Grace Marrese

In April 2024, average weekly #grocery spending rose to $129, with a 10% increase from last year and 17% from 2022, per Purdue University's Consumer Food Insights report. The top factors for choosing stores were #price, #food selection, and fresh produce availability. Rural consumers prioritized price (44%) more than urban consumers (31%), while urban shoppers focused more on food selection (20% vs. 12% rural). Food #inflation stabilized at 6.3%, hinting at stability. Household food insecurity decreased to 11%.

4

SKU's mentor community has deep experience building brands and disrupting categories, whether that be Matthew OHayer, who upended the egg industry with Vital Farms, or Jeff Richards, who launched Mooala, which has created new innovations within the plant-based milk segment. SKU Fall '24 mentor Jill Talcott  is a passionate food and beverage lover and creator with a vibrant entrepreneurial spirit. During her time as a leader in innovation, commercialization and development at Starbucks for over 16 years, working on CPG and food-service projects for the U.S. and International markets. She developed and launched coconut milk to over 15K stores, pioneered the development of alternative milks to replace traditional dairy bases and delivered a breakthrough beverage innovation through a new chocolate strategy. During her time as a leader in innovation and development at Starbucks, Jill is most proud of her work in taking the cold coffee experience to new levels through innovative thought leadership, passion, teamwork, and a devotion to finding solutions. She was the winner of Starbucks' “Trail Blazer” and “Courage” awards for Innovation (championing and driving big ideas to life). As a Food Tech Evangelist at Amazon, Jill developed and trained the team on the product development process and established trained panel to guide rapid product and packaging decision making .   In 2021 she started UpCup Creations, a beverage development consulting firm. She has helped small brands bring numerous products to market from coffee beverages to cocktails in can, and many things in between. Her specialties are beverage innovation, product development, including ingredient sourcing and Commercialization. If you would like to work with passionate founders and rocks stars like Jill, we have a small number of mentor spots left for talented CPG leaders. If you would like to learn more, fill out our Mentor Interest Form and we will schedule an interview. https://lnkd.in/grvpPD8e Michelle Breyer Buff Greebe Maddie S. Brooke Wilson #mentors #mentoring #mentorshipmatters #accelerator #cpgaccelerator #startups #cpgstartups #founders #cpgfounders #entrepreneurship #cpg #cpgs #consumerpackagedgoods #consumerproducts #foodandbeverage #innovation #commercialization #productcreation #productlaunch #coffee #coldbrew #coldcoffee #coffeeinnovation #productinnovation

18

3 Comments

If you're heading to SuperZoo Aug. 14-16 in Las Vegas, you won't want to miss the panel at 10:30 a.m. CT on Aug. 16 on opportunities for Petcare Startups. SKU Executive Director Buff Greebe will be a part of the superstar panel of the leaders of the nation's top industry accelerators. Other members of the panel include: - Moderator: SKU alum Jamie Smith, co-founder of Innovative Pet Lab - Dustin McAdams, EIR Purina PetCare Innovation Prize - Anne Gunden, Program Manager, Animal Health Plug and Play - Rachel Sheppard, Director Ventures at Mars Petcare Pet industry professionals from around the world will attend the 2024 SuperZoo, North America’s leading pet retail trade show. More than 16K attendees are expected to attend this year's show, including more than 1.3K buyers and 1.1K exhibitors. Several SKU alums will be exhibiting, including Springer Pets (1488), 🐶 A Pup Above (3469) and Innovative Pet Lab (7177). If you would like to connect with Buff Greebe at the show, email him at buff@sku.is to schedule a time. Michelle Breyer Buff Greebe Brooke Wilson Maddie S. 🐶 Ruth Stedman Marriott Javier A. Marriott Shannon Ross James (Jay) DeLong #petcare #petstartups #accelerator #petaccelerator #petproducts #emergingbrands #dogfood #catfood #dogaccessorites #petcare #petcareindustry #petcareinnovation #petaccelerators #mentors #mentorshipmatters #petstartups #petfounders #entrepreneurship #founders #emergingbrands #petemergingbrands

5

Lief's Director of Planning and Procurement, Jeohvan Montoya, wrote an article for Nutrition Industry Executive/VRM Media that dives into the landscape of today's nutrition industry supply chain management. Jeohvan provides insight on the current supply chain outlook and also outlines strategic approaches to meet supply and demand objectives. One of the strategies that Jeohvan recommends, and is actively employing at Lief, is a customer-focused approach that includes in-depth discussions with customers about their needs, evaluating their forecasting data, and discussing parameters that align with both parties. To learn more, read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gWJi4iW3

61

3 Comments

Is Hormel Foods prepared to tackle the challenges of inflation, supply chain disruptions, and shifting consumer preferences? Jim Snee, CEO of Hormel Foods, offers insights on the company's strategies to navigate these issues. Learn how they are adapting, building partnerships, embracing sustainability, and leveraging technology in this volatile landscape. #FoodIndustry #SupplyChain #ConsumerPreferences

1

Ready to beef up your nutrition knowledge? 🥩 Discover the top 8 health benefits of beef shank, its nutrition facts, and calorie count. Spoiler alert: it's more than just a tasty cut of meat. Get the lowdown on this protein-packed powerhouse here: https://lnkd.in/g62nr4vr #BeefShank #NutritionFacts #HealthyEating Don't just chew the fat, get the facts! Dive in now.

3

In this episode of The Natural List, co-hosts Jessica Rubino and Adrienne Smith are joined by nutrition experts Jessie Shafer, RD and Debra Eschmeyer. According to Eschmeyer, two out of three children on average drink a sugary beverage every day. Moreover, children consume approximately fifty-three pounds of added #sugar per year. To combat this acclimation to extremely sweet products, many #CPG brands are starting to reduce added sugar and natural sweeteners in children’s products and increasing nutrients like fiber and protein. Bottom line: when it comes to sweetness, less is more. Listen here: https://utm.io/ugPXr #naturalproducts #brands #lowsugar #childrensnutrition

6

In this episode of The Beef Podcast Show, Dr. Alejandro Relling, an associate professor at The Ohio State University, shares his journey in the beef industry and his cutting-edge research. Dr. Relling discusses the impact of maternal nutrition on offspring development, the role of polyunsaturated fatty acids during gestation, and the complexities of feed intake and feedlot management. Tune in on all major platforms to gain valuable knowledge for your beef operation. Listen now: https://lnkd.in/dwZBgAa4 Powered by the commitment of cutting-edge companies like: Healthy Farms by Bioverse | Virbac | dsm-firmenich Animal Nutrition & Health |

36

Latest report from the Organic Trade Association places sales of organic foods in 2023 at $63.8 billion! It's a new high. And produce is still at the top spot in organic sales category. Learn more about the top sellers: https://lnkd.in/eWCiDHjs #organic #organicfood #sales #economics #industrytrends #newrecord

10

Check out some key takeaways from our Plant Based Foods Association State of the Marketplace Report 🌱📑📊 🧑🏼‍🎤Gen Z doesn’t = plant-based shopper Over-65s actually accounted for the largest share (23.5%), followed by the 18-34 age group (19.5%) 62% of US households are buying #plantbasedfoods, and 81% are repeating these purchases 🥗Health over everything 80% of US grocer shoppers consider themselves health-conscious, and 65% eat plant-based products because they’re healthy. 51% of Kroger shoppers buy #vegan products because of that, with 38% doing so to reduce animal consumption for #health reasons 📉Only 4 categories declined in sales Despite the industry’s alleged downfall, only 4 product categories saw sales dip - meat and seafood (-6.6%), ready meals (-7.9%), ice cream (-7.4%), and cheese (-5.4%). The overall sector held steady (from $8.2B in 2022 to $8.1B in 2023) 🥛Milk remains the plant-based leader Plant-based #milk made up a 1/3+ (36%) of all sales last year, with a 4.2% annual growth since 2021. In 2023, dollar sales grew by 0.7%, but unit sales dropped by 7.5%. The category represents the highest dollar share in the overall market (15%) across the sector. This is even higher (41%) in the natural channel. Despite a 3.6% decline, almond milk is the leader, making up 55% ($1.6B) of total sales. Oat held at #2 with a 7.6% increase and coconut milk saw the largest increase (24.8%). In foodservice, operators increased their purchases of #plantbasedmilk by 18.3% in volume, representing a 20.9% higher spend ☕️Creamer, please! #nondairy creamers are expanding rapidly, with an annual sales increase of 16.2% - the highest in the industry - from 2021 to 2023 = $701M. In 2023, dollar sales were up by 10.4%, and units increased by 3.7%. 15% of US households bought plant-based creamers last year, and 65%+ repeated their purchase. Among the 73% of Americans who drink coffee daily, most add creamers, with preference for oat milk creamers climbing by 90% and almond by 71% since 2022 💻E-commerce is booming E-commerce #plantbased sales reached $394M in 2023, with an annual growth rate of 16.4% over 3 years. They also occupy a larger share of online sales (6.8%) than brick-and-mortar retail (3.8%) 🍽️Restaurants are down on plant-based, other operators are not Dollar sales of #plantproteins in foodservice dipped by 1% last year, with restaurants representing the biggest decline. But this was offset by other industry operators – workplace cafeterias bought 25% more plant proteins and spent 13% more on them. Dollar and pound sales of plant-based #food also increased in education, healthcare and government institutions 🏥Business and industry operators invested the most in plant-based foods in 2023 The business, industry, government, healthcare, casino and lodging sectors all invested the most in plant-based foods, especially tofu, reflecting growing focus on #wholefoods #futureoffood #ecofriendly #sustainability #foodindustry #consumergoods

27

4 Comments

Tyson Foods (NYSE:TSN) Misses Q1 Revenue Estimates - Empowering Investors to Take Action! 📈💪 Summary: Tyson Foods, a leading global food company, recently reported its Q1 revenue which fell short of market expectations. This unexpected development presents an opportunity for HSA investors to take action and potentially benefit from the situation. By leveraging your HSA account and investing strategically, you can position yourself for growth and maximize your healthcare savings. Subheadings: 1. Understanding the Q1 Revenue Miss 2. The Potential Opportunity for HSA Investors 3. Growing Your Health Savings Account Through Wise Investments 4. Investing in Healthcare - A Smart Move for Long-Term Benefits 5. Don't Let FOMO Hold You Back - Act Now! In this highly competitive market, it's important to stay ahead of the game when it comes to growing your HSA funds. While Tyson Foods may have faced a setback in Q1, as an investor, you have the power to turn this situation into a positive outcome by making wise investment choices. By diversifying your HSA investments and focusing on healthcare and wellness sectors, you can not only support your personal health and that of your family but also potentially generate attractive returns. Investing in companies like Tyson Foods, despite the temporary Q1 revenue miss, can offer long-term growth potential. Don't let the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) prevent you from taking action. Seize this opportunity to invest strategically, leveraging your HSA funds to not only enhance your financial well-being but also contribute to your overall health and wellness goals. Act now, take advantage of the moment, and grow your HSA account with confidence! 💰👊 #hsa #investing #healthcare #health #family #wellness

2

As a proud partner of the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation we're excited to share three grant opportunities to help advance your work. Applications are due June 30, 2024, and focus on nutrition education, nutritious food access and healthy lifestyles in the communities where Sprouts operates stores. Read more about the grants below and visit their website to learn more:   SPROUTING SCHOOL GARDENS GRANT – Due June 30 Bring hands-on learning and nutrition education to students by building or refreshing a school garden on campus. Schools and School Garden Support Organizations are eligible to apply. Grants range in size from $5,000 to $10,000 and may be used to support program operations, program supplies, learning tools, and educator stipends.   GROWING HEALTHY KIDS GRANT – Due June 30 Help kids grow healthy with programs at home or in the community that support nutrition, health and wellness. Nonprofits in the communities that Sprouts serves are eligible to apply for this grant.   WELLNESS ACROSS THE LIFESPAN GRANT – Due June 30 Wellness Across the Lifespan Grants support programs that help young adults and vulnerable populations achieve and maintain healthy lifestyle behaviors and nutritious eating. Nonprofits in the communities that Sprouts serves are eligible to apply.   Organizations are eligible to receive funding from one grant type, apply for the grant that is the best fit for your program.

18

Check out this great summary of what we served up at Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) FIRST this week in Prepared Foods Magazine. #SugarReduction #FunctionalBeverage #Food #Beverage #TasteBlazers #IFT2024 #Health #Wellness #ProductDevelopment

24

As the next "it" vegan, plant-based, regeneratively farmed milk, milkadamia is one of those #mustwatch CPG brands doing a lot of things right...and that also includes how they manage trade and deductions. But that wasn't always the case. Ipek Erdogan-Trinkaus and the team at Milkadamia hadn’t been actively managing chargebacks and deductions, some of which seemed to not match up with their promotional calendars. Like many brands, they didn't have a process and looked at these as a cost of doing business. And because they couldn't accurately track their spend, they couldn't even begin to understand promotion effectiveness. Then, they found Promomash. Here are just some of the insights they can now access in just a few clicks: 1. Promotion effectiveness and sales lift, with actual sales data from Crisp flowing in to Promomash daily 2. Deduction and chargeback detail at distributor and retail level, matched up to contracts/promos 3. Profitability as a whole and in detail with P&L reporting by promotion and by customer With all of their trade data and insights consolidated into one source of truth, the Milkadamia team has everything they need to actively manage their CPG (cash flow, profitability and growth) - and their business is now looking just as healthy as their delicious products. 🥛🌱 Watch the full story: https://hubs.li/Q02JtcJk0 #Milkadamia #TradePromotionManagement #TPM #Chargebacks #DeductionManagement #Retail #CPG

10

U.S. Soy partners with DTN's very own Head of Sustainability in Agriculture & Energy Jess Bollinger to provide an informational SNAC Bites session on driving sustainable snacking solutions from the roots of the snack industry's supply chain. Bollinger touches on sustainable farming practices and how that translates into sustainable ingredient solutions, along with how producers can build stable supply chains that prioritize ESG and support U.S. farmers without sacrificing formulation quality. #SustainableFarming #SupplyChains #SNX24

21

As nutrition and food quality continue to trend upwards in importance for consumers, restaurants may want to take a look at offering salads if they currently don't. According to Datassential's 2024 Healthy Food Trends report, "64% of consumers say they want them on the menu, even if they sometimes select more indulgent options." With the recent sales gains for brands like sweetgreen, Just Salad and CAVA it may be time to reexamine menu offerings to offer salads or other healthy options. https://lnkd.in/gjFfwaqD #restauranttrends #restaurantconsulting #hospitalityconsulting #salads #freshfood Nation's Restaurant News

1