There’s scalable growth, and then there’s growth on a massive scale. The first is nice for a while, but the second is where legacy-making businesses ultimately play.
That massive scale side of the ledger is where Jack Sinclair operates. Retired in March after a seven-year run leading Walmart’s grocery operations, Sinclair will be joining BevNET Live on June 2 and 3 to discuss ways innovative brands can think about massive growth strategies. Sinclair’s years of experience in food and beverage retailing with Tesco, Safeway, and Walmart, and recent work in partnering with innovative brands, mean that he is uniquely positioned to speak to strategies that can help entrepreneurs understand how to prepare themselves for the most massive scale there is: call it “Walmart Scale.”
Certainly, with much of the buzz coming from bespoke, incubation-fostered brands, the idea of moving an entrepreneurial beverage into the world’s largest retailers can be daunting. For some companies, it can even be a cause for some soul searching. But among impactful, independent CPG companies, a willingness to embrace Walmart and its large-scale brethren comprises the dividing line between being a trend in a Whole Foods and a permanent part of the consumer shopping list. Some of the best-known food and beverage success stories — Chobani, 5-Hour Energy, Vita Coco, and others — have been able to ramp up from much smaller retail footprints in order to meet the Walmart challenge.
During his presentation, Sinclair will explore and explain case studies of brands that have been able to successfully grow on a massive scale — the Walmart Scale — while also enumerating the operational and strategic hurdles they will face as they attempt that kind of expansion. A jocular advisor and storyteller, Sinclair will also join the panel of judges for BevNET Live’s New Beverage Showdown, offering ideas and feedback for brands that hope to be able to turn innovation into a lasting legacy.
BevNET Live New York will take place on June 2 and 3 at the Metropolitan West at 639 W. 46th Street in Manhattan. Seats are still available — please contact Jon Landis at jlandis@bevnet.com to register. Sponsorship opportunities may also be arranged by contacting John McKenna at jmckenna@bevnet.com.
About Jack Sinclair
In March 2015 Jack Sinclair retired from his position as Executive Vice President at Walmart after being responsible for the world’s largest grocery business for over seven years. Starting his career at Shoppers Paradise in London, Mr. Sinclair has worked in the grocery sector for over 30 years. As well as working with Walmart in the U.S., he has held senior retail positions in the U.K., serving both Tesco and Safeway in Merchandising, Marketing and Operations positions. He has extensive experience working with both large and small manufacturers to launch and develop new products across all food and drink categories.
About BevNET Live
The BevNET Live program is designed to help entrepreneurial beverage companies of all sizes explore potential strategies for growth while building community. Speakers address the problems and challenges associated with moving across channels of trade, building established organizations, and consider capital structures that can fuel long-term success. Thought leaders like investors, retailers, distributors, suppliers, marketers and entrepreneurs join in moderated conversations and case studies designed to provide executable ideas for innovative beverage companies that are trying to reach their next level, while also sharing and enjoying networking in a highly collegial environment.