Headlines

At the annual Consumer Analyst Group of New York (CAGNY) conference this week, leading CPG companies discussed their 2019 results — and plans and strategies for the future. For many, those plans include meeting consumer demand for wellness-oriented products with more offerings, especially in snacking and alternative protein.

In the latest distribution news, four new products from Pitaya and cereal from Catalina Crunch hit shelves at Whole Foods Market, ParmCrisps goes club-sized at Costco and BFree’s wraps launch at Walmart.

As senior director at design and innovation firm IDEO, Meija Jacobs understands how brands work visually. But the journey toward building a brand, she said, begins with comprehending human needs — and by using the “superpower” of empathy to build products that matter. During a presentation at NOSH Live Winter 2019 in Santa Monica, Jacobs explained how IDEO uses design thinking to create “supercharged” brands.

Having built a significant portfolio of meat-alternative offerings, Tofurky is now looking to tackle the dairy set, announcing today that sub-brand Moocho will be spun off into a more clearly independent line. To further build out Moocho’s presence on shelf, the company will also launch new dairy-free cheese shreds and dairy-free cream cheese spreads under the brand.

Viraj Puri, co-founder/CEO of greenhouse innovator and fresh produce brand Gotham Greens, discussed the company’s genesis, its ambitious mission and multifaceted business model, weaving technology and human resources to reach an optimal outcome, how he defines and communicates ‘local’ as a marketing term and best practices for working with local governments and leaders.

Beyond THC and CBD, some studies suggest that other cannabinoids — such as CBG (cannabigerol) and CBN (cannabinol) — offer a range of other functional benefits, including antibacterial and antispasmodic effects.

Customers might love natural and specialty retailers, but lately it looks like their creditors don’t. In the past month, three long-time natural/specialty retailers, Lucky’s Market, Fairway and Earth Fare, declared bankruptcies. Meanwhile, big box retailers increasingly feature emerging brands, and e-commerce and direct-to-consumer are gaining prominence in brands’ strategies. NOSH spoke to analysts from Mintel, IHL Group, and The Hartman Group to weigh in on the state of specialty — and what it means for brands.

With alternative rice brand RightRice, Keith Belling, the company’s founder and CEO (and snack brand Popchips’ co-founder and chairman) saw a fresh opportunity to shake up a center store staple. At NOSH Live Winter 2019, Belling shared tasty takeaways on moving from crunchy snacks to a better-for-you take on an ordinary pantry item — and seeing rapid first-year growth.

Direct-to-consumer website Brandless shuts down, online grocery delivery service Peapod cuts its Midwest division, organic fruit and vegetable platform Daily Harvest promotes ingredient transparency, and more in this week’s Checkout.

According to Emily Schildt, “We’re living in an age of too much stuff.” With the goal of cutting through this clutter, Schildt, a CPG marketing consultant, founded Pop Up Grocer, a traveling food and beverage brand activation spotlighting a curated selection of emerging natural brands, offering them exposure to consumers, influencers and industry professionals in a candy-colored Instagram-friendly setting.