Nikki Rappaport

The House of Commons committee is urging the federal government to address "excessive net profits." The grocery industry, especially the major players, is under intense scrutiny in the media, and consumer trust in these giants is likely at an all-time low. It's undeniable that the industry operates under oligopolistic conditions, which are often blamed for high prices (we’re looking at you, Canadian telecommunications! 👀). However, it’s important to understand how the industry operates and why "record profits" don’t necessarily indicate wrongdoing. The industry uses Gross Margin pricing models. For example, if you buy a product at $1.00 and sell it at a 40% gross margin, the selling price becomes $1.69. This means you make 69 cents of gross profit on each unit sold. From this gross profit, you still have to cover expenses like wages, leases, utilities, marketing, etc. Selling 100 units at this price yields $169 in revenue and $69 in gross profit. The Covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on supply chains, causing costs to skyrocket. Grocery demand surged, and prices for inputs increased dramatically. Additionally, several climate events have driven up prices for commodities like rice, cocoa, and olives. When the cost of your product increases from $1.00 to $1.25, your pricing model ensures the same percentage of profit. The new selling price becomes $2.09. If you sell 100 units at this new price, you’ll have record profits of $84. Even if the grocer absorbs some of the cost increase and prices the product at $1.99, they’ll still see record profits of $74. There are valid reasons why Canadians have become distrustful of the grocery industry and there are a myriad of reasons why inflation is occurring. However, we wanted to provide a bit more of a perspective to help make sense of the "profiteering" argument. #Profiteering #GrossMargin #Grocery #Retail #CPG #BrandManagement #HouseofCommons #ExcessiveProfits #CostIncreases https://buff.ly/4e4gQrV

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Full volume recovery for #packagedfood could take upwards of 18 months as consumers struggle to adjust to higher prices due to #inflation -- requiring #CPG companies to be more flexible and reinvest in their brands as they did during the pandemic, and forcing shareholders to practice patiences, warned General Mills CEO Jeff Harmening at Bernstein's 40th Annual Strategic Decisions Conference late last month. "#Investors have been waiting with bated breath and maybe more than a few members of management teams as well" for volumes across the packaged food landscape to recover after falling alongside rising prices in recent years and after cutbacks in #SNAP spending in March 2023, he said. And, they likely will need to wait a bit longer .... https://lnkd.in/eCjKu7z7 #foodnews #foodandbeverageindustry #CPGindustry #sales

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In the June 18 issue of Food Business News read about #productdevelopment sparking #ancientgrain interest, Kellanova staying on track for growth and Kraft Heinz pivoting to #innovation. #foodindustry

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Working in marketing turns all of us into accidental anthropologists. For the last 6 months I've gotten a bit addicted to studying #GenZ and the impact they're having on our industry, and more specifically, the food industry. The proliferation of food influencers is just one byproduct of this fascinating generation and who better to spill my guts to on that topic than Elizabeth Green + Food Ingredients First!? tysm 🧡↓ #foodindustry #influencermarketing #marketing

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Did you know? In 2022, SSP awarded conference sponsorships for 2 emerging career professionals! Get to know one of the recipients, Katie Nance, in the following interview. 1. What is your current employer and role?  Manager of Sensory at Synergy Flavors 2. How did attending the SSP conference impact your professional growth? Probably the biggest way it impacted my professional growth was introducing me to ASTM standards I had not heard of yet during the joint session. This allowed me to take knowledge back to my company and improve some of the sensory practices as well as be able to more clearly explain the theory behind testing. 3. Did you gain connections that helped you advance your career?  Absolutely! SSP was the first conference I attended in person since COVID and so I'm very thankful to have met so many brilliant scientists both on the ASTM and SSP side. 4. How did the travel award benefit you?  Overall, it helped financially support me in traveling to my first conference since COVID. Not only was I able to meet inspiring colleagues and absorb all of the great info, I was so honored to present at the joint ASTM x SSP session around panel performance metrics. Definitely one of the highlights of my career so far! 5. What was your favorite thing about the SSP conference?  I really enjoyed how the conference was both technical and developmental. I learned a lot about methodologies, analyses, and more. But not only did I learn about the hard science, I learned how to better my soft skills as well with the Dare presentation. 6. How does your SSP membership benefit you?  I've really enjoyed the Connectors events. Especially during the pandemic, they were an amazing opportunity to get to meet Sensory Scientists at other companies. 7. What impact has sensory had on your life? What sensory experiences stand out — think of favorite foods, sounds, textures, etc.  I think this question is hard to answer because I'm not sure I could list one aspect. When you think about it, life is constant sensory experiences! For example, my favorite flavor is coffee, my favorite texture is a warm fuzzy blanket fresh out of the drier, and I love bitter products like dark chocolate. And each individual person has their own unique preferences just like these! What I love about sensory is how the science can make analytical use of each persons' experiences to contribute to some really amazing product insights. So overall, sensory has impacted me in a huge way because sensory is with us every day! 8. What’s a fun fact or something most people don’t know about you?  Before I got into the world of sensory, I used to care for sharks, otters, sea turtles, and more at an aquarium! The baby racoons were my favorite. #SensoryScience #SensorySociety #CareerDevelopment 

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🌿 Discover the incredible benefits of Chickweed with Erica Garber's invaluable insights. @foodmoodnutrition -------- 🛒Explore our store for Chickweed Herb: https://lnkd.in/g5a2BTrz --------- ✨Your journey to optimal well-being starts here! 🗓Book your appointment now at https://lnkd.in/g3_XAkGW --------- Medical Disclaimer: The information provided in our store regarding herbs, tinctures, powders, and compounds is carefully compiled from diverse sources and is intended solely for educational and descriptive purposes. Under no circumstances should it be regarded as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. For personalized guidance and advice tailored to your specific health needs, consulting with your doctor or a qualified healthcare practitioner is crucial. If you have or suspect a medical condition, seeking timely professional medical attention is paramount.

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This month, we're diving into our newly released report authored by Anthony Warner that takes the issue of processed foods, and why they're not necessarily always a "bad thing". "Trust the process - Why less is more with processed foods" #foodproduction #food #upf #ultraprocessedfoods #plantbased #bakery #foodtechnololgy #foodscience #technology #foodindustry #newfoodinnovation

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Collage Senior Director of Cultural Insights Jack Mackinnon, M.Ed. shared insights on consumers across generations in a new feature in Supermarket News. Read the full story and discover insights for impact below! As consumers age in and out of careers and greater economic power, brands must step up their engagement to grow with them. Are your campaigns effectively and authentically targeting growth segments to win business goals? Discover additional insights via the link in the comments section below. Thank you to Supermarket News for sharing our insights, and congratulations to Jack Mackinnon, M.Ed. on a great interview! #marketing #mrx #diversity #inclusion #diversityandinclusion #marketresearch #marketingandadvertising #consumerinsights

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One trend which was in full force before Covid and has picked up momentum, is labor reduction in retail grocery. Even high margin Full-service meat and deli counters have been replaced by grab and go self service designs. The labor costs are just too high for a majority of retailers to maintain on a contribution margin basis. But we might see the pendulum start to swing back the other way now, in smaller format store concepts. It looks like the market might be ready for a “Cafe-Shoppy Shop hybrid” based upon a higher labor model with higher cusotmer count (per square foot) to support it. Someone will need to come up for a catchy name here for these “shoppy-cafe’ “ concepts like Eater ‘s feature here on La Grocery and Cafe which opened this month. This is good news for innovation, and good for overall quality food access across the country. This idea combines a 30% labor model of a cafe with the 8% labor model of a curated boutique. With that hybrid model, it’s possible to have knowledgeable staff who knows and cares about early stage brands, which creates a flywheel of cusotmer count who wants more “discovery” of innovative products. This can very easily evolve and translate into cool c-store concepts across the country with curated local assortment, good coffee, and better-for-you food. We should all root for these concepts to proliferate, if we want emerging CPG to flourish in the New World Order. Pod Foods Jac Moskalik Craig DeMarco Flowspace RangeMe #innovation #foodservice #cpg

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🚀 Exploring the complexities of food service for growing brands on Amazon! We dive deep with Stephanie Lind, Founder and Chief Business Development Officer at ESA - Elohi Strategic Advisors, to uncover how food service can be a game-changer for food and beverage brands. Discover insights on navigating the food service landscape, the importance of early planning, and leveraging non-commercial channels to drive growth. 🔘 Understand the key differences between commercial and non-commercial food service. 🔘 Learn how to integrate food service into your brand’s strategy early on. 🔘 Get actionable advice on managing distributor relationships and optimizing your product for food service. Stephanie's extensive experience with top-tier companies like PepsiCo and Impossible Foods offers invaluable guidance for brands aiming to excel in this space. Don't miss out on these expert insights! 🎧📺 Listen or Watch the Full Episode here: https://lnkd.in/eu28mmr4 📈 Learn more about how ExpertCPG Commerce can help your brand succeed on Amazon: www.expertcpg.com \#cpg \#ecommerce \#amazon \#podcast \#foodservice \#brandstrategy \#businessgrowth \#expertadvice

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I can think of no better trend than culinary professionals, influencers, and tastemakers finally saying out loud that high-quality processed foods are as good, if not better, than made-fresh-from-scratch ingredients. Just as I don't expect others to agree with me on politics, books, and movies, I don't expect everyone to enjoy repetitive cooking tasks. What I find meditative and satisfying others find tedious, boring, and pointless. Fair enough! We need high-quality processed goods so that everyone can enjoy exceptional food every day for every meal. IT IS POSSIBLE! It's time to demand that our food processing infrastructure deliver fresh, flavorful, nutritious ingredients that are both affordable and save time. https://lnkd.in/gCcwZBPY

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Is plant-based just a fad? The nation's largest food retailer doesn't think so... Yesterday Walmart launched 'bettergoods,' their largest private label brand in 20 years ("a new elevated experience that delivers quality, unique, chef-inspired food at an incredible value"). The entire portfolio of 300 new items fall into three distinct category pillars: 1) "Culinary experiences" that spotlight innovative recipes and elevated ingredients. 2) "Plant-based" products with distinct green branding and big flavors made to be devoured. 3) "Made without" offers a variety of options that cater to different dietary lifestyles (e.g. gluten-free). A big day for the plant-based industry! https://lnkd.in/g4CF--uE

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Americans' perception of retail private label products stays positive, as indicated by the "2024 Power of Private Brands" report from FMI- The Food Industry Association. Survey respondents highlighted keywords like "good," "great," "quality," "better," "brand," and "value" to describe their view on private label products currently available in the market. According to the report, 55% of the people interviewed in the United States have increased their purchases of private label products in the past year, surpassing the 28% who opted for more national brand products. Thank you Store Brands Link in the comments to access the report. #futureoffood #futureofretail

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At Expo West this year, the proliferation of dates in snacks, desserts and more represented the ongoing shift toward less refined sugar and more whole food sweeteners in packaged food and beverage products. But the more significant trend is about rewiring both consumers' palates and their expectations of how food should taste, opening up a world of unexpected flavors. Bitter! Sour! Indescribably delicious (and even sometimes the contrary)! On the latest episode of The Natural List, we discuss why reducing sweetness overall can be more impactful than simply swapping sweeteners. The flavor-curious Gen Z and Gen "Zalpha," along with the CPG industry's leading innovators, marketers and formulators, are driving this shift that I believe will support both healthier and more diverse products in coming years. What will we see at #NewtopiaNow?? #CPG #trends #thenaturallist

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Another insightful and inspiring podcast during a morning walkabout: Kristin Patrick CMO of Claire's being interviewed by Jim Stengel. These truths resonated and are worth repeating: 1) be a CMO with a CEO mindset – grow the business AND the brand 2) connect constantly with your customers – invest in data, analytics, conversations, and feedback loops to know them by heart

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“We created this study for produce marketers and all food marketers to better understand how today’s curiosities will influence tomorrow’s trends,” said Cristie Mather, vice president, food for Curious Plot. “While it’s clear that simplicity and affordability are ruling the day, it does not take away from the fact that early adopters’ curiosity for fruits and vegetables, global flavors and functional ingredients remains strong.” 💡 Don't forget to download the 2024 Consumer Curiosity Report: https://bit.ly/4csBBfy #foodtrends #consumerresearch #foodmarketing #producemarketing #produce #fruitsandveggies

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This year, the name of the game on many menus is swicy, according to. Monin Americas Learn what's especially "hot" right now: https://lnkd.in/eiHugJ6n #spicy #summer

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