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Each day, I hear food founders ask things like, “If we’re headed into a recession, how can I possibly make it work with my CPG brand?” or, “Is anyone having success raising money right now?” or “My products are already expensive – how am I going to navigate price increases on top of this?” Sound familiar? 

I’ve got good news and bad news: the good news is that we’re seeing some CPG founders inside of Retail Ready® have higher sales than ever before, secure funding this quarter (one of our students, Diaspora Spice Co., just raised $ 2.1M in Q3!), and continue to land regional and national placements in natural, conventional, and foodservice channels. You can do this too, despite what you’ve heard about slow sales, shifts in consumer spending, and challenges on the retail shelf.

The bad news: YOU have to take full responsibility for your success – for landing those wholesale accounts and increasing your velocity in your new and existing accounts. It’s not your broker’s, your distributor’s, or the retailer’s responsibility to drive sales for your brand. It’s on you – and this article will help you shift your thinking and increase your velocity regardless of the …

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It’s Hispanic Heritage Month! September 15 to October 15 is a time to honor the history and contributions of Hispanic cultures to American business. While this is a great time to celebrate the significance, we recommend supporting Latino-owned brands all year long—just as we do with LGBTQ-, POC-, and AAPI-owned businesses.

Observation of Hispanic heritage started as a week-long celebration in 1968 under President Lyndon B. Johnson and was later extended to a month-long celebration by President Ronald Reagan in 1988. September 15 is the independence anniversary for Latin American countries El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras. The independence days of Mexico and Chile fall on September 16 and 18, while Dia de la Raza or Columbus Day also falls within this heritage month, on October 12. 

Hispanic Americans have been an integral part of the U.S., economically and culturally. Their impact and contributions are immeasurable, and they embody the best of American values. Below are three Hispanic-owned businesses to support this month and beyond.

Cerveza Zólupez Beer Company

Zólupez Beer Co. Zólupez Beer Co.Javier Chávez, Jr., JD/MBA , Founder and President Zólupez Beer Co.

Founded in 2017, Cerveza Zólupez Beer Company is a Latino-owned U.S. craft brewery specializing in Mexican-Style artisanal beer.  Founder Javier Chávez, …

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E-Commerce Best Practices for Emerging Brands

Many emerging brands ask, which is better, getting my product in-store or selling online? With only so many available resources, determining where, when, and how to dedicate your time and dollars is crucial to increasing your chances of landing a deal with your dream retailer. 

Earlier this month, industry experts from Walgreens, Allume Group, Market Performance Group, and Omnicom Commerce Group addressed the above question during our What’s Next for E-Commerce? Why Brands and Retailers Need to Rethink Their Strategy panel discussion. They gave us the inside scoop on today’s e-commerce landscape and identified future business opportunities for emerging brands.

Creating an e-commerce strategy is essential for brands and retailers looking to increase sales and thrive in the digital or physical space. Here are a few takeaways from the panel discussion:

Product discovery goes digital

Andrea K. Leigh, Founder & CEO of Allume Group

Most product discovery happens digitally regardless of whether your product is sold in-store or online. Whether it’s on the retailer’s website or social media, “nearly 80-90% of shopping journeys begin online,” says Andrea K. Leigh, Founder & CEO of Allume Group. Having a strong digital presence at the beginning of the shoppers’ journey is super important since this is when consumers discover and educate themselves …

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It’s time to recession-proof your brand. Recent economic reports highlight market issues like higher inflation, interest rate hikes, lower consumption, layoffs, and reduced hiring. Together, these trends point toward an economic slowdown and potential recession.1 Kelly, Jack. What You Need To Know About Layoffs, Hiring Freezes, Inflation And A Possible Recession. Forbes. June 23, 2022. ,2 Bhattarai, Abha. U.S. economy shrinks again in second quarter, reviving recession fears. The Washington Post. July 28, 2022.

However, there’s no need for consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands to panic. Economic downturns are a natural phase of the business cycle. Many factors remain within a brand’s control, including marketing efforts. That’s why we’re sharing the following marketing best practices to help you grow your top line, even in a recession.

Pause to plan

Recessions can create lucrative new business opportunities because market conditions change.3 6 Ways to Increase Sales in a Recession or Economic Downturn. Sociallybuzz. 2022. To adapt to market uncertainty, re-examine your marketing strategy to stay focused, clarify your priorities, and optimize your resources.4 Price, Seth. Five Marketing Strategies For Coming Out Of The Recession Stronger. Forbes. January 13, 2021.

Since consumer habits have shifted due to the …

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Giant Eagle Uses ECRM and RangeMe to Discover New Products

It’s no surprise that one of the most discussed topics among retail buyers is the challenges they face when it comes to keeping items in stock. The supply chain issues vendors have been facing due to transportation setbacks, labor shortages of their suppliers, and scarcity of ingredients or packaging components – ripple effects of which are directly or indirectly due to the pandemic – have impacted nearly every category.

While buyers typically participate in ECRM Programs and use RangeMe to discover new product innovations, many have come to see both ECRM and RangeMe as their go-to sources to prevent holes in their assortments due to these vendor supply chain issues. Gayle Young, Category Manager – OTC for Giant Eagle, is a case-in-point (see full video interview here). Giant Eagle operates more than 200 stores in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, West Virginia, and Indiana, and Young discovered she was running low on inventory of poison ivy salve.

“Our vendor just couldn’t get a hold of a regular supply, so it forced us to look for an additional source,” says Young. “So that was of particular interest when I participated in ECRM’s Health Care Program. My category is where shoppers head when they …

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If you recently launched a new business, you’re not alone. New business creation rose in 2020 and 2021 due to pandemic layoffs, the online commerce boom, and the shift to working from home. Since June 2020, the average number of monthly business applications has been 92% higher than between July 2004 and February 2020. 1 Strangler, Dane. New Business Creation In 2022: Continued Surge—Or Another Slump? Forbes. December 29, 2021.

Despite this enthusiasm for entrepreneurship, the reality is not all businesses survive the steep learning curve associated with being your own boss. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 20% of new businesses fail during the first two years of operation and about 50% don’t survive past the fifth year. 

We don’t want this to happen to you.

That’s why we’re sharing business lessons of what never to do, according to leading consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies as well as start-ups. We want you to avoid costly pitfalls that erode productivity and profitability as you build, grow, or stabilize your brand. 

Even big brands bomb (and that’s okay)

Companies of all sizes make mistakes, which can serve as lessons for us to apply to our own ventures. Here are …

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