Chad Brizendine

NextFoods, Inc. ,Parents of GoodBelly+ Cheribundi just raised $10M led by ECP Growth If you build in functional CPG, this is a great mini case study in how growth actually gets funded and what operators should pay attention to. 1) Doors matter… but turns are the business They’re reportedly sitting at 24,000+ points of distribution nationwide and grew footprint about 10% in the last two months. That’s solid. But here’s the real lesson: door growth only works if velocity shows up. 2) A brand refresh can be a revenue lever (when it creates clarity) GoodBelly’s recent packaging/brand refresh was tied to a reported 40%+ lift in retail velocities. “Brand” isn’t colors and fonts it’s speed of understanding at shelf. If a shopper gets it faster, conversion goes up. Period. 3) The shot category is crowded so specificity wins GoodBelly reformulated its 2oz Wellness Shots and launched them nationally at Whole Foods. The formula callout that jumped out to me: 3g of prebiotic fiber. The lesson: in crowded formats, you can’t be “general wellness.” You need to own a job (gut, sleep, recovery) and build your product + messaging around that single outcome. 4) Innovation + retail expansion is the 1–2 punch They’re aiming that capital at innovation across gut health, recovery, and sleep, while also pushing deeper into national retail. And there’s more in the pipeline: they’ve previewed a quart-sized GoodBelly item with 11g plant-based protein targeted for Q1 2026. My founder takeaway: capital doesn’t fix a business it amplifies it. If your positioning is crisp and your product delivers, funding helps you scale faster. If not, it just helps you burn faster. If you were deploying $10M in functional CPG heading into 2026, what’s first: velocity, innovation, or sharper positioning? #CPG #FunctionalBeverages #Wellness #TrevorHague

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Here's a recap of what happened in the alcohol industry this week: 1. Diageo cuts $500M and will divest non-core assets 2. Doom scrolling, not wellness, could be tanking alcohol sales 3. Warren Buffet doubles down on Constellation Brands & Modelo 4. Avaline Wine signs a major distribution deal with SWGS 5. Trumps threatens 50% tariffs on EU, LVMH, Pernod Ricard, Diageo at risk (To stay up-to-date every day on what's going on in the alcohol industry, considering signing up for my daily newsletter - the first 30 days are free to try! - thealcoholreport.com)

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What does a Whole Foods national rollout launch strategy look like? Amy Zitelman shared what this looked like for Soom Foods on Shelf Help: The Tactical CPG Podcast. Check the comments for the full episode.

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A chef-first strategy propelled Soom Foods into Whole Foods Market and Walmart. Amy Zitelman, Co-founder and CEO, joined Shelf Help: The Tactical CPG Podcast to break down how she and her two sisters / co-founders went with a foodservice-first go-to-market strategy that earned brand credibility with top chefs and eventually generated demand at the consumer and retail level, before launching on Amazon and eventually into national retail. She shares how a COVID home-cooking surge kicked things into another gear, ultimately leading to her first fundraise 8-10 years after launch, a big rebrand, a national Whole Foods rollout, and eventually an expansion into other major retailers. Episode Highlights: 🥄 What makes Soom’s tahini different 🍽️ Why foodservice was the fastest path to credibility and pull-through 🛒 Expanding into Amazon 📈 COVID’s demand spike and inventory strategy that accelerate growth 💸 The first fundraise 8-10 years in 🎨 Rebrand lessons that set up a Whole Foods leap 🏷️ Shelf placement, promos, and driving velocity in center store 🏬 Walmart expansion 🔭 Trends Amy’s watching across global flavors and better-for-you The link to the full episode is in the comments. Make sure to follow on Apple, Spotify and Youtube to be the first to know when a new episode drops. Keep an eye out for clips of all the key highlights.

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SIMPLE MILLS FOUNDER KATLIN SMITH STEPS DOWN, INSIDER MICHELLE LORGE NAMED PRESIDENT Flowers Foods & Subsidiaries Foods has named Michelle Lorge president of Simple Mills, replacing founder and CEO Katlin Smith, who is stepping down roughly one year after the $795 million acquisition closed. Smith will stay on in an advisory role. Lorge reports directly to Flowers Foods chairman and CEO Ryals McMullian. This is the first leadership transition since Flowers Foods acquired Simple Mills in early 2025 for $795M all-CASH; a deal that valued the brand at roughly 3.3x trailing net sales ($240M in 2024, +14% YoY). Vestar Capital Partners, which had backed the company, exited via that deal. An absolute legendary run by Katlin. H/t

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Chicago-based Kraft Heinz made an excellent choice in appointing one of the most experienced and successful global CPG leaders, Steve Cahillane, as its new CEO. Cahillane previously served as CEO of Chicago-based Kellanova and brings deep industry expertise and proven leadership to the role. In 2026, Kraft Heinz plans to split into two companies, temporarily named "Global Taste Elevation" and "North American Grocery". Global Taste Elevation, led then by Cahillane, will include the faster-growing sauces, spreads, and seasonings portfolio, featuring iconic brands such as Heinz, Philadelphia, and Kraft Mac & Cheese. North American Grocery will house legacy brands including Oscar Mayer, Kraft Singles, and Lunchables. The objective of this strategic separation is to increase speed to market, reduce complexity, and strengthen proximity to customers. Cahillane is a longtime Chicago resident and advocate for the city, having graduated from Northwestern University. In his first remarks following the announcement, he reaffirmed Kraft Heinz’s commitment to Chicago. Congratulations, Steve! Please read here the Chicago Tribune coverage by Robert Channick here: https://lnkd.in/gUvbH7hc

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Convenience stores represent 45% of all SNAP retailers. These stores serve as critical access points in rural and urban areas where grocery stores may be 40+ miles away. New requirements could force thousands of convenience stores out of the SNAP program, threatening food access for low-income Americans. See more details from Convenience Leaders Vision Group

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Big news in grocery: C&S Wholesale is acquiring SpartanNash for $1.77B. As a food broker, moves like this always make me pause. When major wholesalers consolidate, it can shift the landscape for emerging brands—more control over shelf space, pricing, and access. It’s a reminder to stay agile and keep building strong retail relationships. #FoodBroker #GroceryIndustry #CSWholesale #SpartanNash #RetailNews #EmergingBrands https://lnkd.in/gTqSKFzf

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Times have changed. The alcohol business is data-driven now, regardless of whether you are or not. Revenue is down, wholesalers have trimmed their salesforces to survive, and too many large beverage groups have shifted wholesalers with new national alignments. What does that mean? The attention you once had is no longer available due to the smaller distribution teams, which now prioritize relaunching recently added beverage groups or strong brands. If you are wasting the limited attention you get from your wholesalers with requests like asking for a target list of accounts or asking for surveys, you're part of the problem. Let's start with requesting target lists from your wholesaler. They have a target list because they already sell a similar product to yours to their existing accounts. At best, you're asking them to swap out their existing product for yours, which doesn't benefit them. Also, if they're providing a target list to you for products they sell similar to yours, believe your placements are on the target list they are sharing with your competitors in their book. Lastly, if you made those placements for them, it feels unethical for them to share that kind of target list. So, it ultimately benefits no one and treats those placements like timeshares, which they'll immediately replace with the next all-hands-on-deck work-with blitz by competitors your wholesaler also represents. Stop this nonsense and stop wasting your precious interactions with dumb stuff like this. You need to adapt your route-to-market strategy not just to survive but to thrive. We target over 75K on-premise accounts in the US. You need surveys; we do them better than anyone. You need target lists of COMPETING BRANDS of your WHOLESALER in each state; we do that the best. FYI, wholesalers LOVE target lists where you're providing targets for new business instead of asking them to swap a placement that they already have made. We do that better than anyone. Stop wasting everyone's time, including your own, and take advantage of this chaos in the market. Many major companies trust us. You should see a demo. Stop exhausting your wholesale partners and your team. We provide actionable data and create efficiencies. Somm Ai is tomorrow's solutions today. DM for a Somm Ai demo, or email me: Jeremy@inknowology.com #WineData #Napa #Barolo #Wine #WineIndustry #BigReds #Prosecco #RestaurantBiz #Sonoma #PasoWine #FrenchWine #Bordeaux #Chateau #GrandCru #Burgundy #WineBiz

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The U.S. beer industry is at a turning point. For nearly two decades, the playbook was simple: raise prices annually, protect margins and rely on brand equity to carry the category forward. That model worked… until it didn’t. Today, we’re seeing the consequences across the industry: - Declining volumes - Retailers prioritizing velocity over margin protection - Consumers becoming far more value-conscious Beer has always been an accessible beverage – something meant to be shared at barbecues, concerts and ball games. But over time, repeated price increases pushed the category further away from that core promise. Now the industry is facing a structural reset. In a new piece published by The Beer Connoisseur, I break down: - Why the era of automatic price hikes has ended - What retailers are prioritizing in 2026 resets - How consumer behavior around alcohol and affordability is changing - Why the next cycle of beer growth will be driven by brands that restore balance between price and value At Outlaw Light Beer, we are seeing this shift firsthand as retailers increasingly prioritize brands that can drive real volume and connect with today’s consumer. The industry’s next chapter won’t be defined by pricing power. It will be defined by relevance, accessibility and fairness. ➡️ Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/g3N5bt8C #OutlawLight #TivoliBrewing #BeerIndustry #ConsumerTrends #RetailStrategy

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Sad day in CPG. Del Monte Foods Files for Bankruptcy After more than a century as a household name, Del Monte Foods has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The filing comes amid mounting financial pressure, including rising operational costs, shifting consumer preferences, and an inability to modernize fast enough to compete in today’s dynamic CPG market. So What happened? Del Monte’s core product categories (canned fruits, vegetables, and processed staples) have lost traction in an era where fresh, organic, and ready-to-eat alternatives dominate grocery shelves. Combine that with inflationary pressures on logistics and commodities, and the brand was already on the back foot. What is the real issue? A lack of agility. While newer brands flooded the market with innovation, bold flavor profiles, and direct-to-consumer strategies, it feels Del Monte struggled to evolve. I assume legacy systems, aging brand perception, and slow go-to-market cycles left them unable to capitalize on the shifts that are now defining modern food consumption. Now What’s next? Del Monte will likely seek to restructure debt and sell off non-core assets. But more importantly, this signals yet another major inflection point in the CPG space: modernize or be left behind. Brands that want to survive in today’s food landscape need to embrace innovation at every level. From product development to brand identity to supply chain to customer experience. Nostalgia won't earn loyalty unless you stay relevant. Would love to hear thoughts from others: What does this say about the future of legacy brands? Is reinvention, innovation or pivoting possible for companies with this much historical weight? ⚡

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More movement in Chicago-based brands with Kraft Heinz splitting as other brands are looking to consolidation. The food industry is moving faster than retail now. Growth is fueling all of this and how brands choose to grow.

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Moments like this are a reminder that the strongest validation doesn’t come only from campaigns or decks, it comes from real reactions. Watching iShowSpeed respond instinctively to our Jans Crispy Cheese Wontons reinforced something I’ve believed from the start, when a product is right, it doesn’t need explanation. It simply wins. What stood out to me wasn’t the virality, but the signal behind it. Today, specialty snacks don’t just move through shelves, they move through culture. They show up in conversations, habits, and moments that feel unplanned and authentic. For retailers and distributors, this kind of moment matters because it reflects how consumers actually decide. Bold, familiar flavors create immediate acceptance. Genuine reactions travel faster than scripted marketing. And products that feel culturally relevant tend to translate more naturally into impulse, placement flexibility, and repeat demand in-store. At Jans, our focus remains simple and unchanged: build products that people choose instinctively. When that happens, attention follows, both online and offline. #FNB #RetailPartnerships #iShowSpeed #ViralMarketing #B2BSales

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Whats happening in Nutrition Bars right now is wild. Strategic / legacy food brands are getting smoked by emerging brands. Of the top 35 brands in 52W SPINS MULO nutrition bar data, independent brands accounted for a staggering 77% of category growth, while the biggest strategics—Mondelēz International, Mars, The Hershey Company, Simply Good Foods, and Ferrero Group—all posted YoY declines. 📈 Big shout out to Barebells for adding $110M of growth to the category 🤯 Top emerging brands are stealing share and reshaping the category. Vitamin Well Group (Barebells) Built Brands Ready® Clio Snacks ALOHA GoMacro IQBAR 📉 Meanwhile, legacy CPGs are shedding dollars and falling behind consumer demand for innovation, function, and flavor. The takeaway? 🔄 The bar aisle is flipping. Challenger brands aren’t just nibbling at the edges—they’re driving the entire category forward. PS: Excited to see David start showing up in the data, Peter Rahal 👀 #SnackTakeover #CPGTrends #DavidVsGoliath #IndieBrands #NutritionBars

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Craft Beer’s Midlife Crisis? Or Just the Start of Its Reinvention? The Brewers Association just dropped its midyear stats - and it’s another tough one for traditional craft beer: volumes down 5% YTD, following two years of similar declines. But here’s the kicker: it’s not just craft beer that’s in retreat. Wine is down 7.7%. Spirits are down 4.2%. Even total beer sales are off by over 4%. What’s not declining? Consumer interest in new formats - RTDs, THC drinks, and non-alcoholic options. As someone who founded a non-alcoholic beer company to bring the taste and community of craft beer together with health and wellness, I’ve seen this shift coming for years. People aren’t turning their backs on quality - they’re looking for products that meet them where they are now: health-conscious, curious, and selective based on occasion. Partake Brewing was born from this shift. We leaned into it - hard. And today, we’re seeing growth where others see contraction. To the brewers, founders, and innovators out there navigating this transition: stay close to your customers. The future belongs to those willing to adapt without losing their soul. What trends are you seeing in the world of beer and bev-alc right now? #CPG #Beverage #NonAlcoholicBeer #CraftBeer #Health #Wellness #THC #Cannabis

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Important discussion shared by PeakBridge on ultra-processed foods and the clean-label movement that is growing louder. But one surprising reality is rarely discussed: Most “vanilla flavor” used in food products is not real vanilla. Not because companies don’t want to use it — but because natural vanilla supply has historically been too fragile, volatile, and limited to support global demand. For decades, the industry filled this gap with synthetic flavor systems. If the food industry is truly moving toward cleaner labels and real ingredients, then the ingredient supply chains behind them must evolve as well. At Vanilla Vida, our mission is to help enable that shift by building a scalable and reliable natural vanilla supply chain — combining controlled farming and industrial curing to bring stability to a historically unpredictable crop. #TheVanillaParadox

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Is it just me, or does Ohio not have a strong CPG presence in the industry? As an entrepreneur, I’ve realized there aren’t many organizations specifically focused on supporting consumer packaged goods brands here especially in Northwest Ohio. Compared to places like Chicago, New York, or Texas, the ecosystem feels limited. In a recent discussion with another entrepreneur, one possible reason came up: Ohio doesn’t have as many grocery stores as states like Michigan. Retailers often give emerging brands their first real shot and without that entry point, it can be harder to build traction. Ohio has the manufacturing strength and the talent. But where’s the connected, exciting CPG community? Am I missing something or do we have an opportunity to build it? #CPG #OhioBusiness #FoodEntrepreneurs #ToledoOhio

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