Paul Chibe

MOCK & ROLL. Nielsen Data shows that over 82 percent of people who purchase non-alcoholic beverages also buy alcoholic ones. Significant. An eye opener. The big opportunity in non-alcoholic beverages is not sobriety. The big opportunity is moderation. We launched Bar Diver Mocktails so that sober drinkers - those who don't drink alcohol, and more importantly those who are not drinking alcohol at the moment - can enjoy the same celebratory experience that an alcoholic cocktail drinker enjoys, in a spirit-free medium. An exclusive focus on sobriety is too limiting for real scale. The opportunity is bigger when you include cross-over of alcohol drinkers who practice some level of moderation – from Drayanuary, to Sober October, to simply reducing alcohol consumption sporadically – drinking less during an evening for responsible driving concerns or reducing weekly alcohol consumption for wellness reasons, etc. NO ALCOHOL. NO COMPROMISE.

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Merchandising in the food industry has grown increasingly complex due to changes in demographics, consumer behavior, shopping preferences, nutrition awareness, environmental concerns, technological advancements, and cultural trends. Central to managing these factors is the category manager, backed by a team of sales and category management professionals on the CPG side. These teams often operate independently to obtain genuine consumer insights. A clear retailer strategy, supported by unbiased data from CPG partners, delivers an excellent customer experience by ensuring product availability, optimal placement, in-stock conditions, and inspiring displays throughout the store. These outcomes are driven by the space planning function, whose primary goal is to advance and implement the merchandising strategy. Tools were developed to implement these decisions efficiently from the central office down to the store level. However, limitations in technology tools, stagnation in category management principles, gaps in the development of space planning teams, and the increasing complexity of merchandising have created significant barriers for current space planning operations. These limitations hinder agility, leading to suboptimal product placement and reduced responsiveness to market changes. As a result, retailers struggle to adapt quickly, impacting overall customer satisfaction and sales performance. Addressing these challenges requires innovative solutions and continuous improvement in space planning practices. That is where I believe 345 Global’s platform will be a game changer. It not only overcome’s the current limitations that are posed by myriad’s of tools available but also evolves the industry to a new level where AI based digital twin technology allow users to interact with the rich visulazation of this platform, and use data in a new meaningful way to make efficient decisions. This platform is built with amazing capability that allows to manage, maintain and modify thousands of variations down to store level & category where processing is done in a fraction of time yielding high productive outcomes. When this platform sits on top of sound merchandising strategy it delivers an unparalleled customer experience yielding improvements in performance across all indicators. Think Blue is excited to partner with 345 Global and help retailers, brands and solution providers with key capabilities to improve their performance. #RetailInnovation #AIinMerchandising #CustomerExperience #345Global #SpacePlanningSolutions Mark Edwards Mark Deuschle Sri Rajagopalan Manish Sharma

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One thing people underestimate about the Food & Beverage industry is how consumer trends have a DIRECT impact on M&A trends. IFT First in Chicago is one of the most important food shows I have attended that brought some of these trends to the forefront, bringing together thousands of exhibitors to showcase the latest innovations, technologies, new products, and ingredients in the food and beverage industry. Here are some key trends from this year's event that will have a direct impact on the M&A market: Ultra-processed Foods: Confusion around minimally processed, processed, and ultra-processed foods persists. Companies like Chobani are working to educate consumers and reduce stigma, a crucial effort for market acceptance. As strategic buyers look to become more acquisitive, they add a diligence stream regarding how their potential target's products are processed and whether they can substantiate their marketing/packaging claims. Health Benefits: Products emphasizing higher protein, sugar reduction, and clean labels are in demand, reflecting consumer priorities for long-lasting health benefits. Companies that continue to play in the more indulgent sectors will need to focus on ingredient quality and transparency to sustain growth. Alternate Sweeteners: As consumers seek to reduce sugar without sacrificing taste, innovation in alternate sweeteners is vital. Companies that can provide great-tasting products with low-sugar alternatives that consumers can trust will be in demand in the future. At Greenwich Capital Group LLC, we closely monitor these trends and ensure our clients and potential clients understand how to position their company before a sale. Companies ignoring these shifts risk negative perceptions in M&A processes, potentially impacting their salability and value by not aligning with consumer preferences. #IFT2024 #FoodInnovation #IngredientTrends #HealthyEating #FoodTech #MandA https://lnkd.in/gzcfRxkF

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If you haven't signed up for ConsciousCPG Summit yet, you should! 🌿 This free, two-day virtual event on June 17–18 features a stellar lineup of industry leaders from Whole Foods Market, New Hope Network, BeyondBrands, ForceBrands, Naturally Network, and many others. Expect to gain valuable insights as these leaders delve into conscious values and share the latest practices shaping the industry. Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn and connect with top professionals in the field. Check it out! 🌟 #ConsciousCPG #IndustryLeaders #VirtualEvent #Networking #Learning #CPGIndustry #ConsciousValues

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Very comprehensive and well written analysis by Scott Moses at Solomon Partners as to why C&S Wholesale Grocers is well positioned to drive success in the updated Kroger & Albertsons Companies divested store plan. Two key things Scott fails to address: First, driving customer loyalty requires much more than a robust supply chain. While it is arguably the *most* important factor (if shoppers can't find their favorite products, they will leave the store), it certainly requires other key elements to not just maintain loyalty, but *drive* loyalty. Things like loyalty programs, digital and ecomm capabilities, retail media partners, targeted customized offerings etc. - This is how you drive success and long term shopper loyalty in todays CPG landscape. Which leads me to the second area: Data Retailers and vendors have to win through data, one way shape or form. As retail media networks continue to grow across the US, along with the expansion of digital capabilities and the ever increasing complexities of the consumers path-to-purchase, data is the key to driving long term success via loyalty. That's why retailers invest millions upon millions each year in loyalty data programs and digital capabilities. And how C&S will ensure their store operating partners will be successful in this arena is really yet to be addressed. Scott makes a strong case for C&S being strong wholesale operators, highlighting their 100+ year expertise in the grocery industry and vast distribution networks and capabilities. But he leaves the door wide open for debate on whether or not C&S will actually drive success with these divested stores in todays complex consumer/retail landscape that is becoming increasingly reliant on data and digital capabilities. My curiosity (and concern) is less around whether or not C&S will be exemplary distribution partners, but whether they have the ability help these banners be successful and continue to evolve into the future of grocery. https://lnkd.in/gV4QEPzH

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Leading nonalcoholic brewer Athletic Brewing Co. raised $50m from General Atlantic "to increase production capacity and expand its offerings to meet rising consumer demand for nonalcoholic beer". Athletic is a unique brewer in that it exclusively offers alocohol-free beers, while at the same time being positioned as a craft brewer. It holds ~20% MS in alcohol-free segment (~$90m revenue) driving 32% of total nonalcoholic beer category growth (while being #20 largest brewer overall) The nonalcoholic segment is the fastest growing one in Beer, with strong tailwind especially from young consumers that are ditching alcohol consumption. While all incumbents are already in the race with a strong offering from their legacy brands (HEINEKEN Beverages AB InBev Molson Coors Beverage Company Diageo) and enormous advantage in go to market muscle, they cannot be also as aggressive in positioning itself as nonalcoholic brewers, an angle that is available to Athletic Brewing #fmcg #cpg #strategy ##mergersandacquisitions Frederic Fernandez & Associates

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