IFT17 to Feature Over 1,100 Exhibitors
Over 20,000 CPG manufacturers, marketers and formulators will gather next week (June 25-28) at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas for IFT17, the annual show for Institute of Food Technologists (IFT).
Headlines
Lain Hancock Named New Bai CEO
Parent company Dr Pepper Snapple Group (DPS) did not cite a reason or provide any further details regarding Ben Weiss’s departure from the brand he founded in 2009, but included a brief statement from the former CEO in a press release.
Ben Weiss Departs as Bai CEO
BevNET has learned that Bai Brands founder and CEO Ben Weiss has left the company. Although sources close to the company confirmed to BevNET that Weiss has departed, it’s unclear at this time whether he was dismissed by Dr Pepper Snapple Group (DPSG), which acquired Bai in February, or if he resigned.
Video: Bill Weiland Talks Bankable Trends in Beverage
In a wide ranging presentation on beverage trends, Weiland discusses topics such as the rapid growth of drinkable bone broths and fermented beverages, why cold brew coffee still has room to expand, and why he thinks tree waters are a way off from competing with coconut and watermelon waters.
Key Takeaways From Whole Foods’ Dialogue with Employees
Following the Friday announcement that e-commerce pioneer Amazon would be purchasing natural products retailer Whole Foods Market, there has been rampant discussion over what the merger means for the retailer and industry. In communications to team members, both through email and a “town hall meeting” at Whole Foods headquarters, some information has come to light.
Video: Why Whole Foods Centralized Purchasing Decisions
Three days prior to the blockbuster announcement that Amazon would acquire Whole Foods for $13.7 billion, Matt Jimenez, the senior category leader for Whole Foods’ global grocery team took the stage at BevNET Live Summer 2017 and discussed recent changes to the company’s grocery management structure and buying processes.
Emerging Flavor Trends On Display at BevNET Live Summer 2017
During last week's BevNET Live Expo, suppliers and flavoring companies took over the conference floor to showcase their latest innovations. Reporters from BevNET sister site Project NOSH walked the floor to survey exhibitors on what they think are the top trends of the flavor world right now.
Video: Rankings, Reviews, Keywords — E-Commerce Advice for Food & Beverage
In terms of setting up direct-to-consumer marketplaces, creating “full basket” solutions with Amazon Fresh, and simply providing a place for customers to search by keywords for specific products, the e-commerce titan has begun to exert an outsized influence in the ways consumers shop.
In-Depth: Why Amazon Scooped Up Whole Foods
In a deal that’s shaking the shopping experience for consumers, retailers, and food and beverage companies, Amazon’s scooping up of Whole Foods for $13.7 billion on Friday has hardened talk of large-scale disruption in the way consumers buy their groceries.
BevNET Live: E-Commerce Execs Discuss Surging Opportunity in Grocery
Amazon was also a prime subject for the first two speakers in an e-commerce discussion series at the just-concluded BevNET Live Summer 2017 event in New York this week.
Taste Radio Ep. 62: How KeVita Co-Founder Bill Moses Is Investing His Time & Money; Trendspotting at NOSH/BevNET Live
This edition of the Taste Radio podcast features an interview with KeVita co-founder and former CEO Bill Moses, who discussed the key elements of his investment philosophy and his work with upstart brands.
Amazon Announces Plans to Purchase Whole Foods
Amazon announced Friday that it will acquire Whole Foods Market for $42 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $13.7 billion, including Whole Food’s net debt.
Coffee Retailers Helping to Shape Nitro Market
As nitro cold brew moves out of boutique coffee houses and into the mainstream, brands are staking out footholds in this emerging market for both on-premise service and packaged products, and keeping the door open for as-yet-unexplored possibilities for infusing nitrogen into other beverages.
Recipe for Confusion: Kombucha Struggles With Ingredient Controversies
As the industry continues to mature, the manner in which individual brands choose to approach the issue of alcohol and sugar content in kombucha will likely play a significant role in determining the health of the category going forward.