434. Legally Addicted: Caffeine, Sugar, and the Corporations That Profit From Both
The episode exposes how the coffee and soft‑drink giants—especially Starbucks, Coca‑Cola and PepsiCo—have deliberately increased caffeine and sugar levels to create a mass‑addiction market worth roughly $600 billion, while funding research that downplays health risks. It details the physiological dependence on caffeine, its withdrawal symptoms, and the cardiovascular, bone, sleep, and reproductive harms of high‑dose consumption, as well as the hidden dangers of BPA and aluminum leaching from cans. The host also links personal health struggles to broader corporate practices, highlighting how loyalty apps and aggressive marketing engineer consumer cravings. Ultimately, the discussion underscores the need for informed choices and regulatory reform.
Partners in Driving Brand Growth with Kroger Precision Marketing's Barbara Connors & Brian Dowey
In this episode, Barbara Connors and Brian Dowey of Kroger Precision Marketing discuss the newly unified KPM portfolio that combines insights, media, and loyalty to break down silos and drive brand growth. They explain how genuine alignment between CPG brands...
Naked Farmer CEO Jordan Johnson
In this episode, James Cook talks with Jordan Johnson, founder and CEO of Naked Farmer, about how the fast‑casual chain delivers farm‑fresh, seasonally‑driven meals across multiple Southeast markets. Johnson explains the brand’s model of partnering directly with local farms, rotating...
Purpose-Driven Growth with MadTree Brewing's John FitzGerald
In this episode, John FitzGerald, Senior Director of Growth at MadTree Brewing, shares how he applies big‑brand CPG principles—customer obsession, data‑driven innovation, and category‑management thinking—to scale a craft brewery. He explains how MadTree balances rigorous consumer insight with rapid “fail‑fast”...
The 'Carbone of Indian Food' And Colostrum In A Can
The episode spotlights two emerging CPG brands: Gymkhana Fine Foods, the "Carbone of Indian food," which is launching premium Indian sauces and marinades in U.S. Whole Foods stores after a $8.5 million Series A led by Cavu Consumer Partners, and Armra, a...
Raising Cane’s Secret Recipe for Scaling, with CEO Todd Graves
In this episode of Masters of Scale, Todd Graves, co‑founder and CEO of Raising Cane’s, recounts how he turned a simple chicken‑finger concept into a multibillion‑dollar fast‑food chain. He emphasizes the power of relentless focus on a single, craveable product,...
Total Market Measurement with NielsenIQ's Kim Cox & Richard Pereira
In this episode, NielsenIQ’s Kim Cox and Richard Pereira discuss how retail measurement is evolving beyond traditional point‑of‑sale data to capture the full omnichannel consumer journey. They explain how AI and machine learning are automating data integration and insight generation,...
Dairy Queen’s AI Drive-Thru Actually Works | Fast Five Shorts
The episode examines Dairy Queen’s rollout of a voice‑AI drive‑thru system developed with Presto Phoenix, which now operates in the host’s local store and is slated for expansion to franchise locations across at least 25 U.S. states and Canadian provinces....
Behind the Scenes of London's Most Influential Restaurant Group W/ Songsoo Kim
In this episode, Adam Coughlin talks with Songsoo Kim, head of sourcing and development at London’s Super 8 restaurant group, about her multicultural upbringing and how it shapes her role linking growers, suppliers, and chefs. Kim explains the group’s innovative “feedback‑loop”...
Protein Ice Cream Brands Scoop Up Cash
In this episode of CPG Week, Brad Avery and Lucas Southard discuss the rapid growth of online grocery sales, highlighting a new FMI and Nielsen IQ report that projects e‑commerce to reach $452 billion by 2028 and to outpace brick‑and‑mortar growth....
Grocery Automation Is Back on Retailers’ Radar with Ocado CEO Tim Steiner | WRC 2026
In this WRC 2026 interview, Ocado CEO Tim Steiner explains how grocery fulfillment is diverging worldwide, with the UK dominated by scheduled delivery, France by pickup, and the US split between the two. He argues that large‑scale, centralized automation works...
E642: Here’s the SOP On How to Actually Make Millions with Supplements
In this episode, host Dave interviews John Smitty of NutraMarketers about the massive U.S. supplement market—roughly $33 million in daily Amazon sales, or about $1 billion a month. They break down a step‑by‑step SOP for small brands or solopreneurs, emphasizing problem‑focused product...
Exploring Armada’s Recipe for Resilience & High-Performing Teams with Kim Hadlum, VP of Inventory Planning at Armada Supply Chain Solutions
In this episode of Unpacked, Insights, VP of Inventory Planning Kim Hadlam discusses how Armada Supply Chain Solutions builds resilient, high‑performing teams for restaurant clients. She highlights the unique challenges of food‑service inventory—perishability, yield variability, and a vast SKU mix—and...
Aldi’s New Store Format Could Accelerate Growth | Fast Five Shorts
Aldi South is piloting a new globally unified store format in the U.S., developed over 14 years with Australian design firm Landini Associates and already being tested in Florida. The modular, adaptable design aims to boost brand consistency and enable...
Walmart’s GLP-1 Strategy Could Reshape Grocery | Fast Five Shorts
Walmart is expanding its Better Care Services platform to integrate weight‑management support for customers using GLP‑1 drugs, linking its 4,600 pharmacy locations with virtual care, dietitian services, AI coaching, and same‑day delivery. Guest Ben explains that GLP‑1 usage could rise...