3-2-1: A Buyer’s Deal-Breakers, Lessons from Dr. Squatch, and Getting Seasonal Displays Right
3 Insights Worth Your Attention
I. Operational Friction is One of the Fastest Ways to Lose a Buyer’s Trust, Even if the Product is Great.
Robert Johnson (Category Manager, New Seasons Market, a regional grocer based in Pacific NW) points to the everyday friction from CPG Sales execs that slows things down. Think long-winded emails with unclear asks, missed deadlines, incomplete forms or pricing errors, having to repeat the same information over and over, and awkward conversations.
With so many decisions to make, buyers stick with CPG sales teams that make their jobs easier. That means being clear in your asks, buttoned up in execution, and respectful of the retailer’s process. Teams like that earn more trust, win more shelf space, and stay in the conversation for future opportunities.
If your team’s working style creates friction, you’re not just slowing things down, you’re making it harder for the Buyer to say yes.
📖 Read more: Robert Johnson offers a Buyer’s view on why friction, not product, often breaks the deal.
II. Lessons from Dr. Squatch: What DTC Brands Teach Us About Brick and Mortal Retail Success
Dr. Squatch getting acquired by Unilever didn’t surprise me.
As longtime fans (and users) of the products, we’ve watched the brand evolve from a chaotic, meme-fueled DTC brand into a category contender built for shelf success.
What’s more interesting is how they adapted to physical retail after winning in DTC.
Dr. Squatch made it easier to shop the shelf. They made scent variants easier to identify, cleaned up packaging, evolved their mascot, and built a visual system designed for visibility and speed on the shelf.
The lesson here: They understood the rules of retail: limited space, limited attention, and stiff competition. In retail, visibility is survival. You’ve got seconds to be seen, understood, and chosen. Dr. Squatch, good work!
📖 More here: Fred Hart, who led the Dr. Squatch rebrand, on how strong execution helped the brand win at shelf.
III. Congrats, You Got the Display?
CPG teams are racing to get seasonal displays in store to capture high-traffic moments. But speed without strong execution can backfire. When a display doesn’t clearly reflect brand or shopper intent, even good visibility may not translate to results.
Consumer insights expert, Jason Bradbury, recently analyzed a Glade summer-themed display and highlighted three smart lessons to consider before your next seasonal launch:
1/ Brand Cues are Non-negotiable. The Glade display omitted its logo from the top panel, making it harder for shoppers to spot the brand. Seasonal displays need recognizable cues like logos, fonts, and brand colors for fast recall and stopping power.
2/ Stick to the Seasonal Story. The display mixed seasonal and everyday SKUs with inconsistent packaging, creating confusion. When limited-time items aren’t clearly grouped or visually distinct, the seasonal message gets diluted.
3/ Highlight the Shopper Benefit. Names like Summer Pops and Beach Life set a mood, but the actual scent profiles weren’t called out. In fragrance-driven categories like air care, that missing detail can cost you the sale.
📖 Read more: Jason Bradbury outlines what most teams miss in seasonal retail execution.
2 CPG News Stories To Know
I.
Hershey Names New President and CEO: Kirk Tanner, who led PepsiCo’s beverage division and most recently served as Wendy’s CEO, will take the reins at Hershey this August. The company is betting on his operations savvy and snack-world pedigree to fuel its next chapter of growth.
II.
Ferrero to Acquire WK Kellogg: The Italian candy giant behind Nutella and Kinder is acquiring WK Kellogg for $3.1 billion, adding Froot Loops, Frosted Flakes, and Special K to its growing U.S. empire.
1 Webinar to Bookmark This Week
Creating Competitive Differentiation: Unlocking New Data Sources for Category Management:
Wednesday, July 16 | 1PM ET
With retail growth slowing and digital traffic dropping, this webinar tackles a big question for CatMan and Insights teams: how do you find new growth signals across online and offline?
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