Lauren Koston’s Post

Last year we were invited to Walmart HQ to pitch at #WalmartOpenCall 🔥 I sat humbled amongst hundreds of amazing entrepreneurs pitching thousands of exceptional products. I was one amongst many. Excited but nervous… for the biggest meeting of my life 😬 Everything we had worked so hard for came down to this. This moment. 30 minutes one v. one with a Walmart Merchant 👀 The next day I pitched and we got the YES… the “Golden Ticket” 🎉 A deal that would partner us with the worlds largest retailer… and put Grind Toothpaste on THE SHELF 🚀 In February we launched Grind in 365 stores across 49 states 📈 The work… “the grind” it took and continues to take to keep grind on the shelf is second to none. Today we’ve grown to 453 stores… But here is where it gets crazy 😜 Walmart invited us back to Walmart HQ 🤯 Not to pitch… but to speak to Suppliers that are preparing for the pitch of their lives. A humbling opportunity to share the Grind story and help the next cohort of suppliers 🙏 But this is what Grind is all about… It’s not about us, it’s never been… it’s about inspiring others to literally grind ⚒️ To that point, there is no greater honor than to be asked to speak in front of this amazing group of entrepreneurs with products poised to change the world. We are Grind. A small brand that’s one of over 100,000 suppliers Walmart partners with. But next week, for a brief moment, Grind will be one of a select few invited to Walmart HQ to be highlighted and to give back. Grind is a testament to hard work, grit, determination, and the will to NEVER QUIT. If we can do this, anyone can 🦾 Shout out to all the suppliers headed to #walmartopencall2023 you got this #justgrind #walmartopencall #usmanufacturing #walmart Grind Goods; Chef (Andre) Rush; Marques Ogden; Camron Brown; Jabari Ashe; Jay Grossman, DDS; Brandon Moreland; Princess Kaiulani Moreland

Going to the grocery store is a whole new ball game! As a consumer, I used to stroll in and browse around, looking for what I needed and maybe some new items to add to my cart. But as a CPG professional, my approach has changed. Now, I pay attention to category trends, store layout, employee count, displays and promotions, and more. I can never walk into a store that carries our product and not check on its performance, restock the shelves, work on getting an incremental display, and talk to the staff. When the product is doing well, the store is happy. But keeping all SKUs stocked can be tough. What used to be a quick in-and-out trip inevitably turns into a 30-60 minute visit of restocking, talking to the store team, and leaving the store better than I found it. My wife and family know this all too well. I usually break off when we get there and meet them at the register. While they shop, I work. Fellow CPGers, how has your visit to the grocery store changed? HOP WTR #cpg #founders #entrepreneurship

The second life of Foxtrot is set to begin with four Chicago locations.  According to city liquor license applications, the upscale convenience store chain's new ownership plans to reopen stores at 1722 West Division Street in Wicker Park; 1562 North Wells Street in Old Town; 23 West Maple Street in Gold Coast; and 171 North Green Street in Fulton Market. No reopening dates were listed, but the company told the Eater Chicago blog that more information should be available within days. News on Foxtrot's comeback arrives just months after the company abruptly closed down operations alongside the grocer Dom's Kitchen & Market, which joined forces with Foxtrot under the entity Outfox Hospitality in late 2023. The shutdown affected 33 Foxtrot locations and two Dom's grocery stores in the Chicago, Washington, D.C., Dallas and Austin, Texas, markets. Prior to its closure, Foxtrot was named one of the Top 10 Brands to Watch in 2024 by data analytics firm Placer.ai based on its then-steady growth, the merger with Dom's and the company's focus on local brands. | Progressive Grocer https://lnkd.in/gayyxwFf #retail #supermarkets #grocery #convenience #stores

When Foxtrot shut down last week, it was a huge shock to a lot of people. But it got me thinking... Did Foxtrot fully understand how to roll out stores in markets outside its home base? I’m in Austin. When Foxtrot opened its doors here I was pumped. I visited on Day 1, Day 5, and Day 15 to give it a chance. I became an early adopter. But the experience I had at Austin’s Foxtrot didn’t sound remotely close to the experience everyone else seemed to have in Chicago. For starters, the packaged food offerings didn’t differ very much from what I could find at Central Market, Sprouts, and Whole Foods. On each visit, I found a max of 4 employees. The prepared foods were “O.K.” And the ambiance was a bit cold – lacking people, conversations, inviting lighting... Honestly, it was kinda disappointing. I stopped going after my 3rd visit. Maybe my expectations were high coming from places like Erewhon in LA, but I really wanted Foxtrot to impress me. The way Dan Frommer and Andrea Hernández talked about the business made me want Foxtrot to become my go-to spot. The stores even served as an awesome platform for unique, emerging CPG brands to reach retail shelves at far less cost, facing much lower competitive barriers. So where did Foxtrot go wrong? One place in my opinion: I don’t think they were adapting their rollout plans to fit specific markets. It was a lack of segmentation and understanding of their market needs that was a killer. There’s tough competition in Texas for specialized grocery stores. Companies like Central Market do very well and have a strong hold over the space. And while Foxtrot was never a direct competitor to Central Market as it’s a corner store concept, consumers here go big for everything; Texans just prefer larger stores over smaller, niche options. To me, it seems like if Foxtrot wanted to successfully position itself against these bigger competitors, it would have needed to learn more about the markets it entered, and then customize its offerings accordingly. But I’d love to hear about your experiences at a Foxtrot outside Chicago! Was my experience just an outlier? #cpg #dtc #foxtrot

The closing of grocery stores in DC, Maryland, VA, and other states sheds light on the need for more conversation and funding to support alternate models of food access. While it doesn't signify a move away from full-service grocery stores, exploring alternate models is crucial in addressing the increasing number of closures. Stay tuned for insights in our upcoming annual grocery store report! #foodaccess #grocerystore #foodinsecurity

Increased Sales By 640% At A Whole Foods Market (NYC) Location… From Selling 42 Bars/Week To 311 Bars/Week. Here’s the case study (the why): 1. Fact base selling: Win/Win mentality. (Showing their team data of why we deserve more space in store, showing how much we can increase sales by executing our playbook). 2. Visibility is key: (Multi stacks and multi facings of the bars where applicable). 3. Showing love/care: (We hired a rep to go into stores to help the managers execute work). 4. Maintained levels of stock: (Our internal rep is making sure we have proper levels of stock). 5. Trust with store: (We built a relationship with store manager and staff). We went from a top corner in the fridge with no stock: To 2 spots in store, multi stacked wide/deep and fully stocked up. If we can execute this store by store we can 3-8x our sales.   Our internal team is starting to execute this strategy in every chain. Alex Trinh, Nick Saltarelli and Lisa Wu… Y’all are warriors. Especially our NYC rep Lisa Wu, you’re a rockstar! Thank you to the managers and store staff at Whole Foods Market (NYC: Columbus Circle). Brought to you by Mid-Day Squares case study series team. #retail #wholefoods #amazon #grocery #foodandbeverage #founders #entrepreneurship #newyork #usa #cpg #sales 

The Kid Who Invented Walmart!!!!! 😦😱 From humble beginnings to global retail dominance, the story of Sam Walton and the birth of Walmart is nothing short of extraordinary. 💼💡 📈 Born into a family of struggling farmers during the Great Depression, Sam Walton learned the value of hard work from an early age. His journey from milking cows to building an empire is a testament to resilience and entrepreneurship. 🌾🌟 💡 Armed with a strong work ethic and a keen eye for opportunity, Sam seized his chance to enter the retail world. With the support of his father-in-law, he opened his first Ben Franklin store in Newport, Arkansas, laying the groundwork for what would become Walmart. 💰🏪 🔍 Despite facing setbacks and tough lessons along the way, including a landlord dispute that saw him kicked out of his first location, Sam persevered. With determination and innovation, he transformed a small-town shop into a retail juggernaut. 💥🛒 💼 Sam's vision of offering low prices in small communities revolutionized the retail industry. By strategically placing Walmart stores in rural areas, he captured the hearts of customers and fended off competition, propelling Walmart to rapid expansion. 🌍💼 🔑 But with success came scrutiny. Allegations of predatory business practices and labour disputes threatened to derail Walmart's rise to the top. Yet, Sam's unwavering commitment to his vision and his ability to navigate challenges kept Walmart on course. 💪🛠️ 🏆 Today, Walmart stands as the largest company in the world, with billions in revenue and millions of employees worldwide. Sam Walton's legacy lives on, inspiring entrepreneurs and reshaping the retail landscape for generations to come. 🌟🌱 It's a story of resilience, innovation, and the power of one man's vision. 💼💡 Let's salute Sam Walton - the ultimate retail pioneer! 🚀🛍️ #Walmart #Entrepreneurship #SuccessStory

Did you make it to Foxtrot? If so, what was your experience in Austin? Seems that Blue won the battle...for now 🌟 Royal Blue Grocery thrives amid Foxtrot Market's closure: 📉 Foxtrot Market's sudden shutdown in Austin didn't impact Royal Blue Grocery, which continues to succeed after 18 years. 📍 Royal Blue operates seven stores in downtown Austin and one in San Antonio, catering to a diverse clientele. 📊 Targets a 37% profit margin annually and added a commissary kitchen to boost profits through ready-to-eat foods. 🚀 Co-owner Craig Staley credits slow and steady growth vs. Foxtrot's rapid expansion with heavy fundraising but fewer stores. 🙏 Received positive customer feedback post-Foxtrot's exit, with some patrons asking Royal Blue to take over vacated locations. 🛠️ Staley and co-owner George Scariano started from humble beginnings and grew the business by recognizing and seizing market opportunities. 📈 Despite a challenging year, Royal Blue's sales are rebounding, with strategic expansion plans in place for Austin's developing areas. Interested in what is happening in the Austin Real Estate Market? Call or text 512.949.1418 or [email protected] #RoyalBlueGrocery #AustinBusiness #ShopLocal #EntrepreneurSuccess #GrowthMindset #CommunitySupport #MarketTrends #RetailInnovation #SustainableBusiness #AustinCommercialRealEstate #CommercialRealEstate #RetailSpace #OfficeSpace #AustinBusiness #InvestInAustin #CRE #PropertyManagement #AustinRetail #DowntownAustin #ATXRealEstate #AustinOffices #EastAustin #WarehouseAustin #AustinLandlords #AustinTenants

It was Christmas 2008 & I was buying one of Tesco’s largest categories, but I knew something had to change. I’d been buying for over 10 years & was now leading the Spirits category, which as well as being very big, is also one of the most seasonal in the Store.  So HUGE uplifts in the last 6 weeks of the year. We’d done it (again).  All the big plans executed, trade drivers landed, availability where it should be. But the thrill was gone.  It used to be doing the big deals that energised me, but increasingly it was now the plan, the analysis, the thinking, the strategy. The satisfaction of doing the work to properly understand: - what different consumers wanted - how the Shopper shopped - what was really driving category performance - and how it could be improved. Doing all that work and seeing it land in Store & deliver what we wanted it to do. Optima Retail wasn’t the plan at that stage – my first non-buying role was to project manage the Tesco Range Customer plan, working with Dunnhumby to improve ranging across the Store & launch Shelf Review. It was, however, the start. The moment which I can look back on which started the journey, which led to leaving Tesco 4 years later, and which ultimately is the reason I’m here doing this today, another 12 years on. Ever since I got my first lesson in category management, long before that moment in Tesco, I’ve been fascinated by how categories work.  How a good range is built, and the mistakes the bad ones make. By the levers you can pull to unlock new category growth. By the fact there are ALWAYS opportunities to improve… And by the art of taking all that data & insight & crafting it into simple, but compelling stories that inspire. So that’s what we now do. For me taking the best bits of Buying – which honestly at the time was probably less than a quarter of my week.  And now doing it full time, all week, all year.  Running a small business is not easy.   There’s been a lot of ups and downs. But ultimately the challenge isn’t you vs the market, its you vs you. There’s always a way through, always a solution. And when you are doing something you love, and you’re all in, I guess it just makes you push that little bit harder until you find it. #categorymanagement #Entrepreneurship #CareerJourney Tesco HQ Photo : Gordon Joly via Wikimedia Commons

Today, Fareway operates in seven states across the Midwest, including Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota – and soon to be Wisconsin. Store sizes – modest by most definitions – vary from 8,000 to 36,000 square feet. They operate under several banners – Fareway Meat and Grocery, Fareway Meat Market and its online business, FarewayMeatMarket.com. Not an operator to follow the trends for the sake of simply following them, under his leadership Cramer has made sure that if Fareway signs off on doing something new it is because the idea is worthy of doing. And then once committed, the company puts 150 percent effort behind the idea to make it happen. It is this ability to pivot when needed and an unwavering set of principles that has helped Fareway not only succeed but thrive in today’s retail market.