Retailers and CPG companies have had a symbiotic relationship for decades, teaming up to offer customers more choice in convenient in-person and ecommerce storefronts. As both take on each other’s challenges, they must learn from the other’s processes and best practices to sustain new revenue streams in the long term based on evolving consumer behaviors, preferences and spending habits.
Cincy Brands, a startup acquirer, is focused on measured growth in the “better for you” category of brands offering healthier, less chemical-intensive products, seeing itself as the opposite of mega-aggregators that grew massive in a hurry and have found themselves retrenching.
Grocery assortment planning has been upended by omnichannel. Grocers were comfortable relying on broader, older models that identified underperforming products to remove from a store shelf, or leaning into models that focused on SKU rationalization. But assortment planning now presents an entirely new bag of challenges.
The CPG industry is evolving faster than ever. Nearly everything about the category has changed, including the way brands develop and bring products to market. Also, inflation puts pressure on marketing budgets, loyalty is weakening and younger consumers have higher expectations and tend to be skeptical of advertising efforts.
Nothing ever happens in isolation in the world of ecommerce. Yet even the largest CPG and distribution companies still rely on lag analytics and siloed information to get a handle on what’s being sold where, to whom and for how much. A more proactive approach, based on digital transformation, makes all the difference.
Channel expansion can quickly lead to customer disappointment, poor reviews and high returns if incomplete and/or inaccurate information floods the market. For channel expansion to be successful, CPG brands need to put product data at the center of their omnichannel strategy to drive revenue growth and customer engagement.
For CPGs, it’s no longer a matter of if but when the circular economy will supplant the traditional linear take-make-use-dispose model of consumption. The race to tap emerging sources of value and capitalize on the circular economy is well underway. The edge likely will go to companies that mobilize to take these seven steps.
Some say shrinkflation is a sneaky strategy because businesses use the same packaging but give customers less, arguing it’s an attempt to deceive them. But many are making sure changes are available for consumers to see in some format. It’s the consumer’s responsibility to check the pack, but communication with buyers is key.
Pattern, which helps brands expand and grow revenue on marketplaces and other channels, has raised $225 million, bringing its total valuation to over $2 billion as it sees its role as a market accelerator as a more logical path to success than the growing ranks of Amazon brand aggregators.
If you really want to take your private label brands to the next level, embrace empathetic marketing in all that you do. This is especially true when it comes to creating a meaningful digital presence that builds relationships and drive sales. Shelf placement and pricing strategies alone won’t get private label products into shopping carts.