Rachel Behm

The Beauty Boom: What can the foot care 👣 industry learn? 💡 As the global beauty market soars to $446 billion in sales, there's more to the story than just numbers. A recent McKinsey & Company article sheds light on shifting consumer behaviors and emerging opportunities—and the foot care industry should take note. Here are two key takeaways tailored for you, the professionals who keep the world walking comfortably: ✅ Value matters more than ever: Consumers are moving beyond price tags and focusing on quality, innovation, and unique benefits. For foot care, this means showing how your services and products truly improve lives—from promoting foot health to building confidence. Differentiation is the key to standing out. ✅ Omnichannel engagement is essential: While e-commerce is booming, in-person experiences remain powerful. Clients want a blend of online convenience and the trust that comes with expert, hands-on care. Think about how your business can offer the best of both worlds—education, guidance, and seamless connections across every touchpoint. At Footlogix Pediceuticals®, we’re here to support you every step of the way, helping you grow your business while providing exceptional care to your clients. 💬 What do you think is the biggest opportunity for foot care providers as consumer trends evolve? Let’s chat below! 🤔 P.S. Curious to read the full McKinsey article? Check out the link in the comments! 👇

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Great time with Elanie and Kay from the Renegade Nutrition Podcast! Their content is always so timely related to changes in the science of nutrition, it's impact on our wellness, and how we can all be better at 'biohacking'. We discussed the importance of polyphenols in the diet for longevity, data from blue zones, and Goode Health. Give it a listen (if you have an hour or listen at 1.75x speed) and follow Renegade!

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We are interested in the possibility of presenting Opu Probiotics on QVC. Quite a few of my Shark Tank friends have had a positive experience with them & it looks like it might be a great option for us to reach more people! Our product presents well because there is so much to be learned about gut health and our unique delivery method is always interesting to viewers. That conversation got me thinking about other live selling opportunities and Amazon Live came to mind. Do I have anyone in my network who is familiar with Amazon Live? A few of my questions: How does a small business owner start to use this feature? Do you need to be set up FBA vs FBM in order to do Amazon Live? Prime Video & Amazon Studios. Ken Hart - does anyone in your network work on Live?

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Scoring a major retail partnership can spur growth for emerging Beauty brands. Ensuring success from the outset requires strategic planning to stand out on the shelf. Click below for expert insights, and let us know your thoughts in the comments. #beautyindustry #beautyretail #indiebeauty #indiebrands #retailpartnerships #marketing #retailstrategy #beautybrands

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Beauty’s mass market might be in a state of flux, but Target Corp. is only heading upward. Per the company’s last earnings call, beauty helped drive a 2.7 percent growth in the second quarter, alongside fashion, with net sales totaling $25.5 billion and beating Wall Street expectations. Within that, beauty rose 9 percent on a comparable basis, on top of double-digit growth a year ago. The secret sauce is the right brand mix, a bevvy of price points, an integrated digital strategy and a willingness to jump on trends early, said Rick Gomez, Target’s executive vice president and chief commercial officer, in a wide-ranging interview with WWD. Read more here : https://lnkd.in/eDmDPFTD

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FreshDirect’s Top 5 Food Trends for 2025: Healthier, Sustainable, and Flavorful! 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀 • Zero-Proof Beverages: The non-alcoholic drink category is evolving, offering sophisticated, botanical-infused options for premium sipping experiences. • Healthier Artisanal Breads: Focus on clean ingredients, natural fermentation, and local sourcing to deliver high-fiber, low-glycemic loaves. • Protein-Forward Products: From snacks to innovative seafood, consumers can enjoy nutrient-rich options for meeting daily protein needs. • Classic Snacks Reimagined: Nostalgic snacks are being updated with cleaner, healthier ingredients while retaining familiar flavors. • Prepared Foods with Global Flair: Convenient meals with international influences cater to busy consumers seeking gourmet flavors without the effort of cooking. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜𝘁 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 ✅ Health Meets Convenience: These trends show a growing demand for food that balances wellness, quality, and ease of preparation. ✅ Sustainability Matters: Consumers increasingly prefer foods that support local producers and use clean, responsibly sourced ingredients. ✅ Nostalgia Reinvented: Classic flavors are getting healthier, ensuring indulgence without compromise. ✅ Mindful Choices: The focus on zero-proof beverages and artisanal bread reflects a shift towards healthier, more intentional consumption. Progressive Grocer | https://lnkd.in/gVJT7sSX #Retail #Supermarkets #Health #Food #Trends

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Week 27 - Startup spotlight Purplle.com, an online platform for beauty and grooming, offering over 400 brands and 15,000+ products with several D2C brands, including Plum, WOW Skin Science, mCaffeine, Maybelline New York and SUGAR Cosmetics listed on its platform ❇️ Problem Statement: The beauty industry has traditionally been dominated by high-end brands with limited accessibility, leading to a lack of diversity ❇️ Solution: Products at competitive prices and is typically catering to households with an annual income of INR 5-30 lakhs ❇️ Founders: Manish Taneja, Rahul Dash, and Suyash Katyayani ❇️ Competitors: Nykaa, Mamaearth, Tira, Bebeautiful ❇️ Investors Insight: Has raised US$ 125mn in a funding round led by an arm of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) taking its total funding to US$ 500mn till date with a pre - money valuation of US$ 1.25bn Purplle is backed by many marquee investors including Kedaara Capital, Premji Invest, Peak XV Partners , JSW Ventures, Goldman Sachs, Verlinvest, Blume Ventures, and Paramark Ventures, among others In June, D2C beauty brand RENÉE Cosmetics raised INR 100cr round co-led by existing backers Evolvence India and Edelweiss Group Subscribe to our distribution list for early-stage investment insights: https://lnkd.in/g4Up4uPe Source : Company website, LiveMint, The Economic Times, Inc42 Media Kulmani Rana Akshay Garg Preksha Razdan Rohit Rawat

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General Mills splurges $1.5bn to strengthen its (very successful) Pet Food division wit a Whitebridge Pet Brands acquisition GenMills continue to progress its Accelerate strategy that saw the disposal of its yogurt business in Europe & NA at a time it is over-exposed to categories/ countries that display the most volume growth slowdown in the entire FMCG industry (Core Food/ US) This deal is their 5th deal on Pet Food that led them to become #3 Pet Food player in the US =>Blue Buffalo (2018) =>Nudges, Top Chews, and True Chews (2021) =>Fera Pets (2023) =>Edgard & Cooper (2024) Whitebridge is a $325m revenue cat food & pet treat US business, it complements nicely their current portfolio 𝐀𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫, 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐇𝟐 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐌&𝐀 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐌&𝐀 𝐑𝐎𝐈 (cf. our last year publication on FMCG M&A Winners & Losers - https://lnkd.in/eXUfjHxN): - Mostly mid-size growth assets ($0.5-5bn EV that have a brand growth model proven enough to be scaled but with still a lot of growth left) - On existing categories in large existing markets - Ready to benefit from the acquirer's GTM synergies to accelerate scale-up 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐌&𝐀 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐌𝐂𝐆 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 #fmcg #cpg 𝗧𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀, 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝘀 & 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗙𝗠𝗖𝗚 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿: https://lnkd.in/ea4gy65y 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘂𝘀: FF&A solves the most complex strategic problems of the world largest FMCG companies across Corporate Strategy, Organic Growth, Digital RTM (Ecommerce, DTC, EB2B) and M&A. 14 out of the world 20 largest FMCG companies are repeat Clients (more on FF&A website: https://lnkd.in/dc6jY4Qp)

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Politics aside, I think we can all agree that WAY too many direct CPG brands are reeling right now 😥 And it’s truly sad as the founders have put their🩸, sweat and tears into these businesses, which now have: 🏪 Strong retail distribution 🥫 Unique products with true-ish differentiation 😋 Great flavor profile and hedonics 🌀 Relevant and well designed branding 💲 Price points that align with target audience So why are they failing? Three major reasons that I’m seeing: 1) Lack of investor commitment:  Previous standbys in the Food/Bev VC space have not secured new funding or now have alligator-arms when reaching for more funding as they have been ‘burned’ by this category.  So financing has to be more creative and linked to specific milestones.  2) MVPs don’t work in food:  Those who come into the industry hoping to create and launch a ‘minimally viable product’, and then upgrade regularly in the future like they do in tech, are quickly realizing that is not possible.  The regulatory environment, manufacturing, and retail make that much more difficult in this category.  And if you launch a brand that doesn’t do well, consumers and retailers won’t take another look when you upgrade it! 3) Supply chain costs are crazy:  Ingredient costs are increasing weekly for certain raws (e.g. organic cacao), strength of third-party manufacturers (who have full production schedules) and their ability to flex pricing and schedule are impacting businesses, and transportation costs have increased to get products to the end consumer. I’m sure in the future we’ll look back at this period as one of creative survival, innovation, and collaboration, but right now it just sucks 👎 for so many brands and businesses out there and I feel for you. If you are one of these brands or know of one, feel free to reach out 📲 to see if the folks here at Palm Venture Studios would want to take a look.

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🚀 The rise of functional beverages is more than just a trend—it's a movement reshaping how we think about what we drink. 📖 Great piece by Keren Landman at Vox on why the better-for-you beverage category is surging, with the market set to surpass $200 billion by 2027. Millennials are leading the charge, consuming these beverages at twice the rate of other age groups.   🌱 This is just the beginning. The rapid innovation and demand we’re seeing are a testament to consumers seeking healthier, more mindful alternatives to traditional drinks.   🌵 We look forward to continuing to pave our own unique path forward for MAGIC CACTUS and provide consumers with a refreshing, healthier beverage that can be enjoyed by a broad base of drinkers nationwide. ✨   Link to full article below:

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Our report, "How Colgate-Palmolive Grew Market Share by 2x" is featured on Quirk's Media this week. Check it out below👇 In this case study with Xavier Vaissiere at Colgate-Palmolive, Protobrand shows how uncovering category barriers through AI + behavioral science led to transformational growth. In this report you will learn: 🧠 The unconscious associations that consumers had with at-home teeth whitening, as well as areas of opportunity 💡 The non-buyer profiles that put a spotlight on growth targets with unique barriers to overcome 📈 How building non-buyer profiles and focusing on growth targets pointed the brand in the right direction for growth #marketresearch #insights #behavioralscience

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Roundup of All Things CPG This Week: (Follow for weekly roundups like these every Friday) 💼 Mergers & Acquisitions → Kirin Completes Fancl Buyout: Kirin finalizes the purchase of Fancl for $1.4B, continuing its strategic shift from beer (WSJ). → Newport Craft Distilling Acquires KEEL Vodka: Newport Craft adds KEEL Vodka to its portfolio (PR Newswire). → Walmart Acquires Vizio: Walmart buys Vizio for $2.3B, expanding into electronics (Intellizence). → Paramount Global Merges with Skydance: Paramount Global partners with Skydance in a $22.26B deal (Inside Arbitrage). 💰 Fundraising Highlights → Funding for UK’s Common Beverage: Secures six-figure investment led by James Watt (The Drinks Business). → InvestBev’s Ambitious Goal: Launches its fifth fund, aiming to raise $150M for beverage brands (Axios). → Emma Watson’s Renais Gin: Raises $2.3M to fuel growth in the luxury gin market (SEC). → ZeroFox Holdings Raises Funds: Secures investment from Haveli Investments to enhance digital risk protection services (Stock Analysis). → Agiliti Secures Funding: Thomas H. Lee Partners invest in Agiliti for growth in medical equipment services (Stock Analysis). 💄 Apparel, Cosmetics, and Wellness Updates → Briogeo Expands Product Line: Introduces new hair styling products at Ulta and Sephora (Glossy). → Unilever Prestige CEO Resigns: Vasiliki Petrou resigns to start a new investment fund (Business of Fashion). → Care/of Closes Operations: The personalized vitamin brand shuts down (Twitter). → Goop Launches Mascara: Gwyneth Paltrow’s brand expands its makeup line with a new mascara (WWD). → GlaxoSmithKline Acquires Aiolos Bio: GSK enhances its respiratory care portfolio (Stock Analysis). → Amgen Launches New Wellness Initiative: Focuses on personalized health and wellness products (Inside Arbitrage). 🍽️ Food, Beverage, and Alcohol News → Liquid Death’s New “Death Dust”: Enhanced flavors now available on Amazon (Instagram). → SCiFi Foods Shuts Down: Cultivated meat startup ceases operations after raising $40M (AgFunder). → DAVIDsTEA Introduces Sparkling Iced Teas: Launches its first ready-to-drink product (Instagram). → Mondelez Collaborates with Lotus Bakeries: New cookie and chocolate products in the works (Food Dive). → Top of the Mornin’ Coffee’s New Flavor: Introduces French Toast Flavored Coffee (Instagram). → Hulk Hogan’s Beer Launch: Debuts Real American Beer (Brewbound). 📊 Data and Distribution Developments → MERIT’s Financial Success: On track to reach $100M in sales this year (Business of Fashion). → Verb Energy Debuts at Earth Fare: Available in Earth Fare stores. → Burnt Faith Brandy at Tesco: Expands to the UK market. → Pioneer Natural Resources Partners with ExxonMobil: Focuses on sustainable energy solutions (Stock Analysis). → Alpine Immune Sciences Teams with Vertex: Enhances its immunotherapy offerings (Stock Analysis). Enjoyed this? Follow James Ball for roundups every Friday.

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With 2025 just around the corner, Maesa's Chief Customer Officer Erin Keating spoke with Nicole Kirichanskaya at Inside Retail US about top trends beauty retailers should tap into in the year ahead. Erin predicts that category agnostic lifestyle brands, hyper science beauty, and personalization will be among the most prominent narratives of next year. Read the full story in the link below. #beautytrends #beautyindustry #beautyincubator https://lnkd.in/esMr2Nbg

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Celeb-backed brands, beauty tech and male-focused offerings are driving Target's new #wellness push. The initiative centers on beauty for one simple reason: the category regularly outperforms the struggling retailer's other key categories.

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Helen of Troy doubles down on beauty with the acquisition of BeautyMatter FUTURE50 omnichannel nail care brand Olive & June in a deal worth $240 million. https://lnkd.in/ecwCyfYh #beautyindustry #dealflow #mergersandacquisitions #finance

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Dr. James Richardson has said a number of times that starting and scaling a CPG brand in today’s day in age is only for the elite—the uber wealthy. I used to disagree with him vehemently (“anyone can do it!”). I still really, really want to disagree with him. I think many of us do. We all love a good rags to riches story. But the numbers don’t lie. The stats don’t lie. The system that’s been put in place around building and scaling a CPG brand just doesn’t lie. I get an extra punch in the face time and time again when I try to argue against this. We’ve created a terribly unequitable system when it comes to scaling a food and beverage brand in this country and everyone’s at fault—the investors, the retailers, the distributors, the co-packers, the service providers, the supply chain actors, and all of the entrepreneurs who go along with it all because “that’s the way it is”. Its sad, but it’s also our current reality. Does that mean that if you don’t come from wealth that you can’t create change within our food system? Of course not. Does that mean you can’t challenge the status quo or fight to promote better health and better nutrition? Of course not. But just don’t try to do that via scaling a premium or BFY CPG brand unless you come from or have access to lots of $$$. If you somehow get through it without having access to wealth at the start, then consider yourself basically a lottery winner. Certainly the exception and not the norm. Pessimistic take? Possibly. Realistic take? Definitely. 

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The protein market has exploded into a multi-billion-dollar industry—and it’s still going strong! In Germany alone, the market has reached €685M (MAT 2024-11) with a +21% growth rate. 🚀 One of my favorite brands we manage is Premier Protein, and our mission is simple: “We Want To Change What It Means To Live a Healthy Lifestyle By Making Everyone’s Road To Better, Better.” 💪 Why Premier Protein? Delicious, Protein-Rich Products: Our shakes, powders, and snacks never sacrifice flavor for nutrition, making it easier to stick to healthier habits for the long run. 🍓 Continuous Innovation: We’re always creating new products, flavors, and recipes to satisfy what you’re craving today and tomorrow. 🌟 Fan Love: Our community spans every walk of life—from mile one to mile one hundred. We celebrate every win and want to be that “little sip of joy” to brighten your day. ☀️ If you’re looking to make your road to better, better, Premier Protein is here to help! 🎉 #PremierProtein #ProteinPower #HealthyLifestyle #BetterEveryDay #Nutrition #ProteinSnacks

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There's a subtle but HUGELY important trend playing out in CPG that may have ripple effects across the entire industry: Modern consumers are starting to care less about legacy brands. This article was specifically about Kraft Mac & Cheese, but I think it's indicative of a wider trend happening across the CPG landscape, and in alcohol in particular. Many multi-national, household name brands don't carry the same weight with consumers that they did even five or ten years ago. So, what does this mean & what are the implications? Well, it has lots of implications but two things I feel strongly are true: 1. This is a particularly interesting time to be launching and scaling challenger CPG brands 2. Big CPG conglomerates will need to get aggressive in shaking up their portfolios Going to be an exciting and interesting few years in the space!

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If you’re an emerging natural/organic CPG company, UNFI distribution to Whole Foods Market is going to be a cost center for you, not a profit center, especially if you have plans to grow your brand there (why wouldn't you). This is something that not many people in this industry really want to say nor admit, but it’s true. It can be good for marketing and visibility but don’t plan on making much money that way or using that model alone to scale to meaningful profitability. The more you scale that model the more it will simply cost you. This isn’t meant to throw shade at either of those companies (there are distributors and retailers that can be interchanged there). These are just factual elements of the system that has been created to get products on the shelf. Know where you can make money. Know where you can't. Choose your path wisely.

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