Elizabeth Hemphill-Burns’ Post

For twenty years, our partners at FMI- The Food Industry Association have been recognizing outstanding store managers. Store managers are critical to success in the fast-paced, people business of grocery and Janet Jones Kendall of SmartBrief profiled this years winners. I’ll be sharing our conversations with them here. First up is Roman Perez of The Fresh Market #foodretail #grocery #foodandbeverage #cpg #b2bmedia #digitalmarketing

Wegmans, Costco, Whole Foods, Aldi, your neighborhood bodega. Different SKUs. Different prices. Different "feels." The right fit for some customers, the wrong fit for others. Neither good nor bad. This variety is easy to conceptualize for grocery stores. Most industries have their own parallel. Wealth management is no different. There are countless services, fee structures, levels of expertise, levels of service, etc. Some people want Wegmans, some want Costco, while others grow a garden and milk their own cows! The right fit for some clients. The wrong fit for others. Neither good nor bad.

📢 Big news! US Foods is considering selling its 90-store US Foods CHEF'STORE business to refocus on its core Broadline distribution. With limited synergies and a small contribution to overall growth, management believes CHEF’STORE would thrive under more focused ownership. Stay tuned for updates! #USFoods #BusinessNews #StrategicDecisions #RetailNews #DistributionNews #RetailStat

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗹’𝘀 𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿🚀 In the late 1800s, Campbell’s was a minor player struggling to compete in a market dominated by Heinz. Soup was sold in large, heavy cans, making it expensive and inconvenient for the average consumer. Despite their attempts to break into the market, American consumers were largely unfamiliar with soup as a meal option, and Campbell’s products failed to resonate. The outlook was bleak, and Campbell’s needed a breakthrough to stay afloat. The solution came through innovation when John T. Dorrance, a chemist with a vision, developed a method for condensing soup, removing water, thereby cutting costs and making the cans lighter and more affordable for consumers. This innovation gave Campbell’s a competitive advantage over Heinz and allowed the brand to educate the market on how to make soup a household staple. Paired with clever branding, including the now-iconic red and white label and a gold medal from the 1900 Paris Exhibition, Campbell’s was able to turn the tides. By simplifying its product line and focusing on condensed soup, Campbell’s transformed from a struggling company into a dominant player in the industry. This proves that smart innovation and brand strategy can overcome even the toughest competition. 💡𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗖 𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Campbell's early struggles came from its inability to compete with Heinz's more oversized products. However, Dorrance's condensed soup was a game-changer, cutting costs, improving portability, and aligning with consumer preferences for convenience. 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 The consistent use of the red and white can design, as well as the Paris Exhibition gold medal, gave Campbell's a timeless and recognizable brand image. Due to its visual consistency and quality, consumers trusted the brand. 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗟𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹𝘁𝘆 Heinz’s attempt to reverse-engineer condensed soup never matched Campbell’s success, as Campbell had already established itself in the market. Consumers preferred a trusted brand that offered variety and adapted to their evolving tastes. #innovation #leadership #food #LeadershipLessons #BusinessStrategy #Campbells #SoupIndustry #BrandingSuccess

VBL most selling product is not Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Seven-Up or Miranda, but it is STING! 🤯💰 Yes, you heard it right – STING is supreme as the highest-selling beverage brand in the country, It is the highest selling Beverage Brand in the country much above Pepsi and Moutain Dew in a very short time span In the Visi Coolers, PepsiCo or Mountain Dew seems to be winning, since they are heavily advertised and associated with some Sports and have partnershiped with QSR Brands. STING commands a higher selling price than our cola, but in the Energy Drink Segment it's just a fraction 1/5 cost of Red Bull, Monster in the Energy Drink Segment. So, what's the secret sauce? STING combines the best of both worlds – Energy Drink with a premium brand at an affordable price. When you grab that STING, you're not just sipping on a beverage; you're diving into a nationwide favorite that packs a punch without breaking the bank. This Drink has done Extremly well for the company by becoming a key growth driver! #strategy #venturecapital #fastmovingconsumergoods #varunbeverage #business

Check out this week's Consumer Report where we cover news surrounding Dollar Tree Stores and Krispy Kreme! Dollar Tree plans to sell its struggling Family Dollar brand, fast-food chains are considering limited-time value meals to boost short-term sales, and Krispy Kreme is adding four new doughnut dot flavors to compete with rivals like Dunkin' ahead of its McDonald's’s partnership. Also, comment your email address to be a part of our mailing list! Analysts: Sheil Patel

"You may fuel your car once a week, but you fuel your body three times a day." In this short video the one and only Frank Gleeson sums up how convenience and foodservice is merging and the key building blocks for success, giving the consumer what they want, in different day parts, on different meal occasions. ✅ It all starts with a great customer offer - what do they want to buy at different times of the day? ✅ Operational efficiency - can you keep your shelves stocked, can you do a really good job on the standards of operation? ✅ Third thing, most importantly, is it financially profitable for the retailer? As we search the globe for "The Best Foodvenience Store in the World" together with Invenco by GVR, we see well trained teams, highly engaged management in a completely dynamic industry. Supported by our sponsors The Moseley Group and, newly announced, The Coca-Cola Company we are going to seek out and showcase the very best in our industry worldwide and move the dial for what is clearly an on-going transformation. Let the competition begin! #foodservice #bestfoodveniencestore🌎 Elaine P. Kanak Alan English Ganesh Kalpundi Harry Milloff Oliver Delaney Global Convenience Store Focus Insight Research More details to enter: https://lnkd.in/eZYSBY6b

to get into retail, carrots and brands have one rule: don't be a dick 🍆 After cleaning 500kg of rejected supermarket carrots we can confirm that the standards of supermarkets are too high. Many of you would buy this carrot for comedic (and culinary I hope) purposes. But because of its shape, it never makes it to the shelves. Even worse, only 4-6% of carrots were broken or misshaped. ±95% were perfectly straight but had to be thrown away because of the fail margin. So next time your store has only straight carrots: know that they (probably) uphold an unsustainable beauty standard. accept all 🥕, even those that look like a board member of shady companies 🍆

Shift in the Alcohol Beverage Sector: Why Big Box Stores Are Falling Behind In the ever-evolving alcohol beverage market, big box grocery stores are seeing a downturn, and here’s why: their strategy focuses heavily on “set” alignments and prioritizing “top” selling SKUs across regions. This broad approach is missing the mark! Meanwhile, smaller independent retailers are thriving. Their secret? A direct focus on customer preferences and a sharp eye for industry trends, spotting shifts long before they hit the mainstream. These nimble players are not just selling products; they’re curating experiences tailored to real-time consumer desires, setting them leagues apart from the giants. Big chains could take a leaf out of this book. The key to winning in this sector isn’t just about stocking bestsellers but adapting swiftly and effectively to what customers truly want. #RetailTrends #BeverageIndustry #CustomerFocus #MarketShifts Imperial Beverage Sazerac Company Iron Fish Distillery Great Lakes Wine & Spirits RNDC Michigan Scott Newman-Bale Shane Nicholson Short's Brewing Company

🚨FOOD INDUSTRY NEWS🚨 Kraft Heinz is looking to sell OSCAR MAYER FOODS, the big maker of hot dogs, cold cuts and bacon. Kraft Heinz has tapped Bank of America and Centerview Partners to gauge interest in the business, which could fetch something in the neighborhood of $3 billion to $5 billion. It is possible there won’t be any transaction. 🥓 #earnings #sales #manda #foodindustry #newsletter