CPG Week Podcast

In this episode: In a first for the CPG Week podcast, the team records all in-person. The group kicks off the roundtable discussing senior reporter Lukas Southard’s reporting on ketone beverages. The Nosh and BevNET team go on to talk about mergers, acquisitions and restructuring by first exploring the news of Bolthouse Farms splitting its agriculture segment from its CPG business. Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous walks the team through the newest acquisition for snack maker Our Home and why scaling production capacity appears to be the focus for CPG brands presently. Senior reporter Brad Avery talks about the merger between two snack bar makers. The group finishes up the episode talking about the OWYN acquisition and another protein company’s new ownership. Show Highlights: 0:40 – How do you celebrate the first CPG Week episode recorded in-person? Toast some ketone-enhanced beverages and debate the evolution of this niche category of functional drinks. 3:20 – It might seem obvious to restructure a company’s agriculture business from its CPG juice and salad dressing segments, so why did it take Bolthouse Farms over 10 years to do it? Senior reporter Lukas Southard explains the history and strategy behind the move. 7:30 – Our Home has added even more manufacturing muscle to its network with another new acquisition. What does this say about the better-for-you snack brand’s long-term ambitions? 10:00 – Brad explains the recent merger of two protein bar co-manufacturers and how it relates to The Simply Good Foods new addition to its portfolio. Monica relates it to the acquisition of legacy sausage maker Klement’s by Amylu Foods. About the CPG Week CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage. New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected]. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

In this episode: In this episode, the CPG Week team is joined by BevNET and Nosh Editor-in-Chief Jeff Klineman, who shares some insights from his trip with senior reporter Brad Avery to the Beverage Forum conference in Los Angeles this week. The two discuss celebrity beverage brands, why industry stakeholders are high on next-generation drinks and how big companies are diversifying. The group moves on to discuss how the recent news that marijuana is expected to be rescheduled by the Department of Justice could impact the cannabis industry. Later, Jeff explains what is happening at CPG credit provider Ampla and how it is impacting brands large and small. Show Highlights: 0:35 – Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous kicks off the show asking if the team would live in a Skittles-inspired micro-apartment for a year. 2:00 – Brad and Jeff share their insights on what happened at Beverage Forum this week highlighting how celebrity culture is evolving in drinks and “lessons learned” from one big producer-distributor. 6:00 – Senior reporter Lukas Southard explains the latest news out of the federal government that marijuana will be downgraded to a Schedule III drug. The team debates what this could mean for the cannabis industry in terms of regulation and opportunity. 13:15 – Jeff shares his most recent story on the troubling signals coming out of fintech consumer brand lender Ampla and his thoughts on the repercussions throughout the CPG world. About the CPG Week CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage. New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected]. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

In this episode: The CPG Week team dives into the sudden closure of Foxtrot and Dom’s Kitchen & Market stores. The group digs into this developing story, discussing possible factors of why Outfox Hospitality failed and ceased operations so quickly. The Nosh and BevNET editorial team unpacks what they know so far, what this means for the brands that sprung out of Foxtrot and Dom’s into wider distribution and hypothesizes on how this will be felt throughout the CPG world. Later, reporter Adrianne DeLuca explains a new development in the Kroger-Albertsons merger plan and how all this grocery news relates to an uncertain future for retailers. Show Highlights: 0:35 – Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous and senior reporter Brad Avery talk about Croc-Tail Party, the newly released Pringles-Crocs shoe collection. 1:40 – What happened at Outfox Hospitality, the umbrella organization that manages the Foxtrot and Dom’s Kitchen & Market grocery chains? Senior reporter Lukas Southard explains what developed early this week and what we know so far. 4:45 – What does this mean for CPG brands that have relied on retailers like Foxtrot to break into larger distribution? The team explains how these “next-generation” grocery chains are integral to emerging food and beverage companies gaining brand recognition among consumers. 8:45 – In other retail news, Kroger and Albertsons announced a new divestiture plan in its potential multi-billion dollar merger. Reporter Adrianne DeLuca updates the group on what was proposed and why this might still not be enough to satisfy the Federal Trade Commission’s concerns. 10:15 – Adrianne goes on to explain why this all relates back to a Jefferies webinar she reported on that covered the rocky future ahead for grocery retail. About the CPG Week CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage. New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected]. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

CPG Week: Water That’s Not Beer And PE Firm Buys Cracker Company In this episode: In this episode, the CPG Week team starts with an update from Momofuku’s chili crunch trademark dispute. The conversation focuses on what has transpired, the implications for Chang’s appeal to consumers and how this is representative of what it takes for a CPG brand to hold a trademark. The group moves on to talk about why canned water is positioned as a beer alternative for live events and how the Liquid Death-effect is bringing new brands to the category. Later, BevNET Editor-in-Chief Jeff Klineman talks about his recent story covering new CPG private equity firm Forward Consumer Partners and its acquisition of a premium cracker brand. Show Highlights: 1:00 – Senior reporter Lukas Southard kicks off the podcast with an update about the headline-grabbing trademark dispute coming from David Chang’s Momofuku brand. The team unpacks what the recent developments say about public perception of celebrity chefs and how to navigate competition in a culturally significant category. 7:45 – The group discusses the growing trend of canned water marketing as a beer alternative and if this branding approach can draw consumer demand in on-premise locations like bars and live music venues. 12:40 – What drew new CPG private equity firm Forward Consumer Partners to buy artisanal cracker maker Firehook Bakery as its first acquisition? Editor-in-Chief Jeff Klineman explains why the pedigree of Forward Consumer Partners leadership might foretell the future of the cracker brand. About the CPG Week CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage. New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected]. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

In this episode: The BevNET and Nosh team discusses three food news stories that have carried industry headlines in the past week. Senior reporter Lukas Southard explains why David Chang-founded Momofuku is getting blowback from other Asian-American brands over a trademark dispute involving chili crunch products. Next, senior reporter Brad Avery discusses an exposé that highlights the questionable innovation stream of Trader Joe’s private label program. Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous finishes the weekly roundup with a conversation around a recent investigative story from The Washington Post that examines how food conglomerates are paying registered dietitian influencers to push anti-diet messaging. Show Highlights: 0:45 – Hear Brad and BevNET chief marketing officer Mike Schneider’s ode to legumes after accepting Monica’s challenge last week to create an original song about Bush’s Beans. 2:50 – Lukas dives into the chili crisp category and explains how a number of cease-and-desist letters from Momofuku are causing a stir among Asian-American, Pacific Islander CPG brands. 9:20 – All’s fair in love and private label, according to Trader Joe’s. Brad details a recent Taste story that claims the popular grocery retailer might use questionable tactics in its private-label product innovation. 13:45 – Monica discusses a Washington Post investigative piece that sheds light on how major food makers are paying registered dietitian influencers to push anti-diet rhetoric. About the CPG Week CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage. New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected]. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

In this episode: The Nosh and BevNET team bring on spirits editor Ferron Salniker to dive into why the adult non-alcoholic beverage category might be facing struggles as news broke that Boisson, one of the largest independent retailers of NA beverages, is closing its brick-and-mortar stores. The team talks about what this says about the category as a whole and what might come next as non-alc brands move into larger retail distribution. Later, Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous and senior reporters Lukas Southard and Brad Avery discuss provocative branding in energy drinks and how finding a lane in the competitive category is forcing at least one player to rebrand itself. Show Highlights: 2:00 – BevNET spirits editor Ferron Salniker joins the podcast to explain all that we know about the recent news that non-alcoholic adult beverage retailer Boisson has suddenly shuttered all its stores. 4:15 – The team discusses how the news reframes the non-alc category as the trend moves from niche to being carried among larger distributors and retail chains. 7:20 – Where does this leave the non-alc category and what does this foretell for the industry if one of its earliest adopters and largest independent retailers is having trouble? Ferron gives some insight into how the Boisson news is representative of how the category is growing as a whole. 11:15 – Lukas explains why Lucky F*ck Energy rebranding as just Lucky Energy is unsurprising but also speaks to how the attention economy and brands like Liquid Death have influenced other brands to increasingly push the envelope with edgy marketing campaigns. About the CPG Week CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage. New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected]. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

In this episode: With April Fool’s Day fast approaching, Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous tests senior reporters Brad Avery and Lukas Southard to see if they can tell the difference between real CPG launches and prank products that have shown up in marketing campaigns over the years. After the Prank Product Pop Quiz, the team discusses how allulose is being talked about as “nature’s GLP-1” and the gray area around that assertion, leading to a bigger conversation on the state of sweeteners highlighted by a New York Times exposé about sugar cane harvesters in rural India. Show Highlights: 0:30 – Senior reporters Brad Avery and Lukas Southard test their knowledge of April Fool’s Day CPG products with a pop quiz from Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous. 6:00 – Monica talks about how allulose has become a hot topic in food and beverage as some brands are positioning it as a natural alternative to GLP-1 weight loss drugs. 7:15 – Lukas explains what he has learned about alternative sweeteners and appetite suppression drugs after talking to Supergut founder and CEO Marc Washington at Expo West. 10:30 – The team discusses why there doesn’t seem to be the perfect sweetener for CPG brands with perceived downsides to all options in the category from stevia to erythritol to cane sugar. About the CPG Week CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage. New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected]. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts