Great relationships do not just happen. Great relationships do not happen just because you have a great product. Relationships with customers are the result of a lot of work and take time to develop. So often when we see a producer or a processor’s business, they view the customer (retailers) as an intermediary between their great product […]
Continue readingGetting on the same page with your customers is one of the best things you can do. You might not always like the page they are on, but you need to be there. I cannot tell you how many times suppliers think they are doing a great job and retailers perceive something different. It will […]
Continue readingSuccess in the food industry requires you to support two masters: customers and consumers. My observation would be producers and processors focus more on consumers than customers. I appreciate why they do this; consumers are usually easier to work with and it is more rewarding to share your products with people who are appreciative. It […]
Continue readingI have read that the pandemic accelerated change in many industries and there are certainly examples of this in food and beverage. When change happens this quickly, suppliers need to ensure they are focused on both consumers and customers. It is important to understand consumer trends and how they will impact your sales. In recent […]
Continue readingIn the past when we talked about where people buy food and beverage it was a conversation about: Retail vs. food service Traditional grocery vs. discount vs. large store vs. mass vs. club vs. specialty Wholesaler vs. selling direct In 2020 an entire new channel emerged as a viable option for food and beverage in Canada which is online […]
Continue readingGiven the amount of change in society in the last 12 months, the reason people buy your products might have changed. One of the subtle differences we spend a lot of time on at SKUFood is the difference between features and benefits. Your customers and consumers want your products for the benefits they deliver, not […]
Continue readingHard to believe it has been a year since I stopped into a grocery store on Friday March 13, 2020 because we needed a few things. The store was crazy and people were grabbing almost anything they could find. It was so tempting to ask them if they really needed the products they were buying […]
Continue readingWe are approaching the one year anniversary of the panic buying and so many other changes to our food and beverage industry. March 5 last year I was speaking to a room with 350 people in it about food trends for 2020. To be honest, I think I might have missed a few based on […]
Continue readingWe know the challenges of the pandemic changed a lot in the food industry in 2020 and they continue to impact the entire value chain in 2021. Priorities changed as the focus shifted to getting products produced, processed and available at retail. One of the trends that got pushed aside during 2020 was sustainability. This has […]
Continue readingIt is no secret service level is important in the food industry. If your product is not in the store, when it will sell, then you and the retailer lose. That is basic retailing. Making it happen is what separates the successful suppliers and retailers from the rest of the pack. The events of 2020 elevated […]
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