All Posts in Retailing Tips

In: Retailing Tips|Last Updated:

In today’s rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, CVS Health is at the forefront of innovation, bridging the gap between traditional healthcare and modern consumer needs. With over 7,500 stores nationwide, the retailer has become a pivotal player in not just retail but in how millions of Americans manage their health and wellness. As the healthcare industry continues to integrate more deeply with retail, understanding the strategies and vision that drive this integration is crucial for both emerging brands and established companies looking to make an impact.

In this fireside chat, ECRM & RangeMe SVP of Retail Wayne Bennett speaks with Zachary Dennett, CVS Health’s recently-appointed VP of Merchandising for Consumer Health Care, who shares valuable advice for emerging brands looking to break into the retail space. He takes a deep dive into how CVS’s omnichannel approach, operational excellence, and commitment to innovation are driving its success, and how emerging brands play a key role in serving CVS customers.

Watch the full video interview here!

RangeMe: Could you tell us a bit about yourself, what you do at CVS now in your new role, and maybe a little bit about your background?

Dennett: Sure. I’m at CVS Health in a role where …

Read More

In: Retailing Tips|Last Updated:
Sweet Success: How Patience, Persistence & RangeMe Premium is a Winning Combo for Sugar Bliss

When it comes to RangeMe, the more effort you put into the platform, the more you get out of it, and Teresa Ging, Founder of Chicago-based Sugar Bliss, is a perfect example of this. Since signing on as a Premium subscriber in 2022 to showcase the brand’s gourmet cookies, she’s submitted products to 15 limited time retail campaigns, and has made more than 50 direct submissions to retailers.

The results of her efforts speak for themselves; Sugar Bliss has already onboarded with Compass for distribution at 500 foodservice operations nationwide, and her products are now at every KeHE distribution center around the country (she was one of the Golden Ticket winners from KeHE’s TRENDfinder initiative last year). 

In addition, she’s had more than a dozen recent face to face meetings – many via ECRM Connect – with national and large regional retail chains from introductions that began with one of these RangeMe submissions.

And Ging continues to submit products every opportunity she gets, because she knows that when it comes to getting onto retail shelves, the process is a marathon, not a sprint, and consistency over the long term wins.

From Wall Street to Main Street

While Sugar Bliss may …

Read More

In: Retailing Tips|Last Updated:
RangeMe Streamlines Insurance for Brands with Coverdash Integration

Finding the right insurance has typically been a cumbersome, time-consuming process. Not anymore! RangeMe subscribers can now quickly and easily find the right insurance for their business – and get quotes within minutes – without having to leave the platform, thanks to an integration with New York-based digital business insurance agency Coverdash. 

“In the highly competitive CPG industry, it’s crucial to take steps to protect your business’s future,” said Ralph Betesh, Co-Founder & CEO of Coverdash. “Brands face numerous risks that can significantly impact their financial stability such as product recalls and cyber threats. Business insurance is an essential tool for mitigating these risks and ensuring the continued success of your business.”

Coverdash is a fully digital business insurance agency, licensed across all 50 states, that specializes in serving the insurance needs of businesses of all shapes and sizes. With this convenient integration and quick application process, RangeMe subscribers can instantly compare new or existing coverage, and will save on average up to 30% on insurance premiums, according to Coverdash.

“We continually seek ways of enhancing the user experience for our subscribers,” said Vir Satyan, SVP of Customer Success at RangeMe. “Insurance is critical for long term supplier success, and …

Read More

In: Retailing Tips|Last Updated:
Chlorophyll Water’s Plant-Powered Super-Beverage Finds Retail Success with RangeMe

Today’s wellness-oriented consumer is very conscious about the ingredients they put into and onto their bodies. They are just as conscious about the health of the environment. Because of this, they seek products with clean labels and sustainable practices, and if these products provide additional health benefits, all the better.

Matt Levine, a health aficionado who has operated plant-based, health-conscious restaurants in New York City for two decades, founded Chlorophyll Water with just this in mind after discovering the energizing benefits of liquid chlorophyll. His beverage product features purified mountain spring water infused with chlorophyll and fortified with vitamins A, B12, C, and D. 

On top of this, Chlorophyll Water is the first bottled water in the United States to pass the Clean Label Project certification and is packaged in 100% recycled plastic bottles with CleanFlake label technology. Available at major retailers like Alo Yoga, Whole Foods, and Sprouts, and online at ChlorophyllWater.com and Amazon.com, the brand has achieved significant success through his RangeMe Premium subscription, which he attributes to securing distribution with key retailers and enhancing his brand visibility with buyers.

In the following Q&A, Levine discusses the origin of his brand and products, his path to growth, and …

Read More

In: Retailing Tips|Last Updated:
Product Launch Basics & The ‘POM Principle’

Inventing something is just the beginning. Getting your product to market, building operational systems, and finding customers who will consistently buy your product is what needs to happen next. Over the past 30 years, I’ve worked with thousands of products and inventors. Many of them get stuck in that first phase. Some remain inventors by choice, creating widget after widget and successfully selling them to companies that do the rest. A very small percentage either do the rest themselves or hire the right people to build out a spark of an idea into something that is needed by a customer—and eventually loved by a customer.

After launching products ranging from grocery store ice cream product extensions for Mrs. Fields Cookies to the first blue-labeled bubbly for champagne Mumm and setting up Think Thin nutrition bars to sell to Glanbia Nutrition Group for a whopping $ 217 million, I’ve seen a lot.

Most of all, I’ve worked with many one-person companies – inventors who created bras that eliminate visible bra lines, basketball shoes that prevent ankle sprains, and wrinkle-releasing beauty serums that were born in kitchen sinks. Through it all, it’s easy for me to identify the qualities and reasons products …

Read More

In: Retailing Tips|Last Updated:
Food Scientist-Turned-Entrepreneur Sees Retail Wins With ‘Magic Beans’

8 Track Foods hits many of the hot buttons that excite retail buyers. It’s a woman-owned brand. Its products are locally-grown, organic, and have a minimal impact on the environment – in fact, they make the environment better (we’ll get to that shortly). Plus, with all of the buzz about the importance of our microbiomes for health, you will find few foods that are better for the gut.

The Chicago-based brand sells beans that are grown on U.S. farms and packaged in recyclable steel cans. Call them “magic beans,” if you will, because buyers from retailers like Whole Foods Market, Meijer, Food Lion and independent grocers have been eagerly scooping them up after connecting with Founder Maggie Sadowsky via RangeMe and ECRM, and can now be found in more than 2,000 stores nationwide (watch my full video interview with Maggie below!). 

From food scientist to entrepreneur

For someone marketing simple, single-ingredient products, you’d be surprised to learn that Maggie’s background is in food science. Her career began with product development at Morningstar Farms, creating products like plant-based chicken nuggets and Buffalo Chicken wings. This experience fueled her passion for natural and plant-based foods, leading her to develop hundreds of products …

Read More