All posts by Scott Sanders

This year, I’ve been on the road more than ever, which is one of the perils of working as a consultant.  Over time, I’ve accumulated a variety of junk that I haul around in my bag to make life a little bit easier while away from my home base.  One […]

I probably consume more media via podcast these days than any other format.  (I have such a large queue of shows I listen to that I speed them up by 25% so I can fit them all in.)  One of the earlier podcasts to get a big following is NPR’s Planet […]

If you’ve been into a Walmart in the past few years, there’s a good chance you were disappointed in your experience. You weren’t the only one — Walmart’s management agreed with that sentiment. The New York Times recently reported, “Shoppers were fed up. They complained of dirty bathrooms, empty shelves, […]

I answered this question on Quora, where I enjoy answering questions from time to time.  One came up recently wondering why people still go to the supermarket when one could just order via one of the online grocers that has popped up in recent times. The question: Why do many people […]

The holiday season is upon us, and we can’t help but think of shopping — and shopping for food. The shopping stories are a combination of Black Friday craziness and the shift to buying from online retailers like Amazon. Here at Simon-Kucher, we were wondering about the intersection: Do holiday meals […]

Ketchup wars! Mustard wars! It’s a Condiment Armageddon! And it’s also an analytical opportunity. This spring, Heinz relaunched its mustard with a new, improved formulation to compete head-to-head with French’s, the category leader. Answering this shot across the bow, French’s launched a new ketchup, challenging Heinz’s leadership.  At least two publications […]

For all of 2014, New England grocery chain Market Basket is discounting every item, every day by 4%. “The additional 4% off promotion is a reward for its loyal customers and an investment toward a long-term growth strategy to attract new customers, increase sales, and continue to strengthen and build […]

One of the most common questions I get from colleagues with smaller food and CPG questions is about syndicated data from Nielsen, IRI, and other providers.  Why would I want it? What many people outside the industry don’t realize is that most supermarket, drug store, and mass merchant (Walmart/Target) transactions […]

If you’ve been interested to learn more about the basics of consumer packaged goods data from sources like Nielsen and SymphonyIRI, you need to check out the new CPG Data Insights blog, written by Sally Martin and Robin Simon. They’re just getting started but have some great info on some […]