POI Pulse, August 8, 2014

Kraft’s Vernon on Trade Spending & Discipline
Source: (Food Navigator August 1, 2014)

Trade spending is not delivering in the way that it used to, and if the food industry wants to deliver profitable growth, it needs to reallocate resources into bigger and better innovations and brand-building – which “requires discipline”, says Kraft Foods Group boss Tony Vernon. The food industry is caught up in a promotional trap, says Kraft CEO: ‘All of us have to realize it’s not the long-term way to run a business’ Learn more

Online Grocery Delivery Battle Rages On
Source: (IBTimes August 1, 2014)
The fight for the online grocery delivery market is heating up as more and more players enter the ring, and the topic drew attention this week with the Wednesday announcement that Whole Foods is getting in on the action.
Learn more

Join 250+ of Your Peers at POI Summit in Dallas! 

Your next opportunity to learn, network, and advance at the   POI Fall Summit is November 2-4 in Dallas, TX.  The agenda will once again be advanced (view the updated agenda here),  and make your plans now to attend, as the POI April 2014 Summit was sold out!
More than 250 CPG and Retailers will join us —

Teams Taking advantage of early registration include:
Kraft Foods, Coca-Cola, Alcon, Starbucks, Pinnacle Foods, Nestle, Stubbs BBQ, Johnson & Johnson, Utz Quality Foods, Kraft, ACH Foods, Pictsweet, Hormel, Clorox, Tyson, Lowes Foods, Unilever, Turkey Hill, Post Foods, 3M, Kellogg’s, PepsiCo, Philips Consumer, Dannon, 7-Eleven, JM Smucker, Church & Dwight, Busch Bros., Topco, Keurig Green Mountain, Continental Mills, P&G, AAFES, Ventura Foods, Michael Angelos, Hillshire Brands, Campbell Soup, Kroger, Jarden, Tree Top, Hormel, Musco Family Olive, ConAgra, Windsor Foods, Ainsworth Pet Nutrition, Del Monte, Rich Products, Whole Foods Markets, Mckee Foods, Bi Lo Holdings, and many others.  By now you should have received your invitation. If not, reach me today at mkantor@p-o-i.org

Campbell’s Morrison: ‘A New Normal is Coming ‘
Source: (Food Bus. News July 22, 2014)

“Retailers have responded to soft consumption and center store categories by driving inventory rationalizations which have adversely affected food producers, and you know across the industry, promotional activity in retail stores has failed to generate the expected volume lifts. In this difficult environment, we are seeing continued consolidation in the packaged food industry, both retail and food service, as competitors seek synergies and the advantages of scale.” Learn more

P&G To Shed More Than Half Of Its Brands
Source: (Ad Age August 1, 2014)
Lafley said that P&G will focus on 70 to 80 consumer brands, including Tide and Pampers, which together account for some 90% of the company’s sales and 95% of profits, and either divest or find ways to exit between 90 to 100 smaller brands. “We are going to create a faster growing, more profitable company that’s far simpler to operate,” he said. Learn more

10 Things Americans Have Stopped Buying
Source: (Time/Money July 26, 2014)

For a variety of reasons-including but not limited to increased health consciousness, the harried pace of modern-day life, and plain old shifting consumer preferences,-Americans have scaled back on purchases of many items, sometimes drastically so. Here’s a top 10 list of things we’re not buying anymore, at least not anywhere near as frequently as we used to. Learn more

Candidates Gain Collaboration Skills w/ POI SJU
Source: (POI CCM at SJU December 3-4, 2014)

If you plan to contribute more effectively, lead a customer team, or retail marketing team, you need to know all sides of the desk, and the CCM educational curriculum is the proven experience to ensure you’re skills are current. Enroll today!

Trading partners are coming to POI at SJU to learn the skills necessary, and be certified to collaborate effectively…  The next orientation begins December 3-4. Learn more, and enroll today!

Grocers’ Sales Grow Faster than Profits
Source: (Retailing Today August 1, 2014)

Publix Super Markets and Weis Markets reported respectable second quarter sales growth, but profits were harder to come by. Learn more