Is CPG Doomed?

What was the last thing you waited in line for?

For your sake, I hope you have a cooler answer than I do, which is that I spent last Saturday sandwiched between carb-conscious hipsters in stylish athleisure wear, diligently waiting, for the better part of an hour, for a bag of frozen cauliflower gnocchi. A Saturday night, no less.

As an erstwhile investor in consumer-packaged goods (CPG) and a lover of all things brand, I never expected to join the Trader Joe’s cult. But when I recently moved to the Lower East Side, within a stone’s throw of a vaulted but relatively new Trader Joe’s – referred to affectionately by those in-the-know (i.e., in-the-cult) as TJs – I quickly fell under its spell.

Quirky seasonal snacks? 19 cent bananas? A never-ending supply of ripe avocados? Sign me up!

If the wilting kale in my fridge (purchased only yesterday) is any indication, then fresh produce is safe. But every time I make the pilgrimage to TJs and am seduced anew by the kitschy branding, low prices, and friendly attendants, I can’t help but wonder: where do other grocery stores and startup CPG brands fit into all of this?

There’s no shortage of criticism we could levy at TJs. Despite mostly successful attempts to cultivate a “neighborhood grocer” vibe, rumors of predatory behavior towards small makers persist. Still, we can’t ignore the beloved space that TJs occupies in the cultural zeitgeist around food, particularly among urban Millennials.

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