In this episode:

On this week’s podcast, the team digs into the latest investigative story on how one Small Business Administration (SBA) pandemic loan program has left many companies with few options to grow their businesses in a post-COVID environment.

Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous and senior reporter Brad Avery sit down with their colleague reporter Adrianne DeLuca to talk about her detailed story on the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and why it is causing a host of bureaucratic obstacles for CPG businesses.

Show Highlights:

0:30 - Snacks in space? Monica finds out what Brad would choose as his favorite astronaut food.

1:45 -  Adrianne walks the team through the two most common loan programs offered by the Small Business Administration — Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) — and how each had a different structure of what was expected from the loanees.

5:20 - The complexities of what has developed since the early days of COVID has led to a bureaucratic nightmare for many small businesses who took the EIDLs.

11:30 - Is there a way out from under these loans? Adrianne lays out how there isn’t an easy solution to this complex issue and what the SBA is saying to help resolve the issue. 

About the CPG Week

CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage.

New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected].

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

In this episode:

On this episode of CPG Week, Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous and senior reporters Lukas Southard and Brad Avery talk about two different retailers’ returns from bankruptcy.

The CPG Week podcasters discuss how there is a differing consensus about the expected returns of Foxtrot and Boisson. While some suppliers seem ready to return to Foxtrot shelves, there appears to be more hesitancy among brands who’ve formerly worked with NA retailer Boisson. In other news, a different low- and no-alcohol retailer gets an endorsement from bev-alc private equity firm in the form of a capital investment.

Show Highlights:

0:30 - Are truffles overrated? HuffPost thinks so; the CPG Week team responds.

1:45 -  For Foxtrot founder Mike LaVitola, its return is not a comeback so much as a “totally new company.” The CPG Week group looks at what it means for the next-gen convenience store to return to business both from a brand perspective and from a macro-industry angle.

6:00 - Alternatively, there appears to be some trepidation surrounding the return of non-alcoholic beverage retailer Boisson. Lukas runs through a recent BevNET story that dissected suppliers’ opinions about Boisson’s return in light of the unfinished business and unpaid bills that haven’t been completely addressed.

12:30 - Not all non-alc retailers are struggling to win over brands. Charleston, S.C.-based Sèchey landed investment from InvestBev last week. Brad details how the new capital is an approval of one company’s approach to growing in NA beverages.

About the CPG Week

CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage.

New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected].

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

In this episode:

On this episode of CPG Week, the podcast team talks about “zombie brands,” a rumored mega-merger of snacks and sweets, a recap of earnings, and another lawsuit for PRIME.

Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous and senior reporter Lukas Southard are joined by BevNET managing editor Martín Caballero in a packed episode where they talk about the idea of zombie brands and how it relates to other CPG categories (and Steven Seagal movies?). The group also discusses a rumored acquisition of Kellanova brands by Mars and what this could mean for both food companies. Afterwards, the team goes on to review recent beverage company earnings reports and yet another legal case filed against Logan Paul’s PRIME beverage company.

Show Highlights:

0:30 - Nostalgia is in and the podcast hosts discuss what discontinued CPG products should make a comeback. They share their favorite long-lost items from bubbly beverages to one of the OGs of the bar category. 

3:15 - After reading a recent story in Modern Retail focused on the increasing amount of “zombie brands,” the team discusses how this idea relates to alternative meats and its links to the influx of new brands that came out of the pandemic and have since stalled as investment has waned.  

8:15 - What could it mean for Kellanova to be acquired by sweets maker Mars and what does this foretell for both companies? The CPG Week podcast jumps into the rumors swirling around these food giants' possible merger.

12:30 - Marty goes over recent earnings from Celsius and BellRing Brands with a look towards how the large strategics are utilizing their distribution networks to buoy revenue.

15:00 - PRIME is in more legal hot water after beverage manufacturer Refresco filed a $67 million lawsuit alleging Logan Paul’s brand backed out of a production deal. Marty goes through this latest suit and what it could mean for others in the energy and sports drink categories.

About the CPG Week

CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage.

New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected].

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

In this episode:

On this episode of CPG Week, the podcast team teases their Nosh Notables honorable mentions, details the latest investment for a fast-growing food brand and discusses the different marketing approaches food brands are taking in the Ozempic Era.

Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous and senior reporters Brad Avery and Lukas Southard talk about Oats Overnight Series B round and how the brand has built a strong consumer base in ecommerce. The team goes on to dive into the Brightfield Group’s exclusive BevNET/Nosh Q2 Report: The GLP-1/Ozempic Craze and reflects on how food brands are marketing around the continuing demand for weight loss solutions related to GLP-1 drugs.

Show Highlights:

0:50 - The team shares their personal honorable mentions for Nosh Notables including a shoutout to Omsom’s founders, the creative mind behind Netflix’s “Unfrosted” and one of leading names in hot honey.

3:00 - Senior reporter Brad Avery talks about Oats Overnight’s recent $35 million investment announced this week. The company appears to be continuing its growth trajectory and resourcing its manufacturing and labor force with the new tranche of capital.

6:45 - Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous explains what was reported in the Brightfield Group’s Q2 dive into GLP-1 drugs and how consumers are responding to weight loss solutions in CPG. The conversation harkens back to previous podcast episodes where the team has discussed the growing trend towards weight loss products and how food and beverage brands are positioning around semaglutide drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. 

About the CPG Week

CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage.

New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected].

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

In this episode:

On this episode of CPG Week, the podcast team talks expensive energy drink-themed accessories, IFT First and the latest legal quandary for Logan Paul’s drink brand, PRIME.

Senior reporter Lukas Southard was in Chicago last week for IFT First where he got an inside look at how trends are incubated by suppliers and tells his co-hosts about the innovative new products on display. Later in the show, senior reporter Brad Avery discusses the new lawsuit filed against PRIME and what it might mean for the company.

Show Highlights:

0:30 - What makes formal attire functional? According to 5-Hour Energy, its caffeinated cufflinks. Learn what Brad thinks about the energy drink’s most recent marketing campaign. 

2:30 - Lukas explains what he learned at the Institute of Food Technologists’ yearly expo and how ingredient suppliers shape many of the food trends we see in the market. He explains how weight loss solutions, sweetener alternatives and plant-based ingredients were on full display.

5:50 - From fortified honey to baobab seed pod powder, Lukas tells the team about new products on display at the show before talking about how tracing, certifications and clinical studies were also highlighted at the show.

8:30 - PRIME is in legal hot water again. Brad talks about how the drink maker has raised the ire of the U.S. Olympic Committee and how it is another legal issue facing the insurgent hydration and energy brand.

About the CPG Week

CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage.

New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected].

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

In this episode:

The CPG Week podcast team assembles an arguably strange but balanced breakfast of orange juice, regenerative rice and cottage cheese with the top topics of the week. BevNET and Nosh reporter Adrianne DeLuca shares her findings on the recent cottage cheese craze, senior reporter Brad Avery rehashes his conversation with the CEO of Tropicana Brands Group, and Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous reviews an exclusive report on food and beverage venture funding in the latest quarter.

Show Highlights:

0:30 - Don’t call it a comeback. The group discusses the curious revival of cottage cheese, thanks to some TikTok influencers and Good Culture’s efforts to modernize the category. 

5:15 - Brad shares highlights of his conversation with Monica McGurk, CEO of Tropicana Brands Group, on how it aims to “operate like a $3 billion startup.”

8:40 - Monica offers a peek at the exclusive report on food and beverage venture funding compiled by FABID.

9:45 - Adrianne talks about Lotus Foods’ recent $22.5 million raise to expand its System of Rice Intensification process to more farms.

11:35 - Brad details plans for Alliance Consumer Growth’s new $160 million fund. Hint: Food and beverage brands are back in focus for the firm.

About the CPG Week

CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage.

New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected].

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

In this episode:

Back from a long holiday weekend, the CPG Week podcast team got back to work with a quick quiz testing senior reporters Lukas Southard and Brad Avery on interesting new product launches. The team goes on to discuss the stories they wrote for the new series, Nosh Trendlines Report. The five-part series brought insight into recent developments within the CPG food industry focusing on topics like ingredients, retail distribution, operations, marketing and product categories.  

Show Highlights:

0:30 - The group plays a quick game of Two Truths And A Lie: CPG Week edition, where Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous questioned her co-hosts with some real and fake product launches.

2:30 - Lukas kicks off a discussion of the new Nosh Trendlines Report series with an explanation of his story focused on production. The group discusses the pros and cons of self-manufacturing and why more emerging companies seem to be taking this route. 

7:00 - Brad tells the team about the story he co-wrote with editorial assistant Shauna Golden that focused on the trend of healthspan versus lifespan.

10:00 - In Monica’s Trendlines story, she focused on how natural food brands are moving away from using seed oils and marketing their products around “healthier” oils derived from avocados or olives.

About the CPG Week

CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage.

New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected].

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

In this episode:

The CPG Week team is taking a break from the studio for the Fourth of July holiday. Be sure to tune in next week for the latest food and beverage industry news, and in the meantime head over to BevNET and Nosh to read about a new hydration beverage brand, TikTok's entry into alcohol ads, and a special-edition series on the trends shaping the industry.

About the CPG Week

CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage.

New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected].

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

In this episode:

In a jam-packed episode, the CPG Week podcast covers a lot of ground from cannabis to kava with a healthy recap of the Specialty Food Association’s Summer Fancy Food Show from earlier in the week.

To start, senior reporter Brad Avery explains the big news out of the cannabis industry as Curaleaf announced it was entering hemp-derived THC with edibles and beverages available in a new DTC store. Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous and senior reporter Lukas Southard review some of the innovative products and trends they saw in New York City this week at Summer Fancy Food. The team wraps up talking about kava beverages and why the category’s future seems to be intertwined with the slightly more controversial kratom ingredient.

Show Highlights:

0:30 - Curaleaf, marijuana cultivator and dispensary company, is moving into the hemp-derived THC market by launching a new DTC website: thehempcompany.com. Not only could this shake up the regulatory environment but is a statement by a leading cannabis industry stakeholder.

3:30 - Amid the cheese and hot sauce, Monica and Lukas discuss what they saw and tasted while wandering the aisles of the Summer Fancy Food Show. Lukas talks about a brand pairing savory biscuits with adult beverages while Monica snacked on the latest entrant in the freeze-dried trend.

7:10 - The team discusses how texture and experiential snacking are driving innovation by many brands across a multitude of categories including jerky, frozen desserts, sweets and convenience meals.

13:30 - Lukas explains what he learned while reporting on the kava category and why its future as a functional, non-alcoholic alternative is linked to another mood-altering ingredient, kratom.

About the CPG Week

CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage.

New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected].

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

In this episode:

Fresh off of BevNET Live in New York City, the CPG Week team shared the best parts of the summer conference. The group goes on to talk bottled water after two category powerhouses, BlueTriton and Primo Water, announce plans to merge and create the largest producer in the country. In the second half of the show, Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous explains the Omsom’s acquisition by DayDayCook and what it means for how Americans consume Asian-inspired CPG brands.

Show Highlights:

0:30 - What happened at BevNET Live last week? Brad enjoyed trying new products like Uncle Waithley’s Ginger Beer, Lukas ate mushrooms and chatted with various hemp-derived THC brands like BRĒZ, Flyers and Upstate Elevator Supply Co., and Monica went on an expensive shopping spree with BevNET community director Melissa Traverse.

3:20 - Brad explains the implications of the proposed merger of bottled water giants BlueTriton and Primo. The group discusses how this might become not only the largest bottled water conglomerate in the country but also impact politics and policy through its scale.

6:15 - Missed the acquisition news for Omsom? The podcast team dives into how the Pham sisters created something special in their brand of cooking sauces and noodles and how it fits into DayDayCook’s aspirations of becoming the “General Mills of Asian food.”

About the CPG Week

CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage.

New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected].

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts