Canada, ACT has 9,000. Activist investor pressure caused Seven & i to expand internationally and sell less-profitable businesses, inc Sogo & Seibu department store in 2023. ACT has completed multiple takeovers in the convenience store sector since 2013, and now it's global footprint spans North America, Europe and South-East Asia. ACT is not in Japan. Seven & i’s shares surged up over 20% this morning, market capitalisation now $39bn. ACT is valued at roughly $58bn. ACT is not expected to have an easy time clinching a deal. “I strongly doubt that this takeover proposal will come to fruition, especially considering Seven & I’s resistance to divesting even their legacy businesses,” said Oshadhi Kumarasiri, a LightStream Research analyst who covers Seven & i. “Unless the offer comes with a substantial premium over Seven & I’s recent highs, it seems improbable that the management would even consider this idea.” NamNews Implications: * Given earlier approaches, this ACT initiative will not have come as a surprise to Seven & i. * Meaning Seven & i will have already checked out a minimum acceptable sale price. * However, given inevitable regulatory issues… - …combined with an inevitably high asking price… - …all stakeholders will need to anticipate a long, drawn-out process. - (despite Seven & i’s management‘s wish to reach a quick resolution) * All of this uncertainty could lead to the ‘good guys’ leaving… * …and falling morale for those unable to make a move. * Watch this space… #7Eleven #Takeover

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Why is this the smartest thing Walmart has ever done in Private Label? During the pandemic, Walmart experienced unparalleled growth across demographic profiles, but as inflationary pressures entered the equation the past couple of years, Walmart has experienced nearly all or in some cases their entire growth (depending on the category and dept) from High income shoppers. And, it wasn’t from just shoppers already in the box—it was from channel shifting coming from the broader retail landscape. What makes that shopper unique is their participation in Private Brands at their former retailer of choice, more upscale Private Brands at Target, Kroger, HEB, Publix etc. With that shopper now in the Walmart stores, and the fact that these inflationary pressures won’t last forever, how do you keep them? How do you elevate the Private Brand experience for that shopper group and over-deliver on what an elevate private brand can be? And, as we continue to gain knowledge on how food can be the driver of our health, how do you also provide more access to healthy, life-giving foods to all income groups and demographics? How do we address the fact that many people experience lactose intolerance and have a dietary need for non-dairy products in their everyday lives? Or, that many children and adults suffer from dairy, egg and other food allergies that require them to access foods without these ingredients? Have a family member that are lactose intolerant or a milk allergy—why should they not have access at the best possible prices to incredible, delicious, non-dairy products that address those needs? Enter Bettergoods. It addresses so many of these questions and is just getting started. This is one more reason why Walmart is for every shopper, every income group, and every demographic profile. This launch demonstrates Walmarts strategic thought leadership, being aware of what is happening with the shopper in their box, and being willing to meet the needs of these shoppers. I can’t wait to see how far this brand goes and how many people are positively impacted by it. Kudos to Denise Wright for being the visionary leader and to her team for bringing this opportunity to life for Walmart. Well done. #Walmart #PrivateLabel #BetterGoods #NonDairy #Culinary #ChannelShifting

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#GLP-1 #weightloss #CPG CPG and Grocery Retail seem to be entering a new phase of innovation with new GLP-1 related brands and weight loss education merchandising. Jessica DiNapoli from #Reuters provides a great write up on this topic today (see below). According to KFF, over 12.5% of US consumers have tried these new types of Weight Loss products which amounts to 15 million people, Other widely reported reports from KFF say that over 60% of adults are interested in the drugs. As a result, we innovators such as #Nestle has already launched the brand "Vital Pursuit" and retailers such as #GNC have dedicated sections to educate GLP-1 users with relevant supplements. As awareness and usage grows, this seems to be one of the key drivers in the food industry that will spur new innovation to meet the new consumer needs due to the drug implications and dietary needs. It will also be interesting to see how this affects the restaurant business and what may change on the menu. Welcome to hear more on this topic: >What other categories could see new innovation related to weight loss drugs? > What are some of the other implications and disruption that will likely take place?

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