Carol Ortenberg

Posts by Carol Ortenberg

‘Shocked and Abhorred’: Industry Reacts to Inequality, Violence

In response to the death of George Floyd, some of the country’s largest food and beverage companies, as well as a large group of entrepreneurs and emerging brands, have offered statements of support, financial donations to advocacy groups and commitments to open a dialogue about racial justice in America.

Watch: Why Now Is the “Perfect Time” For CBD Regulations Overhaul

While both the CBD and cannabis industries have attracted increased attention from consumers, investors and retailers alike, brands within these categories still face a range of unique operational challenges. Jeremy Goldstein, the COO and co-founder of both CBD brand Caliper Foods and Cannabis company Stillwater Brands, sees the potential for massive growth if the FDA “gets off its hands.”

Watch: Alex Marx of KeHe Talks Innovation, Promotion and Planning

In this video, NOSH editor Carol Ortenberg spoke with Alex Marx, director of category management for KeHe, about how he has seen the retail industry shift and how innovation has a key role to play in helping the market to recover from disruption.

PepsiCo Launches Two D2C Platforms To Meet Consumer Demand

PepsiCo is pivoting to meet consumer demand online with the launch of two new ecommerce platforms — snacks.com and pantryshop.com. The two storefronts will allow the company to give consumers easy access to the familiar and “comforting” brands they are seeking out during the Covid-19 pandemic, said Gibu Thomas, SVP and head of ecommerce for PepsiCo.

Summer Fancy Food Show Cancelled

Following a deluge of other food and beverage show cancellations and delays, the Specialty Food Association (SFA) announced today that its Summer Fancy Food Show will be cancelled. The tradeshow was slated to run June 28 through 30 in New York City.

Cannabis, CBD Brands Feel Impact of COVID-19

The coronavirus outbreak has come amidst a steadily increasing number of CBD and legal cannabis products and. Many brands from both the THC and CBD sides of the ledger quickly found sales growth as consumers rushed to stockpile goods from nearly all CPG sectors, but cannabis suppliers and entrepreneurs are now wondering what their industry will look like once the crisis passes.

Passover Sales Feel Impact of COVID

Covid-19 has upended many traditional consumer shopping habits, including how holidays are celebrated. Brands that look to these events as major sales drivers, such as Kosher food company Kayco, are keeping a close eye on how the pandemic will impact their annual forecasts.

SBA Issues Guidance on Affiliation Rules, Uncertainty Remains

After a week when companies, investment firms and trade groups sought clarity as to whether venture-backed companies can receive loans via the newly issued Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the Small Business Association (SBA) issued further details on Friday. However, while the document does provide some clarification, many questions still remain unanswered.

New Fund Coefficient Capital to Back Omnichannel Businesses

It’s not just what you sell that makes or breaks a brand, but where you sell it. That’s the thesis behind venture firm Coefficient Capital, which last week announced it had raised $170 million for its first fund.

Bend, Don’t Break: Small Brands Plans Change with Coronavirus

While many established companies are bearing up under the storm thus far, small entrepreneurial brands, from early stage startups to regional players, who often have less distribution to start, are feeling the pain from retail disruptions. However, amidst lost supermarket sales or cancelled expansion plans, online is providing a possible bright spot for these brands.

Distributors, Retailers Seek to Add Labor, While Foodservice Declines

Even as the coronavirus has ground most of the U.S. economy to a near stop, food and beverage suppliers and retailers — deemed an essential business by state and federal governments — are running at full speed, and looking to expand.