Leads to Leverage

Bealls – With a history spanning more than 100 years and a network of more than 500 stores across the US, Matt Bealls, CEO, was focused on adding 100 news stores to Bealls Outlet and Burkes Outlet retail chains by December 2021. The stores are known as Bealls Outlet in Florida, Georgia and Arizona, and as Burkes Outlet in the other 20 states that it operates in.  However, the acquisition of bankrupt rival Stage Stores’ distribution center and intellectual property now gives Bealls the national rights to the Bealls name. The next few years will see Bealls work to continue that growth with the aim of becoming the “premier off-price retailer in America”. “That is our goal, but we’ve got a long way to go because we’ve got great companies that are larger than us and in front of us,” Matt Bealls admits. “But we feel that we can make up that gap here over the next three to five years in a really significant way by adding a bunch of stores and increasing our comp sales in existing stores.”  They have also shown a high intent data when searching for “creative agencies” recently.

New Ownership

Denver Broncos Announce $4.65 Billion Sale Agreement with Walton-Penner Family. Read more here.

Expansion Plans

Ferrero candy maker eyes $214M expansion in central Illinois, bring with it 200 new jobs. Read more here.

Brand Launch

Pet Releaf, the Original Plant-Based Pet Health brand, Launches New Stress Releaf CBD Hemp Oils Ahead of July 4, The Most Stressful Day of Year for Dogs and Cats. Read more here.

Acquisition Opportunity

Milestone Brands Strengthens Strategic Position with Acquisition of Victoria Distillers and Azzurre Spirits – Milestone Brands LLC, the premium spirits company based in Austin, Texas, announced that it has acquired Victoria Distillers Inc (“VDI”), one of the oldest artisan distilleries in Canada and the producer of Empress 1908 Gin, and Azzurre Spirits Corporation, the U.S. importer of Empress 1908 Gin. Read more here.

Trend to Watch

Add a Little Zest to New Biz with Herbal Opportunity

Demand for medicinal plants is shooting up… There are some high-growth opportunities

What’s Trending: Interest in herbal health remedies is brewing. Items like mulberry tea and ginger foot soak are exploding on Amazon. Google searches for seemingly obscure options (heard of shilajit or bakuchiol?) just hit all-time highs.

The most popular ones are sticking around: sea moss plant is still trending. Inspired by, Trendsters Yulia and Ruslan launched a sea moss capsule biz that was on track to hit 6-figures a month with the last checked in.

Capitalize on the trend via:

Supplements and teas. Interest is sprouting up for:

Shilajit. Jungle Scout shows there are 26k+ US searches/mo. on Amazon (up 17% MoM) for this “sticky, tar-like” substance.

It’s formed from the decomposition of plants and minerals at high altitudes, and is used for everything from boosting testosterone to heart health. This resin, which goes for ~$24 per 0.2 ounce, generates $105k+/mo.; other popular products include capsules and liquid drops.

Source: Google Trends

Mulberry leaf tea. One brand brings in $5k/mo. on Amazon; it’s been out of stock for weeks, though, and with search volumes up 700%+ MoM, the market is ripe for new entrants. 

Japanese knotweed. Amazon searches are up 600%+ MoM, with these capsules generating $9k+/mo. Japanese knotweed is a pervasive alien species in the US and beyond; your supplement brand could help control invasive populations.

Other popular options include:

Source: Jungle Scout, March 2022

External applications. Personal care brands and salon owners could leverage the trend, too:

Ginger root for… foot soaks. Google searches for “ginger foot soak” hit an all-time high out of nowhere in February — with New Zealand, Australia, and Canada driving search interest. There is also big US demand on Amazon, with 7.4k searches/mo., a 3,000%+ MoM increase, per Jungle Scout.

The soak is used to boost circulation, decrease inflammation, and even lower blood pressure (something we could all use in 2022). This trend appears to only just be taking off; if the trajectory continues, early market entrants could win big.

Scientific skin care has continued to soar since 2020. Plants are now coming to the party. Interest in “nature’s retinols,” like rosehip and bakuchiol, is climbing. Include these in facial treatments, serums, lotions, etc. 

Source: Google Trends

The Opportunity.  Herbs have gone wild and commonly searched terms in the U.S., via Ahrefs include:

• Herbal remedies — 14k searches/mo.
• Shilajit benefits — 9.3k 
• Herbal store near me — 9k
• Rosehip oil benefits — 5.9k
• What is sarsaparilla — 4.7k
• Bakuchiol vs. retinol — 1.2k

Next Steps: You may want to add a little zest to your new business prospecting by capitalizing on the herbal trend.  Prospect smAARt, pitch with purpose, and most importantly, with passion.

New CMOs in Charge:

Popeyes
Jeff Klein
Chief Marketing Officer

Jeff is consensus focused – he prefers to build relationships rather than staying totally transactional. Unlike D or C types, he is convinced more by stories and testimonials.

Hooters
Bruce Skala
Chief Marketing Officer

Bruce is a persuasive, assertive yet informal executive.  He is not against taking risks and can make tough decisions if he believes in your value proposition.  A combo of speed and relationship will get the best response from him!