The CPG Guys Fast Forward Bryan Gildenberg

Amazon released an outstanding Q4 with strong growth in sales and profitability driving a huge uptick in their share price.  In this episode Bryan and Andrea break down the drivers of that performance as well as key attributes of the call that highlight Amazon's future prospects and growth:
1) Faster and Cheaper - how increased delivery speed and lower cost to serve are transforming Amazon's ability to solve for consumer products retail
2) International's quest to balance growth and profitability and the increasing role retail media is playing in their global profit picture
3) Rufus and how brands will need to learn  (not be spoon fed) how Amazon's shopper facing AI is evaluating products and shopper choices
4) Amazon's seeming higher level of satisfaction in grocery
5) Amazon's overfocus on the conusmer experience in healthcare- B2B is where Amazon makes it's money (not B2C) and healthcare's structural issues are in the B2B side
6) Signs of Amazon's "maturity" - everything from how they talk about people to how they account for depreciation!

Follow Andrea K. Leigh online at:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreakleigh/
Follow The Allume Group Online At: https://www.linkedin.com/company/allumegroup/insights/
CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.com
FMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.com
CPG Scoop Website: http://CPGscoop.com
NextUp Website: http://nextupisnow.org/cpgguys
RetailWit Website: http://retailwit.com


DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

In this episode Bryan Gildenberg  does a guest stint on High Impact's "The Retail Journey" podcast (link to audio and YouTube to subscribe below)
In this podcast, Bryan, James and Charles discuss why a digital-first approach to retail media in the US is crucial and how it contrasts with other markets. They also share insights about Walmart Luminate and the escalating importance of first-party data. You’ll gain a fresh perspective on the evolution of product discovery and how data is reshaping the retail industry. We'll also navigate through Walmart’s category management and its influence on brand growth. Discover how emerging brands can level the playing field using category advisorship and innovative data-driven strategies. You'll also learn about the potential risks and benefits associated with AI in retail and the need to comprehend the algorithms behind it. 

*Books mentioned during the podcast: "The Coming Wave" by Mustafa Suleyman and Michael Bhaskar, "The Experience Machine" by Andy Clark, and "Tomorrow, Tomorrow And Tomorrow" by Gabrielle Zevin.

Follow James on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-harris-a777055/
Follow Charles on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-greathouse/
Follow High Impact Analytics at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/high-impact-analytics/
Follow High Impact Analytics online at: https://www.highimpactanalytics.com/

Follow The Retail Journey Podcast at: https://www.highimpactanalytics.com/theretailjourney


CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.com
FMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.com
CPG Scoop Website: http://CPGscoop.com
NextUp Website: http://nextupisnow.org/cpgguys
RetailWit Website: http://retailwit.com


DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

In this episode Bryan Gildenberg and MAS Commerce founder Matthew Smith talk about Matthew's new venture and how it plans to help companies embrace, harness and develop the promise of AI into practical business results. 


You were a launch leader of Walmart’s 2 biggest innovation businesses in its history—why would you leave that now?We’ve noticed you posting a lot about AI (Bryan even ran into you at an AI conference last week!)—how has a career sales guy suddenly found himself in AI Tech circles?So what exactly is MAS Commerce? And how can our listeners find you to learn more?What’s all this AI hype about? Can you help us tune out the noise so we can talk about the signal? What’s really going on here?Are there specific solutions/partners you recommend our listeners look into?How should Brands, Retailers and platforms think about this; it’s so new and moving so fast—where should the leaders even start?We’ve seen your recent AI Explainer video from leaders to students…is this the start of a series?We’d love to ask our audience to submit their own videos on “What’s the one thing you want your company and colleagues to know about AI?” Where can they do that?

Follow Matthew Smith online at:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/matasmit/
Follow MAS Commerce Online At: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mascommerce/
https://www.mascommerce.ai/
CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.com
FMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.com
CPG Scoop Website: http://CPGscoop.com
NextUp Website: http://nextupisnow.org/cpgguys
RetailWit Website: http://retailwit.com
CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.com
FMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.com
CPG Scoop Website: http://CPGscoop.com
NextUp Website: http://nextupisnow.org/cpgguys
RetailWit Website: http://retailwit.com


DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

In this episode Bryan Gildenberg and Andrea Leigh tackle a few key issues that Amazon's Q3 results highlighted after a quick review of their actual performance.  In particular they focus the conversation on 4 key changes for Amazon's  evolution - the current direction of travel for their business:
1) Amazon's results in cloud put into context - though "disappointing" they continue to by all appearances be growing scale and share
2) Amazon's international experience and why they aren't more profitable internationally yet - highlighted by a brief conversation on their evolution in India
3) Amazon's mini-fulfillment centers and the evolution of urban, high-shrink retail - is home delivery a better model for retail in the high shrink parts of the world?
4) Amazon's prospects for holiday and their competitive overlap with some critical retailers - notably Target

Follow Andrea Leigh online at:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreakleigh/
Follow The Allume Group Online At: https://www.linkedin.com/company/allumegroup/insights/




CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.com
FMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.com
CPG Scoop Website: http://CPGscoop.com
NextUp Website: http://nextupisnow.org/cpgguys
RetailWit Website: http://retailwit.com


DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

This episode celebrates the holiday season in style with a conversation about the evolution of digital commerce in a notoriously tricky environment - the alcoholic beverage category!  We discuss the following areas:
1) Swiftly's innovative solution for allowing retailers to take advantage of retail media successfully even without money passing from manufacturer to retailer
2) The digital innovations from Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits - one of the most sophisticated companies in the CPG space many people have never heard of and the role they play as an essential part of the alcohol commerce landscape in the US
3) How small/medium sized retailers think about a more integrated approach to eCommerce and retail media
4) The innovations alcohol needs to make to evaluate a complex path to purchase, especially connecting the on-premise (bar/restaurant) and off-premise (store) businesses.

If you don't sell alcohol this podcast contains a number of best in class strategies for how digital commerce and retail media need to be planned - especially the need to focus on joint business outcomes rather than straight payments to the retailer as a measure of success. 

Follow Emma Versaw online at :   https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmaversaw/
Follow Swiftly  At: https://www.linkedin.com/company/swiftlysystems/
Follow Nathan Mansperger online at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nmansperger/
Follow Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/southern-wine-&-spirits/
CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.com
FMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.com
CPG Scoop Website: http://CPGscoop.com
NextUp Website: http://nextupisnow.org/cpgguys
RetailWit Website: http://retailwit.com


DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

The CPGGUYS are joined in this episode by Kevin Yu, the founder & CEO of SideChef, an all-in-one home cooking platform.
Follow Kevin Yu on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinyuarts/
Follow SideChef on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sidechef/
Follow SideChef online at: https://www.sidechef.com/

Kevin answers these questions :

1) Walk us through the origin story on what drove you to found the company and what consumer need states did you feel that the market was not delivering against?
2) How did the pandemic fundamentally transform cooking at home?
3) What are the core functional capabilities of your platform that you believed you needed SideChef to include that would address the critical consumer need states that were going unmet and how did you go about building them?
4) Sidechef requires a significant set of partners to enable a comprehensive and superior user experience. Would you walk us through the partner segments and how they contribute to your success?
5) What challenges did you face in the early stages of developing SideChef, and how did you overcome them?
6) Could you share some success stories or testimonials from users that showcase the impact of SideChef on their cooking experiences?
7) Why should brands be interested in your platform as a meaningful advertising channel and what are the core ad offerings that you have developed in the SideChef platform?
8) What are the areas of user experience that have you focusing your innovation for future enhancements to the SideChef platform?


CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.com
FMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.com
CPG Scoop Website: http://CPGscoop.com
NextUp Website: http://NextUpisnow.org/cpgguys
RetailWit Website: http://retailwit.com
Rhea Raj’s Website: http://rhearaj.com

DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. 
CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.com
FMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.com
CPG Scoop Website: http://CPGscoop.com
NextUp Website: http://nextupisnow.org/cpgguys
RetailWit Website: http://retailwit.com


DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.