#160 - Whole Foods 101 with Kristin Sherman, Kelly Landrieu, and George Daines

In this episode of the Startup CPG podcast, Daniel Scharff is joined by Whole Foods Local & Emerging Brands team Kelly Landrieu (Global Coordinator/Director, Local and Emerging Brands) and Kristin Sherman (Principal Local Forager) as well as George Daines, formerly national beverage category manager at Whole Foods and now Director at Cultivate CPG, a retail sales brokerage that’s a sponsor of ours, to discuss the keys to succeeding as a supplier at Whole Foods. They cover everything from the importance of the Whole Foods supplier portal to mastering the new item submission process. They emphasize building strong relationships, maintaining consistent marketing efforts, and the delicate balance of patience and urgency in retail. Register on the Whole Foods supplier portal, review category, review calendars, and start developing your Whole Foods-specific strategy today! Cultivate CPG: A national broker and partner of Startup CPGs (the ones who sponsored our retail sales tracker!) If you’re interested to chat with them, email startupcpg@cultivatecpg.com Whole Foods Supplier Portal: https://supplier.wholefoodsmarket.com/ Retail Sales Tracker Link: https://startupcpg.notion.site/Startup-CPG-Resources-0ecd7c3624c44798ac76e4adf8f13bd8 View the slides for this webinar here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1KFLRQyG_RXoap2C8hKNYtg0tKEB7cufw/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=112807267628955730478&rtpof=true&sd=true Get Whole Foods data with 3 free reports from NielsenIQ / Byzzer: https://nielseniq.com/global/en/landing-page/startupcpg/ Listen in as they share about:Costs and Requirements for Doing Business with Whole Foods Supplier PortalCategory Review CalendarProduct DifferentiationNetworkingLinkedIn and Direct ContactProduct PlacementSubmission Timing and ProcessPost-Launch StrategyBalancing Patience and UrgencyPartnering with Experienced Sales TeamsMarketing VehiclesDistribution and Margins Episode Links: George DainesLinkedIn Kelly Landrieu LinkedIn Kristin Sherman LinkedIn Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com. Show Links: Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)Join the Startup CPG Slack community (20K+ members and growing!)Follow @startupcpgVisit host Daniel's Linkedin Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.comEpisode music by Super Fantastics