Baked Goods
Customer & Market Due Diligence Of In-Store Bakery Supplier: Establishing Consumer Conversion Opportunity By Quantifying Available Whitespace
Conducted a 2-phased due diligence to:(1) determine the penetration levels and conversion opportunity of the target’s bakery supply products; (2) establish the retail bakery market dynamics; and (3) establish the target’s growth potential. Gotham conducted: a Phase I consumer panel survey of 1,116 consumers to validate ingoing thesis on consumer penetration opportunity; a Phase II survey of 2,233 consumers to establish buying behaviour and test potential concepts for driving consumer conversion. We also interviewed 37 retailer bakery executives/category buyers and surveyed 276 in-story bakery employees to establish their decision-making criteria, plans for the category, and requirements for growth, and modeled a complex market size matrix for 34 occasions and 7 product types to estimate the current penetration of the company's products and establish whitespace and conversion opportunities. These fact-based, actionable insights and reliable numbers gave the client the conviction needed to win this hotly contested auction.
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Logistics Strategy at Premium Baked Goods Company: Improving Cost-to-serve
Created a new logistics strategy, including implementing a new DSD network and delivery process, developing a new transportation and warehousing strategy, and re-balancing production among plants. Over 75% of the $2.5MM in savings (from a cost base of $12MM) highlighted in the strategy was saved in the first year of implementation.
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Operations Improvements at Premium Baked Goods Manufacturer Capturing Manufacturing and Logistics Cost Savings Opportunities While Maintaining High Customer Service Levels
Lowered nationwide logistics/transportation costs via reductions in emergency shipments and outsourcing/consolidating of the carrier fleet and warehouses to a single, third-party logistics provider (3PL). Set lowest-cost freight allocation system targets, defined proposal criteria, and created RFQ. Actual savings exceeded projections by 15% in the first year ($6.9MM EBITDA impact), with maintenance of 99+% fill rate.
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Customer & Market Due Diligence Of Premium Dessert Supplier: Establishing Consumption and Shopping Behavior Post-COVID
Conducted 3-week early Phase I customer & market due diligence to: (1) establish the U.S./Canada retail premium dessert market size/consumer trends; (2) establish the U.S./Canada retail in-store bakery (ISB) dynamics; and (3) assess the U.S./Canada foodservice premium dessert market size/dynamics – all with the look to the COVID impact. To this end, Gotham: conducted a consumer panel survey; interviewed retail bakery managers, bakery buyers/category managers, and foodservice dessert buyers; analyzed NielsenIQ data at the product and retailer level; established the business outlook of key retail and foodservice customers; and established the competitive landscape for key dessert suppliers. Our fact-based market and competitive dynamics assessment allowed our client’ deal team to reliably inform its investment committee on the opportunity.
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Exit Preparation/Positioning Of Hispanic Foods Manufacturer: Establishing Company’s 5-year Growth Stack
Conducted a market dynamics and whitespace opportunity assessment to craft a fact-based growth story to inform management’s growth case and provide potential buyers with an understanding of company’s business and potential future growth. Gotham: established key market trends in all retail and foodservice segments; built an in-depth retail market sizing model of company’s product categories; built a database of Hispanic and mainstream restaurant chains and built a bottom-up foodservice market sizing model; and developed the company’s whitespace opportunity model for retail and foodservice. Gotham’s assessment provided the client with quantified fact-based view of company’s growth opportunities leading to a highly contested auction.
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Operational Due Diligence of Leading Cookie Franchiser: Assessing Operations-related Acquisition Risks
Conducted 1-week operational due diligence of ingredient manufacturing operations for a quick-service franchise company, targeting labor practices, safety and environmental compliance, and inventory practices. Reviewed of labor policies, including work rules, attendance policies, and basic compliance with overtime, lunch, and break rules. Determined that the facility had solid risk management operations, and recommended minor improvements in quality assurance and material handling. The PE firm purchased the company and followed through on recommendations from operational due diligence.
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