Andrew Lewicki’s Post

Say goodbye to the drive-thru and say hello to Frosted Refreshers NOW available at Walmart! 🤩🛒 A huge shoutout to our team for making this happen! Have you spotted any in your nearest store? 👀 Let us know in the comments or comment below which store you'd like to see these in next! 👇 #cirkul #drinkcirkul #beverageindustry

Listen, and learn -- from customers and the associates that interact with them. ✅ Walmart, ShopRite, Costco, Wegmans and Five intend to scale back self-checkout after widespread customer complaints. ✅ Walmart and other retailers are leaning in to creating a more inclusive in-store experience after positive reaction from pilot initiatives that create a more welcoming, less-sensory environment. Do you have a process in place for in-store feedback and observations to make its way to corporate decision-makers? What might you learn by listening? #customerexperience #inclusion #communication #retail

As the flight landed in Bentonville last December, Rachel Peters and I (knowing each other for just a few short months) both knew this was one of the biggest opportunities we'd ever get. Walking into HQ was pretty surreal – sitting in the special meeting room was even more surreal, but hearing, "We're thinking like 1800 stores now, not 400," was the most surreal. Our deodorant line would launch nationally, and we had nine months to prepare. In this industry, there's hardly any time to celebrate. Elation is immediately met head-on by fear. "Can we make this much deodorant? How are we going to get it there? How are we going to sell it? Will we make money?" So much work to do. So, for six months, the focus was on operations. We lowered our cost of goods by 19% by finding the right suppliers, reduced transportation costs by 40% with a new strategy and partners, and had countless meetings to dial in our forecasts.  We also aligned ourselves with the best in the business when it comes to sales and logistics. The team at Next Phase Enterprises (Diesha Smith, Rudy Lizaragga, Mista Asbury, Jason Hunt, Natasha Stamper) has a wealth of Walmart experience and helped guide us through some PO and item complications at the 11th hour. You're all legends. For the delivery side, we've partnered with RJW Logistics Group to offer the best service possible; reach out to our pal Jackie Marzano if Walmart is in your future! Getting to this launch week was not without some serious hiccups and hurdles, but our team worked through it with kindness and patience. I can confidently say the last six weeks were probably the most challenging weeks of my CPG career. And now, as we launch into 1867 stores in 50 states, it's even more surreal. Walking into Walmart and seeing our colorful deodorants sitting next to some massive players in the space is absolutely wild. I've been through my fair share of retailer launches, but right now, this one just hits a little different. So now we sell. Jessica Bruce, Rachel Peters, and I have been building the funnel, organizing our campaigns, and prepping for launch for months! Be on the lookout for fun content, coupons, and partnerships as we continue to build awareness. Thanks to all who helped get us to this point! Now we celebrate with tacos!

When you work in our trade, you really have to watch your filters. I looked at this Tony's Chocolonely display in Waitrose & Partners and at first thought there was a cheeky store manager putting private label on there, completely ignoring the messaging on the display. It’s good to have reminders like this. As soon as we forget to look at stores as shoppers, we’re not giving ourselves an honest appraisal. What’s your thoughts? Can you see what I missed at first! #shoppermarketing #fmcg

I'm aware that booze isn't for everyone, but this is one of my favourite late evening treats; a good bourbon and a plain biscuit. I don't know why but each intensifies the flavour and depth of the other. A digestive works best but an Aldi UK Nice biscuit will do. Then I spot the home address of the distillery. Me and Em have actually been to Lebanon, Kentucky. I'd like to say we rolled into Lebanon by chance, stumbled into a once in a lifetime downhome random banjo battle and were adopted as honorary locals but no, we went to the Walmart there to buy a car seat for Ezra and have a mild argument about where in the 200,000 square foot of consumptive fever-dream bug repellant would be stocked. Just so you know, it's near the sprayable deer gland essence. That got me to thinking, and really not again but as a continuation of my life's obsession, why did we pick Walmart? Here's the astonishing thing. I know, because I've tested it, what I would feedback in response to that question is not true. I would say I chose Walmart because it was en-route, and a brand I knew and that they would have everything. But that's also exactly what I would say about Target. I didn't go to Target, or even look for them. Why? I wasn't sure and then I reviewed our data on both stores and a flashing light burst into life. My customer story wasn't price related, Walmart's presumed stock-in-trade, it was outcome related. We were driving two hours to Red River Gorge and didn't want to spend that time in a shop. Target's OOS observations were all well below Walmart's. That's why I couldn't trust Target with this mission. Twist? Ask me and I'd tell you I prefer Target everytime. Customers? We are the worst people to ask 'why'. #experienceanalytics #customerexperience #wedontknowwhatweknow

Christmas 2016: A star is born ⭐️ 🥕 Kevin the Carrot, brainchild of Aldi UK and McCann bursts onto consumers' screens. 7 years later, Kevin has been joined by a whole host of fruit and veg friends, and starred in several adaptations of famous Christmas films. Why is Kevin so successful with consumers? Research from Ella Ward at the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute showed that characters have the least mental competition compared with other brand assets, and are therefore more likely to be unique in consumers’ minds.  Kevin is now a staple part of Aldi’s Christmas narrative, and a calling card for their festive range. Discover our analysis of festive ads, and where they’re falling short →

👶 In a crowded category and the even more crowded aisles of Walmart, DYPER needed to stand out. Informed by a sharpened strategy and defined codes, we reformatted their #packaging to craft a disruptive shelf presence that demands attention and maximises brand impact. Take a closer look ➡️ https://bit.ly/3Ajv2L5 #IdeasThatPowerProgress #CPG #CPGbrands

Here’s a snapshot of the Halloween Candy Leaderboard from our latest Amazon Market Watch. Read the full blog post to see who takes the top spot for Amazon sales and which treats from Ferrara, The Hershey Company, Mars Wrigley, Mondelēz International, and others make the board! 🔗 https://lnkd.in/g7zSpYHV You’ll also unearth insights on: ➡️ How much sales have spiked for costume brands like Spirit Halloween, Party City, Leg Avenue, and Rubies ➡️ The most popular Day of the Dead products on Amazon ➡️ Why fall is a crucial season for brands like The Yankee Candle Company, Inc. and La Jolie Muse ➡️ Which cold-weather treat wins in a sales battle of cider vs. hot chocolate And more!