John Schaefer

Giant Food partners with Upside to drive incremental sales. Washington D.C.-area grocer becomes first Ahold Delhaize USA banner to join personalized rewards ecosystem http://ow.ly/gmGA106nH1a

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📊 Despite headlines touting major growth in CPG manufacturing, the full picture tells a more nuanced story. From capacity concerns to shifting investor interest, is this a true gold rush—or something more complex? https://lnkd.in/gaCTjvNr #CPGIndustry #FoodManufacturing #SupplyChainTrends #InvestmentOutlook #FoodTech

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BevNET’s latest spirits feature calls out a familiar pattern: when spirits brands follow the CPG playbook, they often lose the character that once made them compelling. As Mike Perry puts it in the piece, endless flavor extensions don’t build advocacy—they just fill space. In spirits, meaning matters more than assortment. The brands that endure are the ones grounded in a clear identity, not a rotating cast of novelties. Modern Heritage asks brands to do the harder thing: focus, clarify, and lead with what’s true. https://lnkd.in/gvctSURq

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The Blended Shelf is Growing: What This Means for Regional Craft Distillers and Distributors. The American whiskey landscape is evolving rapidly beyond Kentucky. While we celebrate the phenomenal growth of regional whiskey in states like New York, Texas, and Colorado, a critical commercial challenge is emerging right on the shelf. In this clip from our most recent Bourbon Pursuit Podcast episode, we discuss a key observation impacting the spirits industry: The blended whiskey shelf in retail is stable, and in some cases growing, while the dedicated craft distiller aisle is contracting. Blended whiskeys, which often utilize sourced, high-quality MGP or Kentucky/Indiana liquid, offer a highly consistent and palatable flavor profile. This allows distributors and retailers to stock a reliable seller that appeals to the broader consumer base. For regional craft distilleries, gaining and retaining shelf visibility is becoming exponentially harder. Retailers, facing a finite amount of space and a massive influx of brands, often prioritize high-volume, dependable blends over numerous single-bottle offerings from smaller, regional producers. This is a defining challenge for founders, distributors, and marketers in the craft spirits space. How do regional brands build enough consumer pull and distribution efficiency to secure a permanent, stable spot next to the category leaders? Tune into new episodes of the Bourbon Pursuit Podcast every Thursday on our YouTube channel or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch the full episode to hear more from our team. [https://lnkd.in/gS8J4B6Y] #WhiskeyIndustry #CraftSpirits #Distribution #RetailStrategy #SpiritsMarket #Bourbon #AmericanWhiskey #BlendedWhiskey #SupplyChain #BusinessStrategy #BourbonPursuit #Podcast

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👨‍💼 Tyson Foods promotes longtime exec to COO and more top industry news this week. Stay up to date with the latest news from MEAT+POULTRY: https://ow.ly/uMg450Z8fk2 📸: Tyson Foods, Ryan McCarthy/Sosland Publishing Co., and Screenshot from USDA YouTube Channel #meatindustry #meatcompany #USDA

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How does a buyer decide if your flower is top shelf, standard, or value? In a previous episode, Julio Vasquez explains how he tiers a menu, why “value flower at a standard price” breaks trust, and how customers build the same mental tiers when they shop. He also touches on why he leans on budtender feedback and education instead of chasing THC numbers alone. 👇 Follow us on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

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{FOODSERVICE} Case Study: Sprouts Farmers Market brings quality grain bowls to the grocery deli - explore five new bowl builds featuring a lentil and grain blend base debuting across their grocery locations U.S.-wide https://ow.ly/LL1f50XfLsa

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Spirits RTD growth cools as on‑premise channels and unique flavors emerge as the category's chief opportunity areas. 📉🍸🔥 Consulting and data firm 3 Tier Beverages finds overall expansion of spirits‑based ready‑to‑drink products is decelerating, while on‑premise sales and interest in emerging flavor profiles are showing gains. The shift points to potential upside for brands that prioritize on‑premise distribution and targeted flavor innovation to meet changing consumer occasions. https://lnkd.in/gTgZC5br #BeverageIndustry #RTD #Spirits #OnPremise #FlavorInnovation #AlcoholTrends

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Beer demand remains in contraction as wholesalers show "little movement" in optimism, according to September’s Beer Purchasers’ Index. 🍺 The National Beer Wholesalers Association’s September BPI reports ongoing weakness in the beer category, with wholesalers continuing to signal limited confidence and near-term restraint in purchasing decisions. 📉 The snapshot underscores continued headwinds for suppliers and retailers as they manage inventory and promotional strategies amid a soft wholesale channel. https://lnkd.in/gnvqtz7r #BeerIndustry #BeverageNews #NBWA #Wholesale #BeerTrends #AlcoholIndustry

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Flowers Foods & Subsidiaries, one of America’s largest bakery companies known for brands like Nature’s Own and Dave's Killer Bread, has promoted Bret Hathaway to Vice President of Procurement, Commodities, effective immediately.   Hathaway succeeds Miles Dennis, who retired after 41 years with the company, and will lead Flowers’ commodities sourcing, risk management and procurement strategy across its bakery operations.   https://lnkd.in/dGB3NS6W #millinginsights #grains #flour #fortification #storage #silo #investments #training #wheat #foodsafety #durum #oilseeds #edibleoils #commoditytrading #newproduct #acquisition #bakingindustrynews #financialstatements #snacknews #suppliernews

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