CPG

FTC complaint highlights challenges that sellers face on the largest e-commerce platform.

Comments from Amazon merchandising expert add context to nuanced issue.

Pricing strategies advance as companies model changes in consumer behavior.

Smucker’s Twinkie defense points to recent growth in indulgent snacking.

The Stockout content breadth expands to include both CPG and retail logistics coverage.

Packaged coffee is an exception to sticky prices where consumers are benefiting from lower commodity costs.

Big-box sellers report healthier-than-expected consumers and stress high in-stock rates.

General Mills, Conagra and other branded packaged food companies continue to experience substantial volume declines, but the explanations differ by company.

British Columbia port workers’ strike ongoing and UPS Teamsters threatening to strike at month’s end.

Most food emissions come from ingredients, but the impact of packaging redesign is more immediate.

Kraft Heinz will sell Lunchables in schools directly to kids. It’s an auspicious deal but not the best indicator for the nation’s health.

Walmart and Target look to save shoppers from the indignity of checkout counters

Commodity prices have come down, but manufacturers say their costs are still rising.

The Food and Drug Administration has issued a 60-day notice of its plans to conduct research on front-of-package nutrition labels.

CPGs’ worst nightmare For certain CPG categories, I would argue that the worst thing that could happen isn’t a recession but consumers getting religion on healthy eating and avoiding the center of the grocery store altogether. Healthy eating aside, earlier this week The Wall Street Journal highlighted a second concern that may be gaining traction […]

Sugar reduction startups The consumer-packaged-goods-related article that I found most interesting this week was in FoodBusinessNews and it described three startups focused on developing very innovative sugar reduction alternatives. Here is a quick synopsis of those companies: Growing concern about sugar and salt intake Of course, there are easy ways for consumers to cut sugar. […]

Growing evidence of ‘shopper rebellion’ Elasticities, or the negative change in sales volume in response to rising prices, has been one of the main topics in the CPG industry in the past year. Despite two consecutive years of steeply rising prices, including last year’s CPG price growth of upward of 15% or more in many […]

Deceleration in Constellation Brands’ shipment growth and disappointing margin outlook Constellation Brands, the owner of the Corona and Modelo beer brands and various wine and spirits brands, such as Svedka Vodka, was among the first CPG companies to report earnings in the new year and it proved to be a controversial quarter. Shares declined 10% […]

How well will consumer packaged goods (CPG) purchases ultimately hold up?  Not only is CPG demand forecasting arguably more difficult than ever, it is also more critical than normal since many CPGs have to decide whether to continue with high-cost contract manufacturing that served as a way to find capacity during the pandemic when demand […]

Has CPG ingredient inflation peaked?  I can only speculate whether the recent pullback in commodity prices will continue, but with crude oil off its high, crop prices well off their highs, many supply chain issues being worked through, retailers discounting prices to clear bloated inventories and the freight spot markets under pressure, inflation may not […]