SPINS

The snacking landscape continues to evolve as consumers search for not only indulgent snacks but also ones that are better for you. Protein, GLP-1s, seed oils, fresh snacking, the return of dairy, and so much more. In this session, we will dive into a summary of our latest report on snacking and hear from panelists (Better Sour and Rotten) on how the snacking category is changing.

Introduction There’s a version of your business that exists only in your reporting systems. Prices are where you set them. Promotions are executing as planned. Your items are on shelf, in the right stores, at the right time. Then there’s what’s actually happening at the shelf. These two pictures are rarely identical — and the gap between them is where margin leaks, competitive ground gets lost, and retailer relationships get harder to manage. For most commercial teams, the problem isn’t effort.

Available in pdf Download The grocery industry is changing fast. Shoppers are less loyal, more price-conscious, and making decisions across more channels than ever before. This report breaks down the forces reshaping how brands and retailers work together, from omnichannel commerce and personalization to AI and in-store execution, and what it takes to keep up.

Introduction For decades, product marketing in CPGhas been a diligent and loyal steward of marketing’s golden 5’Ps. Held up in every business school course, cereal boxes (or the like), and the brands behind them, taught clear lessons about how to engage customers based on Product, Price, Place, Promotion, and People.The physical shelf was the arena, and every brand knew how to compete. Then,starting in the early 2000s, brands entered a similar, but distinctly more complex, arena: E-commerce.

Available in pdf Download In grocery, everything begins and ends with the shopper in mind. Brands and retailers must work together to deliver seamless, personalized, and value-driven experiences at the right moment. Data powers these efforts by providing insights into shopper behavior, sales performance, competition, and operations, helping drive smarter decisions and stronger partnerships across the path to purchase.

CHICAGO — April 29, 2026 — MikMak, a SPINS Company and the leading global commerce intelligence platform, today announced the launch of MikMak 4.0. This enterprise-grade update redefines how multichannel brands operate, moving beyond legacy enablement and measurement toward a future of “agentic commerce,” where AI-driven intelligence proactively identifies growth opportunities and automates execution across the global media and retail ecosystem.

Everything in retail begins and ends with the shopper. As the industry evolves, brands and retailers must understand shopper behavior, anticipate needs, and engage with the right strategy to meet shoppers’ ever-changing expectations and needs. Join this SPINS roundtable where both brand and retail experts discuss how these shifts are shaping today’s retail landscape and the future of the industry. Impactful Insights Including: Shifts in shopper expectations. The evolving role of category management.

Overview Conscious Consumption – the driving ethos for discovery, purchase, and brand loyalty among food and beverage shoppers –  is now the dominant framework driving $350 billion in annual sales in the US. Price remains a critical factor, but it is now filtered through increasingly non-negotiable values comprised of ingredient integrity, transparency, and ethical impact.

Introduction The first thing attendees encountered stepping off Katella Avenue wasn’t a supplement brand or an organic snack startup. It was Steak & Shake, handing out free samples of beef tallow French fries. That detail alone set the tone for what Expo West 2026 turned out to be: a show shaped as much by shifting regulatory and cultural currents as by the brands themselves. The overarching theme was shopper-first.

Innovation hasn’t slowed—but the rules for winning have changed. Today’s CPG brands are operating in a three-shelf reality: the physical shelf, the digital shelf, and an emerging third shelf where AI-driven agents influence discovery and purchase. At the same time, innovation budgets are under pressure, launches are more selective, and success depends on sharper alignment with consumer values, data, and technology.