In this episode: The CPG Week team dives into the sudden closure of Foxtrot and Dom’s Kitchen & Market stores. The group digs into this developing story, discussing possible factors of why Outfox Hospitality failed and ceased operations so quickly. The Nosh and BevNET editorial team unpacks what they know so far, what this means for the brands that sprung out of Foxtrot and Dom’s into wider distribution and hypothesizes on how this will be felt throughout the CPG world. Later, reporter Adrianne DeLuca explains a new development in the Kroger-Albertsons merger plan and how all this grocery ..read more

In this episode: In this episode, the CPG Week team starts with an update from Momofuku’s chili crunch trademark dispute. The conversation focuses on what has transpired, the implications for Chang’s appeal to consumers and how this is representative of what it takes for a CPG brand to hold a trademark. The group moves on to talk about why canned water is positioned as a beer alternative for live events and how the Liquid Death-effect is bringing new brands to the category. Later, BevNET Editor-in-Chief Jeff Klineman talks about his recent story covering new CPG private equity firm Forward Con ..read more

In this episode: The BevNET and Nosh team discusses three food news stories that have carried industry headlines in the past week. Senior reporter Lukas Southard explains why David Chang-founded Momofuku is getting blowback from other Asian-American brands over a trademark dispute involving chili crunch products. Next, senior reporter Brad Avery discusses an exposé that highlights the questionable innovation stream of Trader Joe’s private label program. Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous finishes the weekly roundup with a conversation around a recent investigative story from The Washington Po ..read more

In this episode: The Nosh and BevNET team bring on spirits editor Ferron Salniker to dive into why the adult non-alcoholic beverage category might be facing struggles as news broke that Boisson, one of the largest independent retailers of NA beverages, is closing its brick-and-mortar stores. The team talks about what this says about the category as a whole and what might come next as non-alc brands move into larger retail distribution. Later, Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous and senior reporters Lukas Southard and Brad Avery discuss provocative branding in energy drinks and how finding a la ..read more

In this episode: With April Fool’s Day fast approaching, Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous tests senior reporters Brad Avery and Lukas Southard to see if they can tell the difference between real CPG items and prank products that have shown up in marketing campaigns over the years. After the Prank Product Pop Quiz, the team discusses how allulose is being talked about as “nature’s GLP-1” and the gray area around that assertion, leading to a bigger conversation on the state of sweeteners highlighted by a New York Times exposé about sugar cane harvesters in rural India.  Show Highlights ..read more

On this week’s show, NOSH editor Carol Ortenberg sits down with the Eat The Change team to discuss how the company has evolved its identity by rethinking its product lines. Seth Goldman, co-founder and CEO, and Sarah Shah, Head of Marketing talk through how the company evaluated its product mix, ultimately making a measured decision to discontinue one slow turner and revamp and reposition another.  Show Highlights: 01:56: Mushrooms were… so last year? Seth and Sarah shared how declining consumer interest in fungi, and the polarizing popularity of mushrooms, coupled with a product position ..read more

This week on the NOSH Podcast, editor Carol Ortenberg and reporters Adrianne DeLuca and Brad Avery debrief from their trip to the final Natural Products Expo East including some approaches brands have taken to combat the rising costs of retail and Expo’s new replacement. Then, Brad sat down with Ronak Shah, the co-founder and CEO of flavored collagen brand Obvi, to discuss how his brand built a D2C-first model on the foundation of a very specific consumer demographic. In this episode: 1:33: The team dives into New Hope’s announcement about Expo’s final act and what we’ll all be looking to see ..read more

On this week’s show, NOSH editor Carol Ortenberg, reporters Adrianne DeLuca and Lukas Southard, as well as editor-in-chief Jeff Klineman dive into all of the deal news this past week including J.M. Smucker’s acquisition of Hostess and Kroger/Albertsons’ initial store divestment plan. Then, the team also discusses news surrounding Pacqui’s One Chip Challenge.  Show Highlights: 01:02: What does Smucker want with Twinkies? Despite two bankruptcies in the past decade, Hostess brands has notched an impressive turnaround and the jelly maker believes the business will help its bottom line.  ..read more

On this week’s show, NOSH editor Carol Ortenberg, reporter Adrianne DeLuca and editor-in-chief Jeff Klineman waffle between the various ways gluten-free brands are cooking up new breakfast lines. They also discuss the impending auction of Cali’flour Foods and news that Perfect Day’s CPG arm has found a new home. Later, Carol sits down with Mia Medina, founder and CEO of Gather Brands, to discuss the current retail environment as well as opportunities and issues brands face as they scale distribution. Show Highlights: 01:54: Will it waffle? According to gluten-free frozen breakfast makers that ..read more

This week on the NOSH Podcast, NOSH editor-in-chief Jeff Klineman, editor Carol Ortenberg and reporters Adrianne DeLuca and Lukas Southard discuss the recent acquisition of Sovos Brands by Campbells. Sunrise Strategic Partners’ Peter Burns and Coefficient Capital’s Franklin Isacson join Carol in the interview to talk about the current climate for investment in CPG food, their recent induction to the NOSH Notables list and explain why the investor-brand relationship should be treated like a marriage.   In this episode: 1:00 - Campbell’s buying up Sovos marks a major shift in the world of B ..read more