Snack Foods
Customer & Market Due Diligence Of Better-For-You Sweet Treats Brand: Establishing Brand Positioning and Category Expansion Opportunity
Conducted a 3-week customer & market due diligence to establish the health and growth profile of the target’s current product categories and validate the target’s product category expansion opportunities. To this end, Gotham: analyzed retailer-/SKU-level NielsenIQ data; conducted a survey of over 2,500 consumers; and conducted interviews with key food retailers and distributors. Gotham’s in-depth analysis of the low/no-sugar sweet snacks market, the target’s brand positioning, and the target’s growth opportunities provided our client with the robust, reliable fact base needed to compete aggressively in this hotly-contested auction.
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Customer & Market And Operational Due Diligence Of Leading Processor Of Freeze-Dried Fruits: Rapid Assessment Of Technology, Competitive, Customer Concentration, And Operational Risks
Provided clarity on risks (technology, competitive, customer concentration, and operational), and growth opportunities ahead of bid. Through interviews with 30+ competitors (domestic and import), distributors, equipment suppliers, academic experts, and customers, and extensive secondary research, Gotham established: the applications and advantages/disadvantages of freeze-drying technology; the target’s positioning vs. domestic and international freeze-drying processors in South America, China and Europe; and the stability/growth of its top customers. Gotham’s analysis revealed while the market was growing and the target was well-positioned and poised for growth, it could potentially face increased competitive intensity and margin pressure. Our client accounted for all these risks and tempered growth projections in its model.
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Performance Tracking Tools at Leading Frozen Mexican Food Manufacturer: Helping New Management Make Fact-based Decisions
Constructed methodology and models to view profitability by customer, product, and channel. Results led new management to refocus product development/growth strategy on profitable products. Management succeeded in doubling revenue of profitable products and private equity owners sold firm to a strategic buyer in 3 years for a 26% compound annual return on investment.
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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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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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Operations Improvement At Ethnic Foodservice Products Manufacturer: Rapidly Capturing Manufacturing And Logistics Cost Reduction Opportunities
Captured $1.2MM in operations run-rate savings in 12 weeks at an ethnic foodservice and retail private label products manufacturer by implementing shop floor management best practices. Gotham worked on the shop floor to: observe operations; identify potential improvement opportunities; provide immediate guidance to client personnel; and troubleshoot and pilot solutions. We improved line through from ~225 cases/shift to ~375 cases/shift, reduced fill weight by 3-7% to minimize overfill, reduce floor scrap by 50%; and eliminated expired rework scrap. To ensure sustainability and further improvements, we: trained client personnel, put in place process changes, tools, KPIs and reporting system; and identified/planned next set of improvement opportunities. Gotham also launched logistics savings capture by developing direct ship pilot and facilitating conversation between company sales teams and foodservice distributors.
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