Back in March, I had the opportunity to attend my first Expo West. I went in mostly blind, not expecting to be so overwhelmed by the massive and endless rows of products, brands, people, and founders.
If you’ve never been to Expo West, it’s a massive trade show for CPG products. Brands like Chobani and Impossible Foods show up and show out, but it’s also where new and emerging brands come to find buyers and showcase their innovative products.
I wrote about a few trends I spotted at Expo in Shelf Life 007, one of which I coined “Investing in our future.” Within the newsletter, I shared that brands were (and still are) increasingly targeting kids with innovative products like Caliwater’s pouches, Tonnino’s kid-friendly tuna, and Cure’s hydration packets for kids. Nancy’s Yogurt also launched a line of kid’s pouches. The brand extensions were, seemingly, everywhere at Expo West, and there are no signs of it slowing down.
