Latest news with #Blume
Forbes
5 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
The Retail Strategy Helping Canadian CPG Brands Win In The U.S.
Blume's Superbelly product will be a $20 million product line this year. Canadian consumer brands have long seen the U.S. as a critical market for growth. However, as direct-to-consumer models mature, many consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies find their most impactful traction through strategic physical retail partnerships. Rather than casting a wide net, these brands leverage highly curated U.S. retailers to establish credibility, gain trial, and unlock national expansion. For emerging Canadian names like Blume, Mid-Day Squares, and Nuts For Cheese, retailers such as Whole Foods, Sprouts, Erewhon, Wegmans, and more are proving to be more than just distribution points; they're brand-building partners. The Case For Focused Retail The U.S. offers scale, diversity, consumer appetite, and steep competition for Canadian brands looking to expand beyond their borders. Many brands have succeeded not by entering every primary market at once, but by starting small, learning quickly, and scaling intentionally. Nuts For Cheese chose to launch first in California, a market known for early adoption of wellness and plant-based products. "Our U.S. expansion mirrored our successful brand-building approach in Canada: sustainable, regional growth driven heavily by physical retail. As an artisan plant-based cheese brand, establishing a presence in stores was crucial for building both awareness and credibility in the highly competitive U.S. market," said Margaret Coons, founder of the company. This regional approach allowed them to fine-tune their messaging and formats in a receptive region before expanding nationally. Nuts For Cheese is in over 5,000 U.S. retail stores. Blume, which crafts superfood lattes and gut health drinks, took on a similar strategy. Karen Danudjaja, co-founder of Blume, echoed the need for restraint. "One of the biggest mistakes I think CPG brands can make, especially ones that don't have a lot of outside customers, is going too wide too fast. We're saying no to a lot of new distribution to really focus on Whole Foods and Sprouts." This region-first approach allows brands to build operational knowledge and local brand affinity before chasing national scale. It also allows them to support in-store performance through events, demos, and regional marketing, creating a feedback loop between direct-to-consumer awareness and brick-and-mortar results. Retail As A Growth Driver Across the board, physical retail has helped Canadian brands achieve something that digital alone can't: credibility and growth. While direct-to-consumer allowed many to gather early insights and build loyal customer bases, being on-shelf in well-regarded U.S. retailers has accelerated trial and trust. Mid-Day Squares co-founder Jake Karls explained the effect, "Retail has played a massive role in growing our U.S. presence. Today, we sell in thousands of stores across the country, and the U.S. now represents over 60% of our total business. That growth wouldn't have happened without physical retail." Karls said the team started by leaning into Erewhon, then quickly scaled through an unplanned but welcome opportunity with Sprouts, which brought them into over 20 states. That unexpected acceleration required the brand to build new capabilities in field marketing and paid media around store locations. Luckily, the founders have been recognized for their social media strategy and were able to replicate that for stores. Mid-Day Squares first launched in Erewhon's retail stores, but has since expanded into over 20 ... More states with Sprouts. ©LaChance 2025 - All Rights Reserved Blume saw a similarly rapid leap from direct-to-consumer to retail success with SuperBelly's probiotic hydration line. After launching online, the product entered Whole Foods and Sprouts within its first year, outpacing the six-year journey its latte blends had taken to land in physical retail. According to Danudjaja, sales have been robust in natural channels, aided by a format strategy that adapts product sizing for each channel. Meanwhile, Nuts For Cheese leveraged strong early results in natural grocery stores to expand into conventional retailers like Wegmans. "Our U.S. retail presence has had a measurable and significant impact on brand awareness, sales growth, and customer acquisition. Since launching in the U.S. in 2020, our total business has more than doubled in size, largely due to our expanding retail footprint,' said Coons. All three brands point to a clear pattern of physical shelf space driven by real-world engagement. It turns online fans into trial users, and trial users into long-term customers. Learning The U.S. Retail Market The move into physical retail also forces Canadian brands to understand U.S. consumer behavior at a deeper level. Each region can differ dramatically regarding taste preferences, price sensitivity, packaging size, and merchandising. Rather than national launches, these brands are taking a localized playbook approach. Mid-Day Squares, for example, started by geo-targeting Meta ads around Sprouts locations and producing content highlighting the ups and downs of building a CPG business. Karls said these efforts, combined with what they call "bars to bellies" demoing, made the brand feel personal and authentic to new audiences. Blume's Superfood Latte products on shelf at Target. Blume also treats the U.S. as a learning lab. "We have people who are subscribers online, and they also pick it up in store. It's really like consumers are becoming more and more omnichannel, said Danudjaja, adding that "the awareness we build online supports retail." The strategy is paying off. Blume's SuperBelly reached over 11,000 subscribers in its first year and will be a $20 million product line this year. It's also distributed in over 6,000 retail stores across the U.S. and Canada. Nuts For Cheese now spans over 5,000 retail doors across Canada and the U.S., and Mid-Day Squares reports that 70% of its business is now through retail. Though each brand has followed its own path, their playbooks share core elements, including leading with regions that match brand values, selecting retailers that support education and trial, and balancing physical presence with digital storytelling. For Canadian CPG brands, entering the U.S. isn't about blanketing every state, but about showing up where the right consumers already are and building slowly but deliberately. Through partnerships with various retailers, these brands aren't just landing shelf space; they're writing new cross-border playbooks. And in doing so, they're proving that when approached strategically, retail is not just a distribution channel but a long-term growth engine.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Who's Selling Bitcoin Above $100K and Holding Back the Price Rally?
Bitcoin's BTC bull market has stalled, and how. Despite a surge in spot ETF inflows, stablecoin market caps, and positive regulatory developments in the U.S., the leading cryptocurrency by market value continues to trade directionless, fluctuating between $100,000 and $110,000. It's been a record 42 straight days of back-and-forth trading above the $100K mark, and the question is: Who has been selling BTC and quietly counteracting the ETF inflows amid mounting concerns about the U.S. fiscal situation? According to Alexander Blume, managing partner at the SEC-registered investment adviser Two Prime, BTC is facing a unique crosswind of participant composition as it transitions from speculative buyers to long-term investors. "Amidst the recent geopolitical turmoil, it makes sense that speculators and leverage traders are taking risk off the table. At the same time, new long-term investors are buying the dip," Blume told CoinDesk. "It seems about right that we are currently at an equilibrium of these groups." Blockchain data tracked by Glassnode shows that wallets with a history of holding coins for less than a year have recently increased their profit-taking. On Monday, these wallets accounted for 83% of the total realized profit. Furthermore, wallets holding coins for six to 12 months alone contributed $904 million to the selling pressure in the market, the second-highest year-to-date total. The selling by short-term holders follows an even more aggressive profit-taking operation by long-term holders in May and early this month. According to Glassnode, the realized profit of wallets holding coins for over 12 months reached a peak of $1.2 billion last week. Last week, this cohort realized just $324 million in profits. "Long-term OG investors continue to sell into the steady ETF-driven demand, effectively absorbing inflows and keeping price action in check. This dynamic has led to a compression in volatility, but a breakout is inevitable," Markus Thielen, founder of 10x Research, said in a note to clients Thursday. Miners, or those producing bitcoin, have also been contributing to the selling pressure, according to data source IntoTheBlock. The balance held in miner wallets has declined to roughly 1.91 million BTC from 1.94 million at the end of May, indicating that these entities offloaded approximately 30,000 BTC in 20 days. "Miners have to continually sell, and believe it or not, some long-term holders continue to sell gradually as they manage their USD liabilities. The key thing is volume - is it sold or bought on high volume? It is noise and speculative flows that can revert very quickly," Philippe Bekhazi, CEO of crypto platform XBTO, told CoinDesk. Note that miners' share in total spot market volume is minuscule and has hit the lowest since 2022. Overall, the substantial accumulation by both whales and small addresses observed during bitcoin's initial run higher from the early April lows near $75,000 has stalled since prices broke into six figures. "Those same accumulation patterns began to weaken once BTC breached $100k. The reason the price slowed down is likely due to the availability of next-best alternatives. Funding rates were rallying hard, and having delta-neutral positions earning 15-30% APY likely seemed attractive enough to de-risk on a directional basis," Benjamin Lilly, founder of Jarvis Labs, noted. The delta-neutral trades involve shorting perpetual futures and simultaneously purchasing the asset in the spot market when futures trade at a premium to the spot price. The non-directional arbitrage strategy enables traders to capitalize on price differentials while mitigating risks associated with price volatility. Jimmy Yang, co-founder of Orbit Markets, said that bitcoin maturing into a more stable asset class means it may not necessarily generate outsized returns. That has likely prompted some holders to divest into other assets. "While the directional upside remains, investors can no longer expect 10x or 100x returns in a short period. As a result, we've seen some long-term holders begin to divest a portion of their BTC holdings to diversify into other asset classes such as equities, gold, and private placements — a move that makes sense from a portfolio allocation perspective," Yang told CoinDesk. According to Yang, the market may not offer much excitement in the near-term, as the cryptocurrency continues to trade in tandem with equities and broader risk sentiment. "Both asset classes are hovering near all-time highs, and if equities break higher, BTC is likely to follow. With the summer lull setting in, market activity is expected to remain subdued in the near term," Yang noted. Blume said that the BTC market may cool off a little, having seen prices surge from $75K to over $100K in the early weeks of this quarter. "It's also to keep in mind that Bitcoin rallied from 78k less than two months ago, so I'd expect a cool off anyway. It's telling that the dips in price are quite shallow and are a sign of strength for the next leg up," Blume said. According to Thielen, the key levels to watch are $102,000 on the downside and $106,000 on the upside. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Perth Now
19-06-2025
- Automotive
- Perth Now
Porsche Macan set to get petrol, hybrid replacements too
Porsche's new Macan is offered only with electric power, but the brand has confirmed it's working on a more direct replacement for the outgoing petrol-powered mid-sized SUV – though it likely won't be called Macan. The new model will be offered with both combustion and hybrid powertrains, and will be 'touching the Macan segment', according to Porsche CEO, Dr Oliver Blume. 'We have an ambitious engineering timing, aiming for around 36 months for developing such a car seems to be realistic,' said Dr Blume at a conference announcing 2024 financial results. He further added it could arrive around the same time as the production Volkswagen ID.1, indicating a 2027 launch, and that its lifespan will extend into the 2030s. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Macan Electric Credit: CarExpert While the new petrol/hybrid SUV appears a fait accompli, Porsche's press release is more circumspect. The brand says it's 'evaluating an independent model line in the SUV segment with combustion and hybrid powertrains… [that] could be launched towards the end of the decade'. 'Once the combustion-engine models of the same name have been phased out, the Macan will be sold exclusively as an all-electric model, worldwide,' the company added, effectively confirming any new SUV will wear a different nameplate. Dr Blume conceded carmakers were much more bullish on the take-up of electric vehicles (EVs) when the new-generation Macan first entered development. Petrol-powered Macan Credit: CarExpert 'We have taken the decision already in 2016 to focus only on electric one for the future, and in these times the ramp-up for electromobility was more optimistic,' said Dr Blume. 'We think there is room for another SUV in this segment, we will make a big differentiation from the electric one. 'We still have the combustion engine out of Europe and the other regions of the world, so this will be a very special one but more focused then for the end of the decade, and the '30s, for having there an offer not only for Europe but also for the rest of the world when we will stop the combustion-engine Macan also for the rest of the world regions.' Dr Blume says the first concepts and designs are 'very promising'. Macan Electric Credit: CarExpert 'We see the timing correctly adapted to the timing of combustion-engine Macan run out of Europe, and to the ramp up of the electric Macan in all regions of the world, and we think that this car will fit perfect to the segment when we will be able to make a big differentiation in between both cars and to being able to bring a real future vision to Porsche,' he said. Dr Blume's announcement indicates Porsche will continue to have two vehicles in this segment. The outgoing petrol-powered Macan first entered production in 2014, with the electric Macan – on a completely different platform – entering production a decade later. These two vehicles are sold alongside each other in most markets, though Porsche Australia has previously confirmed orders for the petrol-powered model closed here last year. Only dealer stock remains. Possible Porsche SUV test mule Credit: CarExpert Globally, Porsche hadn't set an end date for petrol-powered Macan production as it has continued to be popular. However, it was axed from European showrooms in April 2024 as it no longer complied with strict cybersecurity laws, with the cost of conforming to the regulations potentially resulting in huge investments in the 10-year-old model. Both the old and new Macan are built in Leipzig, Germany. It appears Porsche has entered the early testing stage with the new-generation combustion-powered SUV, with an alleged test mule – using a new Audi Q5 body – spotted in Europe. Audi SQ5 Sportback Credit: CarExpert That could mean the new Porsche SUV will use the Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) underpinning new-generation Audi models like the Q5 and A5. Porsche and Audi have shared platforms before. The first-generation Macan was related to the contemporary Audi Q5, while the new Macan Electric shares its Premium Platform Electric (PPE) with the Audi Q6 e-tron. Should the Macan adopt the underpinnings of the Q5, it could be offered with a choice of turbocharged engines, ranging from 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol, a 3.0-litre V6 petrol and a 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel – all with 48-volt mild-hybrid assistance. Plug-in hybrids should also come into the fold later on. Porsche deputy chairman and CFO Lutz Meschke told Autocar earlier this year the company was 'exploring the possibility of equipping some of the originally planned electric models with hybrid drives or internal combustion engines in the future'. Porsche Taycan Credit: CarExpert 'Conceptual decisions are being made, but what is clear is that we are committed to the combustion engine for much longer,' he added. While Porsche says it had a sales record in four out of its five global regions in 2024, it warned the ramp-up of electric vehicles (EVs) has been slower than expected. It's no longer planning for EVs to account for more than 80 per cent of its sales by 2030, and says instead its ramp-up will 'adapt to the market developments' with a 'much longer transition phase'. MORE: Everything Porsche Macan
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Porsche Drops Truth Bomb on U.S. Production Plans Amid Tariff Negotiations
Porsche Drops Truth Bomb on U.S. Production Plans Amid Tariff Negotiations originally appeared on Autoblog. Porsche has dismissed a Bloomberg report stating that the automaker is considering moving some of its final assembly to the U.S. to ease tariff impacts. The initial report referenced Porsche possibly installing interior components or fitting tires in the U.S., where it currently has no production presence. Instead, Porsche restated its stance from April that U.S. production localization doesn't make financial sense due to its relatively low sales volume. In April, Porsche CFO Jochen Breckner added that U.S. localization wouldn't occur even if the automaker partnered with another brand from its parent company, Volkswagen Group. Still, Volkswagen Group is seriously considering expanding its U.S. manufacturing footprint with another one of its subsidiaries, Audi. An Audi spokesperson reportedly told Automotive News 'We want to increase our presence in the U.S.,' while adding that the company is confident it'll finalize specific details with Volkswagen Group by the year's end. Volkswagen currently operates one U.S. plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and its competitors, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, have factories in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and Tuscaloosa, Alabama, respectively. Porsche's problems in 2025 aren't limited to U.S. tariffs. During Q1, the brand's sales fell 42% in China. Four years ago, Porsche achieved its highest annual sales in China, at 95,671. Chinese consumers are gravitating away from Porsche and turning to newer companies like Xiaomi and BYD's high-end Yangwang brand. Xiaomi's first model, the electric SU7 sport sedan, thrived in China with its Porsche-inspired styling available at a lower price. The $72,591 Xiaomi SU7 Ultra variant with 1,548 horsepower received about 10,000 pre-orders in two hours, slightly exceeding Porsche's Q1 China sales this year. Porsche CEO Oliver Blume said, 'We don't care about the volume,' and that the company was more concerned with keeping its prices at a high level, 'appropriate for Porsche,' Reuters reports. However, Blume also told Porsche investors at the company's annual conference on May 21: 'Our market in China has literally collapsed,' according to The New York Times. Last month, Porsche delayed its all-electric versions of the 718 Boxster and Cayman for the second time, citing difficulty sourcing the models' high-performance battery cells. In April, Porsche said drivers could expect the two electric vehicles (EVs) in 2026, but its most recent delay pushes the release to at least 2027. Porsche has scaled back its financial outlook for 2025 by about 2 billion euros ($2.28 billion), with an expected profit margin range decline of between 6.5% and 8.5% from 10% to 12%. Oliver Blume's desire to maintain Porsche's prices and keep the company's production out of the U.S. makes it likely that the automaker will raise its lineup's costs. Blume, who is also Volkswagen Group's CEO, confirmed he spoke directly to the U.S. commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, in Washington, D.C., but agreed with Lutnick to keep the conversation's details confidential. However, Porsche is far from the only company that could increase prices because of tariffs, and some of Volkswagen Group's other subsidiaries, such as Audi, can ease tariff impacts with increased U.S. manufacturing. Porsche's approach is more likely to hurt the company in its second-largest market, China, as the country's electric vehicle price war heats up. Porsche Drops Truth Bomb on U.S. Production Plans Amid Tariff Negotiations first appeared on Autoblog on Jun 11, 2025 This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
Miami Herald
11-06-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Porsche Drops Truth Bomb on U.S. Production Plans Amid Tariff Negotiations
Porsche has dismissed a Bloomberg report stating that the automaker is considering moving some of its final assembly to the U.S. to ease tariff impacts. The initial report referenced Porsche possibly installing interior components or fitting tires in the U.S., where it currently has no production presence. Instead, Porsche restated its stance from April that U.S. production localization doesn't make financial sense due to its relatively low sales volume. In April, Porsche CFO Jochen Breckner added that U.S. localization wouldn't occur even if the automaker partnered with another brand from its parent company, Volkswagen Group. Still, Volkswagen Group is seriously considering expanding its U.S. manufacturing footprint with another one of its subsidiaries, Audi. An Audi spokesperson reportedly told Automotive News "We want to increase our presence in the U.S.," while adding that the company is confident it'll finalize specific details with Volkswagen Group by the year's end. Volkswagen currently operates one U.S. plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and its competitors, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, have factories in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and Tuscaloosa, Alabama, respectively. Porsche's problems in 2025 aren't limited to U.S. tariffs. During Q1, the brand's sales fell 42% in China. Four years ago, Porsche achieved its highest annual sales in China, at 95,671. Chinese consumers are gravitating away from Porsche and turning to newer companies like Xiaomi and BYD's high-end Yangwang brand. Xiaomi's first model, the electric SU7 sport sedan, thrived in China with its Porsche-inspired styling available at a lower price. The $72,591 Xiaomi SU7 Ultra variant with 1,548 horsepower received about 10,000 pre-orders in two hours, slightly exceeding Porsche's Q1 China sales this year. Porsche CEO Oliver Blume said, "We don't care about the volume," and that the company was more concerned with keeping its prices at a high level, "appropriate for Porsche," Reuters reports. However, Blume also told Porsche investors at the company's annual conference on May 21: "Our market in China has literally collapsed," according to The New York Times. Last month, Porsche delayed its all-electric versions of the 718 Boxster and Cayman for the second time, citing difficulty sourcing the models' high-performance battery cells. In April, Porsche said drivers could expect the two electric vehicles (EVs) in 2026, but its most recent delay pushes the release to at least 2027. Porsche has scaled back its financial outlook for 2025 by about 2 billion euros ($2.28 billion), with an expected profit margin range decline of between 6.5% and 8.5% from 10% to 12%. Oliver Blume's desire to maintain Porsche's prices and keep the company's production out of the U.S. makes it likely that the automaker will raise its lineup's costs. Blume, who is also Volkswagen Group's CEO, confirmed he spoke directly to the U.S. commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, in Washington, D.C., but agreed with Lutnick to keep the conversation's details confidential. However, Porsche is far from the only company that could increase prices because of tariffs, and some of Volkswagen Group's other subsidiaries, such as Audi, can ease tariff impacts with increased U.S. manufacturing. Porsche's approach is more likely to hurt the company in its second-largest market, China, as the country's electric vehicle price war heats up. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
