Steven Bloomquist

Is Hormel Foods prepared to tackle the challenges of inflation, supply chain disruptions, and shifting consumer preferences? Jim Snee, CEO of Hormel Foods, offers insights on the company's strategies to navigate these issues. Learn how they are adapting, building partnerships, embracing sustainability, and leveraging technology in this volatile landscape. #FoodIndustry #SupplyChain #ConsumerPreferences

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As the demand for high-protein, on-the-go snacks continues to surge, Conagra is positioning itself at the forefront of this enduring trend. Conagra Brands, the force behind iconic names like Slim Jim and Duke's, has strategically expanded its portfolio with the acquisition of Sweetwood Smoke & Co., makers of Fatty Smoked Meat Sticks. What makes Fatty's unique? Their meat sticks boast high protein, low sugar, gluten-free ingredients, and no MSG—exactly what today's health-conscious consumers are after. Since their major 2018 acquisition of Pinnacle Foods, Conagra has been laser-focused on strengthening their core business and managing debt, keeping acquisitions on the back burner. But when the right opportunity comes along, especially a bolt-on that aligns perfectly with market trends, they were ready to act. With the meat snack market projected to grow at nearly 7% CAGR through 2033, this acquisition is a smart move for Conagra, bolstering their position in a booming segment. At Greenwich Capital Group LLC, we anticipate a significant increase in strategic-driven M&A activity within the F&B category in the coming year, likely surpassing previous levels. Mars' recent acquisition of Kellanova underscores the growing trend of large strategic acquirers making bold moves to enhance their market presence and diversify their offerings. This acquisition is a clear signal that leading players are not just pursuing growth, but are also keenly focused on aligning with evolving consumer demands for health-conscious, innovative products. We expect to see more deals of this nature as companies seek to strengthen their positions in an increasingly competitive and dynamic market. #MergersAndAcquisitions #FoodIndustry #FoodandBeverage #ConsumerTrends #InvestmentBanking https://lnkd.in/gT4AWgMW

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WHOLE FOODS MARKET vs. KROGER 2025 Food Trends. (And also some MINTEL, see comments below). In mid-October, Whole Foods Market released their 2025 Food Trend predictions. Two weeks later, so did Kroger. Predictions are just that, but they can validate what consumers and what we in CPG are seeing, or what we should take note of, possibly build innovation against, or simply buy to try. A side by side of five (5) food-specific #trends, from each #grocery chain, is compiled below, with G&Co. sentiments on the five. Of interest to me: • That Whole Foods Market visibly supported the #alcohol industry 🍺🍷🥂 in their list, while Kroger did not. And if you track alcohol sales as I do, the industry and those brands needs all the support they can get. • That Kroger plugged #privatelabel directly, with their “Food Dupes” trend, while Whole Foods Market integrated their own private label into brands that fit into trends. What they agree upon, I cite below. And I also flag the lists’ incongruity. Again, this side by side is food-specific, and does not weigh the packaging and sustainability trends called out by Whole Foods. #cpg #foodandbeverage #2025trends #foodtrends Mintel

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What does Brian Scott love most about his job as a President of Gourmet Foods International (GFI)? Get ready for an inspiring conversation on the Reconnected Podcast with Luke Abbott! #ReconnectedPodcast #NaturalFoods #RetailGrocery #BusinessIntegrity #FoodSupplyChain #CPGIndustry

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From #NextGenBaker 📈​ During the American Bakers Association’s NextGenBaker Leadership Forum, held September 30 – October 1 in Washington, DC, Anne-Marie Roerink, president of 210 Analytics, LLC, shared three ways brands can grow sales during her presentation, “Bakery Playbook: A Deep Dive into Consumer Trends.”​ Read more ➡️ https://bit.ly/3UnlQ2H #bakingindustry

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DTC/Digital Native Brands struggle to achieve scale. CPG portfolio's are stagnating. Consumers are trading down, and retailers owned brands are disproportionately growing. Target, Costco, Trader Joes, and Aldi owned brands are winning. Now Walmart has launched a formidable new elevated basics brand, BetterGoods. The best way to beat the Amazon/Temu/Shein/TikTok marketplaces is to sell products they don't have.

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From Dairy Foods to Fortune Business Insight, experts agree: the RTD dairy beverage market is on the rise. With milk, tea, coffee, aseptic juices, and bottled juices leading the charge, dollar sales are increasing year after year. While some may see a decline in unit sales, the exception lies with canned juices, whose dollar sales spiked 8.5% and unit sales saw a 2% rise. And the global market shows no signs of slowing down, projected to reach over $1 trillion by 2032 thanks to urbanization and busy lifestyles. Don't miss out on the opportunities in this growing category!" #RTDbeverages #dairy #growthopportunities

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What CPG brands can learn from America's #1 candy corn brand’s latest sweepstakes As we send the final shipment of Brach’s Candy Corn Club prize packs, we're sharing the 3 main lessons we've learned running the campaign: 1️⃣ Leveraging the love for a product during a sweepstakes drives insane sales 62% of Americans enjoy candy corn — Brach's knew that. So when AirBaton helped them launch their first official Candy Corn Club, they got 23.8k entries across all 50 states in 3 weeks. 2️⃣ Instant rebates drove participants into action This program rebated consumers when they signed up. This not only drove engagement but also encouraged immediate purchases. After all, humans love instant gratification! 3️⃣ A well-executed sweepstakes is key While strategic marketing is crucial, execution is even more important. Look for a platform that automates sweepstakes entries and rebates. This will make things easy and enjoyable for your customers and will maximize your results. The success of Brach's Candy Corn Club shows the power of a well-executed sweepstakes that uses consumer data and innovative technology to drive engagement, purchases, and brand awareness. CPG businesses, take note of these lessons and apply them to your upcoming promos. Congratulations to Brach’s on a successful campaign, and here's to more sweet successes in the future! 🍬 P.S. Planning to run a sweepstakes? DM me “sweepstakes” and I’ll share ideas! #MarketingStrategy #SweepstakesSuccess #BrandEngagement #ConsumerIncentives #SweetSuccess

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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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🛒📉 Higher grocery prices are definitely shifting consumer buying habits, but let’s not mistake caution for panic. 🧠 Consumers are opting for meatless options more because they’re easier on the wallet, not necessarily for sustainability or health reasons. What’s interesting? People are still eager to explore new items but are steering clear of sweeteners—both caloric and non-caloric. The desire to balance curiosity and cost is reshaping shopping carts! 🥦🍔 Follow me and subscribe to our YouTube channel and Suzy Badaracco on Instagram for more insights. #CulinaryTides #SuzyBadaracco #ConsumerTrends #FoodPricing #MeatlessOptions #SweetenerShift #GroceryTrends Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/erSN9XgK

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Just in: The new Consumer Food Insights explores key attributes guiding consumers' grocery store choices. Food selection, fresh produce, and price top the list. https://lnkd.in/gnG2PB-2

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US Foods is debuting its Fall 2024 Scoop, offering foodservice operators 24-on trend products that can help address inventory, labor and time management costs. 🍲 Learn more about the new Fall Scoop lineup 👉 https://brnw.ch/21wNovM #foodservice #operators #USFoods #ValueAdded #NewProduct

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🚨 Don’t Miss This AI Panel at National Beer Wholesalers Association 87th Annual Conversation! 🚨 On Tuesday, October 1st, from 12:30 – 1:45 p.m., join Bud Dunn, President of VXP Tech, as he takes the stage with fellow industry experts for a cutting-edge discussion on AI in the Beer Industry: Introducing AI Into Your Business and Never Looking Back (Part 2) 📅 Tuesday, October 1, 2024 🕧 12:30 – 1:45 p.m. Bud will be joined by: 🤖 Sean Mossman 🤖 Laura Melzow 🤖 Lester Jones 🤖 Bart Flaherty This two-part seminar, hosted by the Beer Industry Electronic Commerce Coalition (BIECC), will explore how AI is transforming the beer distribution industry. The panel will focus on real-world applications and how distributors are already using AI to streamline operations, make better data-driven decisions, and drive profitability. This is a must-attend for anyone looking to understand how AI can bring immediate benefits to their business—and why it’s something you don’t want to ignore. Get ready to learn: ✔️ How AI is being used in day-to-day operations ✔️ Practical examples of AI in the beer industry ✔️ The future impact of AI on distribution Add this to your NBWA agenda and be sure to stop by Booth 713 to learn how VXP Tech can help you leverage AI to improve your sales and profitability. #NBWA2024 #ArtificialIntelligence #BeerIndustry #TechInnovation #AIinBusiness #VXPTech #FutureofDistribution #tappedinsales

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Warehousing, AI, inflation, freight, energy: All these topics and many more shape the state of the food industry. At Innovations 2024, Dot Foods CEO Dick Tracy addressed these themes in his Industry Update. https://bit.ly/3VzTOSe #DotInnovations2024

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“I thought it was absolutely essential to carve out our hard discount in a separate division” Bank told investors Thursday (Feb. 22). “I want to really operate the hard discounters as hard discounters.” Assortment strategy is one of the most important topics for CPG brands. Aldi, carries about 1400 SKUs. No Frills carries many many many more. If you don't know A) What are the two SKUs you need No Frills to carry, B) How to optimize that assortment for efficiency in labour and shoppability, 2026 might be painful. It's a long way away. But not that far away. (I have no actual knowledge on timing - but guessing that a transformation in a multitude of categories to a much more ltd assortment will take time. Some categories will likely face the pain much earlier). I'm looking forward (?) to hearing if Loblaws shares more on Hard Discount strategy at the supplier summit next week.

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💰💡 Latest in Funding, Acquisition, and Finance: 🍦 General Mills Mulls Over $2B Sale of North American Yogurt Business - In a strategic move, General Mills considers divesting its Yoplait brand and other yogurt assets in North America, targeting a deal upwards of $2 billion. 🌱 Edonia Secures €2M for Protein Innovations from Microalgae - French startup Edonia raises €2 million in pre-seed funding from Asterion Ventures and Bpifrance, propelling the development of umami-rich, plant-based ingredients. 🌎 Bezos Earth Fund Pledges $100M for AI-driven Climate Initiatives - With a focus on alternative proteins, the Bezos Earth Fund announces up to $100 million in grants for AI solutions addressing climate change and nature conservation. 🌿 Woodland Foods Acquires Idan Foods - Expanding its portfolio, Woodland Foods takes over New Jersey-based Idan Foods, known for its specialized food coatings, enhancing its offerings in plant-based ingredients. #Funding #Acquisition #Sustainability #FoodIndustry 💰🌿

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🍻 Did you know beer sales in the U.S. hit $116 billion? With nearly 10,000 craft breweries, sour beers and IPAs are leading the trend. As beer brands multiply, shoppers have become more selective. If their favorite beer isn’t available, they’ll likely head to another store. This creates a big challenge for retailers who must manage their portfolios while meeting picky shoppers' needs. Check out this insightful report by Jason Smith, highlighting the beer shopper and offering three key recommendations for retailers: 1️⃣ Introduce diverse beer types, flavors, and brands. 2️⃣ Optimize your assortment to fill gaps and minimize out-of-stocks. 3️⃣ Enhance shelf signage to help shoppers easily find what they want. Discover the full report through the link https://lnkd.in/e4REWZmQ #learningevolution #beer #shopperinsight #customers #cpg #grocery #nbwa

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