Pod Foods

I pulled this one out of the Lucky’s merchandising archive from 2015. We (the CPG industry) can all learn a lot by paying close attention to what happens in Fresh produce. Everything in Produce happens at Warp speed compared to grocery, and seasonality/locality isn’t an option, it is a necessity. Produce and center store are more alike than most people realize. There are two main cohorts of promotional activity in produce, loss leader features to driver customer count, and sales drivers to build basket. Lemons for example fall into the second bucket. Nobody saw our ad for 3 for $1 lemons and urgently got in their car to stock up on Lemons, so it didn’t bring in foot traffic. But raise your hand if you have a least one lemon in your refrigerator right NOW. (Most of you raised your hands). The lemons never cracked the top 5 PLUs by dollars, but by forming habits on a key staple product the customer perception of value and value image improved markedly. What kind of brand are you, and which type of promotional activity suits who you are? To quote Socrates: “To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom” Pod Foods #innovation #grocery #inflation

💪 It’s time to look good, feel good, and demand more from your grooming products - brace yourself for the arrival of Blackwood® For Men at select Sprouts Farmers Market locations! As part of Sprouts’ exclusive Men’s Care Innovation Pilot Program, Blackwood For Men will be delivering a modern solution to men's self-care. The brand is on a mission to deliver premium quality and style without the premium price. From shampoos that make styling a breeze to refreshing body washes that revive you post-workout, Blackwood's got your back whether you're crushing a workout or heading into the office. 🏃 Formulated with Japanese botanical powerhouses like Ginseng, Green Tea, and Tsubaki Oil, Blackwood blends the strength of nature with innovation. These ingredients do more than clean: they restore, protect, and leave you feeling like a total Triple Threat! 🌱 The Pod team is super proud to be bringing this 7x award-winning brand to the shelves of Sprouts, where clean, cruelty-free, and sustainable grooming products meet your everyday needs. Make sure to check them out and experience the magic that Blackwood holds! #PodFoods #FoodAndBeverage #FoodInnovation Fiona Lee Larissa Russell Peter Gialantzis Dan Rabens Mark Rider Ammar Hanafi Clint Chao Nitin Pachisia Christian Gammill Al Sambar Diana Melencio Elizabeth Yin Maria Ho

If you're ready to transform the way you care for your body, Obvi is here to make this process so much more fun! We’re beyond excited to announce that through Pod Foods, this refreshing wellness brand will soon bring their Collagen Peptides to the shelves of a Sprouts Farmers Market near you. 💖 Obvi doesn’t just make supplements - they make wellness vibrant and approachable. Forget about dull, clinical products, as Obvi’s signature style and commitment to quality make adding collagen to your routine something to look forward to! With a clean, gluten-free, non-GMO formula, Obvi Unflavored Collagen Peptides blend easily into your daily coffee, smoothie, or even home cook recipes without altering taste, making it effortless to incorporate into any lifestyle. 🌟 But it’s not just about the product. Obvi has now built an incredible community of 40,000+ members on Facebook who support and encourage each other on their health journeys. That same vibrant energy is at the heart of everything they do, and now, you can be a part of it! Whether you’re a wellness newbie or an Obvi superfan, this is your chance to add a burst of optimism to your life. Why wait? Head to Sprouts and discover what the buzz is about! ✨ #PodFoods #FoodAndBeverage #FoodInnovation Fiona Lee Larissa Russell Peter Gialantzis Dan Rabens Mark Rider Ammar Hanafi Clint Chao Nitin Pachisia Christian Gammill Al Sambar Diana Melencio Elizabeth Yin Ashvin Melwani Ankit Patel Ronak Shah Shray Joshi Albert Fayad Derek Gould

Amazon announced yesterday that they are piloting micro fulfillment centers as a bolt-on to Whole Foods stores. The idea being that WFM customers want to buy big CPG items like Pepsi and Kellog’s and are making extra trips to do it. Doesn’t this just duplicate the product mix that Kroger aready has, but with an extra step for the customer and a lot more Capex investment? Conventional grocers have improved their Natural/Organic/Specialty offerings and have invested billions into expanding clean-label private label. WFM has less than 2% market share, nationally. Amazon is going to have a tough time competing with the other 98% if it is selling the same products as much larger competitors. IMO, what would make the most sense would be to go hard in the opposite direction. Other “Supernatural” chains are moving in on WFM’s home turf of “Corganic” and “Conscionable” consumers. If Amazon allows WFM double down on foraging local, innovative, healthier products and locking in FTM exclusives, they can protect the market share they have. Pod Foods #innovation #grocery #amazon https://lnkd.in/ewnuDE5s

If you operate a store anywhere near one of the dots on this map, or sell your product there, you are in direct competition with WalMart’s 4700+ stores. This also means you are competing for market share against the collective buying power and logistics efficiency of each one of those stores. Over time, you will lose share on like items as market forces drive consumers to lower-prices that only the dominant market leader can sustain. As more grocery shopping shifts online, customers will be making fewer in-person trips, and many of them will only shop in one B+M grocery chain. To succeed, we need to differentiate the customer experience from what they can find at WalMart. This starts with speed to shelf, and putting innovative, exclusive product onto the planogrms before they do. That 12-24 month “head start” will be the lifeblood of the industry over the next decade. Pod Foods #innovation #grocery

New Pod Podcast Episode just dropped - and it is POPPIN’ with flavor, inspiration, and innovation! We’re thrilled to feature Charlene Li, CPA CA and Vincent Li, the husband-and-wife power duo behind EATABLE INC. - the gourmet popcorn brand that’s taken the snacking world by storm. 🍿 Ever wonder what it takes to disrupt a crowded market? Charlene and Vincent spill all the secrets - from their bold beginnings in Toronto, their leap into the U.S. market, and what’s next in their exciting flavor lineup. Join our host and Chief Merchandising Officer Peter Gialantzis to find out the answers to intriguing questions such as: - How did EATABLE get their current brand name? - What do champagne, caramel, and popcorn have in common? - Which well-loved EATABLE flavor is referred to as ‘party in your mouth’? 👇 Discover how Charlene and Vince transformed a spontaneous popcorn creation in their kitchen into a luxury snack loved by celebrities. Tune in through the link in our comment and find out why everyone’s talking about EATABLE! 🎧 Don’t miss out: New Pod Podcast episode are dropping every week, featuring other amazing CPG founders! #PodFoods #FoodAndBeverage #FoodInnovation Fiona Lee Larissa Russell Matthew Bowen Dan Rabens Mark Rider Ammar Hanafi Clint Chao Nitin Pachisia Christian Gammill Al Sambar Diana Melencio Elizabeth Yin

🚨 Time to fuel your sales with the latest edition of Pod Foods Double Ads Wednesday! Mark your calendars - because from October 9th to October 16th, we’re offering amazing deals on a handpicked selection of game-changing brands. If you’re seeking new, exciting products to spice up your shelves or aiming to ramp up sales with some of your customers' favorite items, now's the time to let your shelves shine! 💥 Introducing this week's powerhouse lineup, featuring Sugar Bliss, The Natural Organic Co. | Naturanic, DRAM, Manuka Lane, YÜJ granola and JUGO SUPERFOODS! 👏 Take advantage of these exclusive offers on the Pod Direct platform and supercharge your sales with high-quality, better-for-you products. Whether it’s delicious treats, wellness products, or unique beverages, you’ll find something for every preference. Head to your promo page on the Pod Direct platform now to secure these exclusive offers and give your store the competitive edge it deserves! #PodFoods #FoodAndBeverage #FoodInnovation Fiona Lee Larissa Russell Peter Gialantzis Matthew Bowen Dan Rabens Mark Rider Ammar Hanafi Clint Chao Nitin Pachisia Christian Gammill Al Sambar Diana Melencio Elizabeth Yin Paul Merton Brady Becker Flavio Fernandes Teresa Ging Massiel Villanueva Beau Blouin Jugo Superfoods

This has the potential to be a historic week in Florida’s history, and not in a good way. Thankfully, it looks like almost 2 million people in harm’s way have evacuated. There will be millions of people without power tomorrow, some grocery stores will be closed, and some warehouses inoperable. It could take weeks for the supply chain to fully normalize after this level of impact. We operate out of the largest warehouse in the state of Florida at close to 2M square feet, and thankfully we are being spared from a direct hit. If any retailers, brands, or other distributors need help with the recovery starting tomorrow, we are here for you. We can move extremely quickly if emergency products need to be delivered into or out of our building to help stores come back online and help hard-hit consumers out. Pod Foods #hurricanemilton #florida UNFI KeHE Distributors Sprouts Farmers Market Whole Foods Market Publix Super Markets The Fresh Market

Join the celebration with our team at Pod, as we are so thrilled to announce our latest partnership with True Food Markets by True Food Kitchen - Scottsdale’s newest destination for health-conscious food lovers! 🎉 A groundbreaking fusion of restaurant and market, True Food Market is where fresh, clean, and locally sourced ingredients meet innovative culinary experiences. And guess what? Pod Foods is playing a key role by introducing a carefully curated lineup of trendiest brands to their shelves! Starting this week, you'll be able to find some of the most exciting, better-for-you products from many Pod brands such as Sarilla, Fresh Fizz Sodas, Mellody®, SIMPLE®, Hummus Goodness, and Monkey Brittle - all in one place.  🤝 This partnership marks a huge milestone for Pod Foods as we continue to bridge the gap between emerging brands and the consumers who crave them. True Food Market’s unique blend of retail and dining makes it the perfect platform to showcase the incredible offerings from our brands. So if you’re in the Scottsdale area, be sure to drop by True Food Market, explore the shelves, and treat yourself to products that are as mindful as they are tasty! 🔥 #PodFoods #FoodAndBeverage #FoodInnovation Fiona Lee Larissa Russell Peter Gialantzis Matthew Bowen Dan Rabens Mark Rider Ammar Hanafi Clint Chao Nitin Pachisia Christian Gammill Al Sambar Diana Melencio Elizabeth Yin Amanda Ament Darko Mandich Aaron M. Schaller, PhD Hannah (Hanady) Awada Doug Alderman

Amazon has had tremendous success in dozens of disruptive initiatives during the past 20 years. “Just walk out” technology wasn’t one of them, and it won’t be, despite the continued $1BN per year investment. Just like the Segway scooter, it’s a very cool piece of technology, that (almost) nobody wants in their daily grocery routine. It’s expensive for retailers to install, in an industry that runs on very low margins. Consumers who want ultra convenience are going to order online for delivery or click and collect. When they actually go into the store and shop the old fashioned way, they are looking to interact with the product and the people who sell it. We are on two parallel paths as an industry: 1. Year by year, more grocery shopping will be done online. 2. For the shopping that ISN’T done online, quality of service and a pleasant in store experience is key. Erewhon and Publix Super Markets are two good examples of very different retailers who have figured this out ahead of the curve. Pod Foods #innovation #grocery #amazon