Check Out the New New at Checkout
We left off getting into Erewhon without any grocery experience. Our broker was there to guide us but he specialized in beverage which is extremely competitive and his own brand Kickback CBD Coffee kept him busy.
He explained there were expensive ways to get attention like valet gifting or smoothie collabs. His advice for us was simple. Never stop doing demos. Not only did Erewhon welcome them, they were affordable and gave instant awareness and feedback.
Erewhon is Juliano’s all time favorite place to discover what is new in the high class food world and I'd been with him a few times to get green juice on the berry. As a member he knew more than the average shopper like when it was busiest and where to set up our serving station.
When we scouted it we never imagined our berry as a supplement. We wanted to be seen in the long lines at checkout where a captive shopper could pick us up on impulse and read while they waited. Turns out the supplement category buyer really wanted us though so we ended up in both places. Jars in the supplement aisle and single serving intro packs at checkout.
If you guessed the intro packs sold out while the jars barely budged your intuition is spot on. We were selling the five dollar single berry left and right but the forty five dollar jar with 80cent servings might as well have been glued to the bottom shelf.
It was clear we had to set up demos right away. We did not get into this to sell novel five dollar berries. More important than answering the usual questions was showing people where to find our jars in the store so they could capture the value of the multipack.
Next week I will share what happened when we expanded to the Calabasas location, it's a good one you won't want to miss!
Now for this week’s flavor experiment. I made it a simple produce detour when I went to Sprouts Farmers Market for cherry tomatoes.
Before the berry the first tomato popped sweet and tart with a bright acid snap. A little sharpness on the skin and a finish that leaned tangy. Good snack food but not something I would call delicious or crave.
I chewed Nature's Wild Berry for 30 seconds and made sure the pulp coated my tongue. Up, down, left, right, front, back; you can't rush greatness.
Then I tried again. The sour edge slid away and a balanced sweet came forward. The tomato tasted like it had been sun warmed on the vine. The bite turned into a soft, sweet finish. Think Heinz tomato ketchup without sugar and fresher? It was the kind of upgrade that makes a simple bowl of cherry tomatoes feel like a treat.
If you have ideas for what I should try next add them in the comments. Try me! These tests help us learn together and keep the story moving.
As always there is a hidden alphanumeric code in this post. Spot the odd word, enter it exactly as written and get 20 percent off for the next 48 hours. Thanks for being here and for riding along.
-Hank