Honored to share my perspective in @owentuckersmith’s latest @WSJ story on how Amazon is reshaping Whole Foods Market through new grocery experiments like the Amazon Grocery pilot in Chicago. “Why let all those food dollars go out the door? We already have these people in the building—let’s try to grab the dollars for these less healthy purchases.” A fascinating look at the evolving grocery landscape. 🔗 wsj.com/business/retail/whol…

I participated in Jane Grismer's original Focus 39 cohort last year. The biggest benefit wasn't motivation - it was clarity. One goal. One focus. Consistent progress. If you've ever felt stuck starting over on the same goal, take a look: focus39.com.

I stopped posting videos for months after one comment. Then an 8-second clip I almost didn’t post got ~45K views. That experience completely changed how I think about content. I shared the full story on the Smart Passive Income podcast with @PatFlynn smartpassiveincome.com/sessi…

Amazon is shutting down Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go and refocusing on Whole Foods. I visited an Amazon Fresh store last fall, and in hindsight the challenges were already visible: big, clean stores, but unclear positioning and light foot traffic. It felt caught between premium and price. This reset fits a broader Amazon pattern: experiment in physical retail, then quickly exit formats that don’t deliver. Whole Foods’ strong brand trust and consistent traffic make it the clearer bet as Amazon doubles down on grocery same-day delivery. #AmazonFresh #WholeFoods #RetailTrends

🎁 Chicago Foodie Holiday Gift Ideas 🎄✨ Shopping for friends, coworkers, or anyone who misses Chicago? These homegrown treats are always a hit 👇 🍿 Garrett Popcorn — CaramelCrisp® forever 🍫 Vosges Haut-Chocolat — bold flavors beautiful packaging ✨ Carolyn’s Krisps — 100% plant-based with the look of a cookie & crisp crunch of a cracker 🎁 Here Here Market x The Hatchery Chicago — indie makers to love Perfect for stocking stuffers, hostess gifts, teachers, neighbors, care packages — and anyone who loves Chicago flavors. #Chicago #ShopLocal #ChicagoFood

Holiday kitchen gift ideas 🎁🍽️ Three of these stood out to me at the 2025 edition of The Inspired Home Show @TIH_Show (#TIHS25), with one notable recent launch: ☕ Jura Z10 — luxury at-home coffee with hot & cold specialties (new model) ☕ xBloom Studio — pour-over precision meets smart design 🇰🇷 KimchiMama — a slim kimchi refrigerator built for fermentation 🎨 Dash x Peanuts — collectible small appliances celebrating Peanuts’ 75th anniversary Together, they show how kitchen innovation today spans specialty coffee, cultural appliances, and pop-culture gifting.

Gut health went big at the 2025 #PLMA Show — driven by metabolic health, digestive wellness & the Poppi/Olipop effect 🥤✨ Standouts on the @PLMA_USA show floor: 1️⃣ FedUp Foods – 6g fiber, 1B CFU probiotics, 5g sugar 2️⃣ Live Organic Soda – a tri-biotic blend of pre pro postbiotics 3️⃣ Chef Seasons – Fiber Boost Crunch (chia, flax, psyllium, seeds) 4️⃣ Taste of Nature – savory nut-based snack balls with 2–3g sugar Gut health is now mainstream — spanning beverages, snacks & pantry staples — and a major private-label opportunity heading into 2026. Full PLMA Show recap for @FoodInstitute ⬇️ foodinstitute.com/focus/3-ke… #PLMA2025 #PrivateLabel #StoreBrands #GutHealth #FoodTrends

Tasting @Torani’s new Forest Pine, 2026 Flavor of the Year was a fun sensory flight. 🌲✨ I tested it in: 🍵 matcha ☕ cold brew 🔥 hot instant coffee 🍋 pine lemonade 🍋 ☕ pine lemonade topped with cold brew Each drink pulled out something different—bright citrusy notes in lemonade, softness in matcha, and woodsy aromatics in cold brew.

Having fun watching @BevNET Live’s New Beverage Showdown Finals! Watch the livestream today (Dec. 9) at: bevnet.com/livestream/bevnet… #bevnetlive

If you want to learn more about the PLMA Show, check out my @PLMA_USA Show recap for @FoodInstitute : foodinstitute.com/focus/3-ke…

NOSH Live delivered 🔥 last week. Monica Watrous of @noshdotcom led one of the best “how to scale fast-growth brands” panels I’ve seen. Featuring: ✨Eugene Kang (Archer Snacks) ✨Hailey Swartz (Actual Veggies) ✨ Laurel Orley (Daily Crunch) Congrats to Archer, a 2025 NOSH Rising Star! 🎉 I keep spotting them everywhere — Costco, Target, NACS Show… even a bus wrap outside the PLMA Show. If you’re in non-alcoholic beverages: 👉 Watch BevNET Live livestream FREE today & tomorrow: bevnet.com/livestream/bevnet… Speakers from Poppi, Celsius, Spindrift, Suja, Health-Ade & more. Don’t miss it. #BevNETLive #NoshLive

Grateful for community 💛 Moments from the 2025 #PLMA Show Trade shows are busy, but it’s the people who make them meaningful. A few highlights from my two days at @PLMA_USA's “Store Brands Marketplace” in Rosemont: ✨ Chatting with PLMA President Peggy Davies — her warmth leadership set the tone for the show. ✨ Quick catch-up with Ron Dulin — always great to talk shop and life. ✨ Seeing Jenny Yang from Phoenix Bean/Jenny’s Tofu — and she surprised me with an amazing tofu goody bag. ✨ A fun stop at Talerico Bakery (yes, I absolutely posed with a donut 🍩). These small moments — the conversations between sessions, the unexpected run-ins, the shared laughs — are what make long show days (and long walks!) worth it. If we crossed paths at the PLMA Show and didn’t get a photo, let’s fix that next time. 💛 #PLMA2025 #PrivateLabel #StoreBrands #ChicagoFood

Dubai-style chocolate was everywhere at @PLMA_USA's Annual Private Label Trade Show 🍫✨ Think: pistachio cream chocolate crispy kadaifi — the viral flavor/texture combo that took TikTok by storm. Exhibitors stretched the trend far beyond bars: 🍨 GS Gelato Dubai-style chocolate gelato with pistachio gelato, chocolate gelato, a pistachio ribbon & kataifi bark. 🍧 Eurekah Food / Khladoprom Sp. z o.o. Chewy mochi pistachio ice cream chocolate notes — a cultural crossover hit. 🍬 Chocolatier Vandenbulcke Mini Belgian seashells filled with pistachio cream & crispy kadaifi. 🌯 Emilia Foods Srl Soft chocolate crepes filled with pistachio cream crispy kadayif — plus Dubai-Style Bon Bons (pistachio gelato, pistachio cream, dark chocolate, crispy kadayif). 🍿 Big Dipper Food Co. Pistachio chocolate popcorn bringing Dubai-inspired indulgence to snacking. 🍦 EverGreen USA LLC “Just the Fun Part” mini cones with velvety pistachio cream, milk chocolate & roasted kadaifi. Why it matters: ✔ global flavor recognition ✔ multi-texture indulgence ✔ social-media-ready ✔ fits frozen, confectionery & snacking ✔ premium but accessible Full PLMA Show recap for @FoodInstitute ➡️ foodinstitute.com/focus/3-ke… #PLMA #PLMA2025 #PrivateLabel #StoreBrands #Chocolate #FoodTrends #GlobalFlavors #Confectionery

What are the 3 shopper mindsets shaping food and beverage purchases? At @PLMA_USA's Annual Private Label Trade Show, Hunter Thurman (Alpha-Diver fellow @FoodInstitute contributor) broke it down: 1️⃣ Simplifier Wants clarity speed. Responds to clean, consistent packaging cues. “They don’t want to read unit prices and build a spreadsheet.” 2️⃣ Explorer Seeks novelty discovery. Over-indexes among Gen Z Hispanic shoppers. A great example: switching rounded → triangular shapes on a promo display increased sales 10% because sharp shapes signal “this is new.” 3️⃣ Harmonizer Wants social reassurance: “Will my household like this?” Leans on trust cues—ratings, guarantees, staff picks. 🧠 Why it matters: Private label’s next wave won’t be price-led. It will be psychology-led — shaped by how shoppers feel when they reach for store brands. Full PLMA Show recap in my @FoodInstitute article ⬇️ foodinstitute.com/focus/3-ke… #PLMA #PLMA2025 #PrivateLabel #StoreBrands #ConsumerInsights #RetailTrends #BehavioralScience

7 Things to Know About Lidl US (from CEO Joel Rampoldt’s @PLMA_USA's Annual Private Label Trade Show keynote): 1️⃣ ~200 stores on the East Coast 9 states (VA, NC, SC, MD, PA, GA, NJ, DE, NY) DC • 5,000 employees • Entered US in 2017. 2️⃣ Part of Schwarz Group World’s 4th-largest retailer: 12,500 stores, 31 countries. “We are an entrée into a massive retail company.” 3️⃣ Operating mantra: Simple → Fast → Low Cost Minimal staffing, tight ops, replicable stores = lower prices. 4️⃣ Curated assortment ~3,300 core items • 80% private label • 85% sourced in North America. 5️⃣ Shelf-ready packaging matters “Why stack 1 can when you can place 12 at once?” SRP = less labor, better execution, more velocity. 6️⃣ Fresh builds loyalty “If the first basket includes produce or bakery, the chance of a return visit is much higher.” 7️⃣ Actively seeking long-term supplier partners “We want continuity. We want to reward performance. We want long-term partnerships.” Full PLMA Show recap for @FoodInstitute ➡️ foodinstitute.com/focus/3-ke… #PLMA #PLMA2025 #PrivateLabel #RetailTrends #Lidl

Did you miss the 2025 PLMA (@PLMA_USA) Show in Rosemont, IL — North America’s biggest private label event? I walked the full 3,000-booth floor for @FoodInstitute. Here are the 3 trends shaping private label: 1️⃣ Protein Plus — collagen, fiber & creatine now layered into coffees, smoothie cubes, bars snacks 2️⃣ Gut Health — prebiotic/probiotic sodas fiber-forward snacks go mainstream 3️⃣ Dubai-Style Chocolate — pistachio kadaifi flavors show up in crepes, gelato, mochi & more Full recap ➡️ foodinstitute.com/focus/3-ke… #PLMA #PLMA2025 #PrivateLabel #StoreBrands #FoodTrends