Dayton Miller

PepsiCo Urgently Overhauling Portfolio Under Activist Pressure "PepsiCo Inc. said it is working to cut costs and overhaul its portfolio to meet consumers’ shifting tastes, while it engages in discussions with an activist investor. "PepsiCo said in prepared remarks Thursday that it has been cutting the number of its individual products to “reduce supply chain complexity” and will continue to drive that number lower. The company also said it has accelerated its cost-reduction efforts and that it expects more headcount reductions in its Frito-Lay US business before the end of the year." #pepsico #shareholdervalue #activistinvesting https://lnkd.in/gTc9PtQe

4

4 Comments

In the breakup, one global company would focus on sauces, spreads and seasonings, while another would sell grocery staples in North America. The move aims to create businesses with more focus and less complexity, Kraft Heinz said, and deepens a reversal of the food industry’s yearslong strategy of pursuing deals to build scale. #ConsumerProducts

1

As usual, another brilliant piece from Ross Colbert, CMG's head of Food and Beverage, on his take aways from ExpoWest...

13

2 Comments

We are thrilled to announce that Western Smokehouse Partners, a Monogram Capital Partners portfolio company and a leader in the better-for-you meat snacks industry, has acquired Junior’s Smokehouse, a Texas-based manufacturer with over 40 years of hand-crafted jerky and premium meat products.   By bringing Junior’s into the Western family, we are continuing our approach of investing in specialized supply chain businesses operating in high-growth categories where scale, quality, and dependability matter. Good business is about backing great people and I couldn't believe more in this Western's team (Matt Bormann, Doug Hankes, Peter Sikorski, CPA, Brad Turasky and many more) and am excited to welcome Junior's to the family. As always, extremely grateful for the stellar Monogram team I had the pleasure to work alongside: Ryan Collins, Julia Barth, Sammy Tufeld, Matthew Adams and huge congrats to all! https://lnkd.in/gS2ZUSm5

394

I'm so proud of the Almond Board of California, and specifically the most energetic and committed team member, Guangwei Huang, on getting GRAS approval for using almond hulls in human foods and beverages. It's been a long journey of discovery and regulatory approval, but the final result is a testament to ABC's commitment to sustainability. This will be an upcycled ingredient with multiple uses once commercialized. We at Mattson: Innovation for the Food & Beverage Industry are proud of the small contributions we were able to bring to this endeavor. And we're hoping there will be more, because we can't wait to start using this new and novel ingredient for our clients!

68

1 Comment

We are so excited to be partnered with The Open Food Company and Harrys Famous Sauce! Thanks to the support of Gelson's Markets, Colin Thompson, Rich Gillmore, MS-FIL---Gelsons will be our first launch partner in Southern California! We were able to announce the new partnership on Good Morning America on Wednesday, August 13th! We also appreciate the partnership with GOURMET MERCHANTS INTERNATIONAL, who is moving quickly with us to get Harry's on store shelves! The CPG Collective is thrilled to partner with The Open Food Company, founded in 2024 by Emmy‑nominated actor Harry Hamlin and his classically trained chef niece and food industry veteran Renée Guilbault. They’ve launched what’s widely recognized as the first-ever open‑source packaged food company—and their flagship product, Harry’s Famous Sauce, sets a new standard for transparency and purpose ! What makes The Open Food Company unique? Radical transparency: Every ingredient, recipe, and cooking method is openly shared—scan a QR code and you’ve got the full recipe at your fingertips! Clean, accessible food: Sauces are crafted with simple, kitchen-found ingredients—no preservatives, no synthetics—delivering rich, restaurant-quality flavor in just minutes!  Impact built-in: Half of the net profits from Harry’s Famous go directly to hunger-relief organizations, including the LA Regional Food Bank, Project Angel Food, Food Bank for NYC, and The Open Door Food Pantry. To date, over $80K has been raised!  Ongoing innovation: From the beloved Rosemary Red Wine sauce to bold new flavors like Spicy Tarragon Vodka, Marinara No. 7, and Lemon Pepper Dill, the product line is rapidly evolving!  What truly stands out is how Harry and Renée have combined culinary expertise, mission-driven business, and radical openness to shift how we think about convenience foods. It’s refreshing, it’s purposeful—and it’s just the beginning....and we are so excited to be on the journey with this amazing team!

66

10 Comments

Bright Future for Bricks & Mortar Stores. Great piece covering Advise by John Walshe @ Retail Media Group, and highlighting: ·      Vast Majority of Grocery Sales still happen in Brick & Mortar Stores (80% plus) ·      CPG/ FMCG manufacturers are drowning in data and leaving enormous volumes and value on the shop floor, on the shelf, in the storeroom, with the competition, wasted… take your pick! ·      When manufacturers don’t engage with data they already have access to, they can’t automate processes, increase margins, increase efficiencies, reduce costs & retail talent. ·      Almost forgot… Manufacturers have to embrace AI, where it makes sense, like everyone else… 😊 See full article here: https://lnkd.in/erNY7bnH #cpganalytics #drowningindata #ecrireland #catmanglobal

36

Brown-Forman Forecasts 2026 Revenue & Profit Drop; Shares Plunge 15% Brown-Forman (NYSE: BF-B), maker of Jack Daniel’s, Woodford Reserve and Old Forester, warned investors yesterday that fiscal 2026 organic net sales and operating income will both decline in the low single digits. The guidance follows a 7% drop in Q3 (ended April 30) sales to US $894 million—well below analyst estimates of US $967 million—and earnings per share of US $0.31, missing the US $0.34 consensus. As a result, Brown-Forman’s shares fell 15% in early trading. Why it matters... Brown-Forman’s weak top-line warns that even iconic brands like Jack Daniel’s cannot fully insulate themselves from tightening consumer wallets. Brand teams must recalibrate marketing spend and consider targeted promotions to sustain demand. A 15 % stock drop signals channel partners to reforecast orders and negotiate terms. Off-premise buyers may shift to lower-price-point offerings or no/low-alcohol SKUs as mainstream premium spirits slow. TL/DR: When a premium-spirits stalwart like Brown-Forman flags a multi-year profit decline, it’s a sign of broader market headwinds—from consumer belt-tightening to tariff-driven cost pressures. Companies that diversify portfolios and reinforce cost discipline now will emerge stronger.

1

In uncertain times, consumers gravitate towards reliable brands. In a recent Take On the Week podcast episode by The Wall Street Journal, Markus Hansen shared insights about how food brands historically fare well during recessions, partially because consumers will remain loyal to their comfort foods (like Coca-Cola and Oreos) in times of economic distress. That makes total sense. So if you're a F&B founder, this is my reminder to you that now is the time to show up for your customers and double down on building and maintaining your relationships. Now is the time when marketing matters most. https://lnkd.in/gaemkTED

4

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

27

2 Comments