CPG Week Podcast

This week on the podcast, BevNET and Nosh senior reporters Brad Avery and Lukas Southard discuss the top trends on display at Newtopia Now. They also get into a new report from the Acosta Group on long-term changes in consumer spending behavior and break down the shareholder rebellions at several CPG brands, including Zevia and OWYN.

In this episode: In this episode of CPG Week, Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous and senior reporter Brad Avery analyze the evolution of private label from off-brand to on-trend. The podcasters also discuss recent examples of the protein craze in Wandering Bear’s new latte line and Brami’s lupini bean-based pasta. Additionally, the hosts dig into British mixer brand Fever-Tree’s partnership with Molson Coors and an interesting new innovation in the frozen aisle. Show Highlights: 0:15 – Grocer retailers are beefing up private label assortments with a focus on protein, global flavors and premium positioning. Monica explains how consumer perceptions of store brands are changing. 3:15 – Cold brew coffee maker Wandering Bear is leaning into the protein craze. Brad highlights the strategy behind the latest launch. 5:00 – Can America’s obsession with protein drive mainstream adoption of the lupini bean. Italian food company Brami believes so. 6:30 – British mixer brand Fever-Tree is benefiting from its partnership with Molson Coors. Brad breaks down the deal. 8:05 – Brad and Monica discuss functional ice cubes and the return of RC Cola (What? It never left?). About 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: On the CPG Week podcast, Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous and senior reporter Lukas Southard discuss the rise of Khloé Kardashian’s protein popcorn brand and the downfall of a co-manufacturer. Then, the hosts dig into the sale of a cult-favorite ice cream brand to unlikely buyers and the expansion of a bottled tea company into new snacking segments. Show Highlights: 0:15 – Khloud Protein Popcorn is popping off. Monica explains how Khloé Kardashian’s snack brand is charting an expansion into thousands of retailers within months of its debut. 2:15 – The abrupt closure of a co-packer has left several brands scrambling. Lukas shares what we know so far about the sudden shuttering of Plants To Food. 3:35 – Monster Beverage executives have scooped up Rite Aid’s Thrifty Ice Cream brand (among other assets) in bankruptcy proceedings for a not-so-thrifty price of $19.2 million. What does this mean for the future of the business? 5:30 – Joe Tea is expanding beyond tea. Lukas highlights the brand’s new snack and beverage launches seen at the Summer Fancy Food Show this month. 7:10 – The podcasters talk about a touchdown-worthy cold plunge, the world’s first creatine cereal and a bridge too far for bacon. About 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 goes back through some of the trends they tracked in 2024 while looking ahead to predictions and issues to watch in the new year. Kicking off a discussion on 2024 trends, senior reporter Brad Avery starts with an update on the energy drink category and its evolution over the past year. Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous explains how consumer interest in GLP-1 drugs has impacted food and beverage. Senior reporter Lukas Southard talks private label prioritization and how it relates to inflation. The team goes on to look ahead with predictions about 2025 trends to watch, including an emphasis on seed oil-free products, consolidation, and the impact of tariffs and inflation on the CPG industry. Show Highlights: 0:30 – Energy drinks continue to dominate the beverage category with renewed strength behind women-positioned options. This time last year, big CPG companies were wringing their hands over the impact of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic or Wegovy, but 2024 brought a slew of brands positioned toward the opportunity in the weight-loss consumer group. 4:00 – Whether it’s Walmart’s bettergoods or Amazon Saver, private label is on the rise with no sign of slowing. The team discusses how retailers like CVS are bringing new energy with its new Well Market store brand and what it means long term for retail. 6:45 – It’s often difficult to make bold predictions for the coming year, but the CPG Week hosts discuss how a minor trend like no seed oils might bubble up in 2025 and how it aligns with a growing rancor about ultra-processed foods. 9:00 – The group also predicts a continuation of the M&A activity witnessed in 2024, how potential tariffs and inflation could impact the industry, and why Monica is calling 2025 the Year of Ranch. About 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: On this episode of CPG Week, Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous and senior reporters Lukas Southard and Brad Avery talk about two different retailers’ returns from bankruptcy. The CPG Week podcasters discuss how there is a differing consensus about the expected returns of Foxtrot and Boisson. While some suppliers seem ready to return to Foxtrot shelves, there appears to be more hesitancy among brands who’ve formerly worked with NA retailer Boisson. In other news, a different low- and no-alcohol retailer gets an endorsement from bev-alc private equity firm in the form of a capital investment. Show Highlights: 0:30 – Are truffles overrated? HuffPost thinks so; the CPG Week team responds. 1:45 – For Foxtrot founder Mike LaVitola, its return is not a comeback so much as a “totally new company.” The CPG Week group looks at what it means for the next-gen convenience store to return to business both from a brand perspective and from a macro-industry angle. 6:00 – Alternatively, there appears to be some trepidation surrounding the return of non-alcoholic beverage retailer Boisson. Lukas runs through a recent BevNET story that dissected suppliers’ opinions about Boisson’s return in light of the unfinished business and unpaid bills that haven’t been completely addressed. 12:30 – Not all non-alc retailers are struggling to win over brands. Charleston, S.C.-based Sèchey landed investment from InvestBev last week. Brad details how the new capital is an approval of one company’s approach to growing in NA beverages. 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: This week, the podcast team digs into the growing trend among major retailers to invest in new modern white label programs. The CPG Week crew discusses why retail chains from CVS to Walmart to Grocery Outlet are launching expanded private label programs and what these next-generation brands might mean for consumers and independent CPG businesses. Later, the group dives back into the GLP-1 diet trend after the news that Nestlé is set to launch Vital Pursuit, a 12-SKU line of frozen meals specifically positioned toward semaglutide drug users and consumers looking to manage their weight. Show Highlights: 0:30 – After sharing his pre- and post-half marathon food and drinks from this past weekend, senior reporter Lukas Southard finds out that Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous has been known to imbibe some interesting alcoholic beverages over the years running 25 marathons. 2:30 – The team dives into the recent slew of private label brands that have been launching this year with senior reporter Brad Avery explaining the new line that was announced by CVS. 4:10 – Monica shares what we know so far about Walmart’s new store brand bettergoods and how it aligns with other mass retailers moves in the category. 6:15 – The team discusses what this says about the changing formula for private label strategy in major retailers and how this exemplifies what has happened in grocery post-pandemic. 11:20 – Lukas goes through what we know so far about Nestlé’s expected Q4 release of a GLP-1 positioned frozen meal line. The group talks about how this is not the first – and likely not the last – weight management brand to come out of the “Ozempic Era.” 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