The Curious Consumer

Welcome to the first episode of our interview series, Brand’s Biggest Fan—featuring Ben Goodwin, CEO, Co-founder, and formulator of one of our favorite brands of all time: OLIPOP! The premise: We sit down with a self-proclaimed “biggest fan” of some of our favorite buzzy CPG brands—not influencers or famous ambassadors, just regular people who happen to be a little obsessed with a brand. Then, we...

Welcome back to another episode of The Curious Consumer! Today we are joined by the wonderful Sarela Herrada , co-founder of SIMPLi foods , to talk about regenerative organic agriculture and building authentic supply chains. We also dive into function-washing, the creator-led candy revolution, and why Kraft Heinz just hit pause on their big split. Let's get into it! The Breakdown: 00:00 Interview...

This week, we're diving into the Super Bowl ads (CPG trend version), what Once Upon a Farm’s IPO tells us, how BigCo brands are getting squeezed by private label, and more. Check out our most recent newsletter: The Breakdown: 00:00 What Super Bowl ads tell us about CPG trends 12:45 Once Upon a Farm’s IPO and the better-for-you kids space23:19 PepsiCo's price cuts and squeezing the middle26:45 Disc...

Welcome back! Today we have our very first guest, the one and only rachel mansfield . Rachel is a recipe creator, and influencer with over 1M followers on Instagram, she pens a Substack called more, please by rachel mansfield , and most recently co-founded Cadootz Snacks , a new organic kids' protein snack brand. In this episode we also go into the wonderful world of gummy supplements, discuss how...

Welcome back! This week, we're sharing our favorite products of the week (and yes, Nate's is packed with protein...), some of the unique challenges of building a celebrity brand, the inside scoop on the new Non-Ultraprocessed Food Verification, the weirdly big business of hand sanitizer, and more! The breakdown: 00:00 Favorite bites of the week04:56 Building the "perfect" celeb CPG brand12:32 The...

Welcome back to The Curious Consumer! This week, we've got another roundup of protein launches ( shocking !)—but this time from some unlikely sources. Plus, we're exploring how Target became the new go-to retailer for emerging brands, actually exciting innovation from a food tech company, and the future of THC bevs. The breakdown: 00:00 Intro02:07 Starbucks and Dunkin take protein04:15 Beyond Meat...

Another week of countless protein launches—this time, positioned for women—plus Target’s wellness expansion, the latest THC retailer launch, how Good Culture won the unsexiest category, and more. The breakdown: 00:00 Intro 00:20 Food + bev trade show highlights 01:45 The next big flavor of 2026: PB&J 07:24 David protein sent what to who ? 13:02 GORGIE launched protein + energy 14:14 The clear prot...

Welcome to our first episode of The Curious Consumer in 2026!! We're excited to be back and sharing some of the latest stories in consumer brands, from how the frozen aisle is changing to the next big format in protein (hint: it's weirdly.... juvenile). The breakdown: 00:00 Intro + snacking resolutions03:25 The future of the frozen aisle13:37 Trader Joe's challenges Olipop and Poppi17:38 Canned pr...

Welcome to our final podcast of 2025! We’re walking through some of the biggest themes and headlines from the year, from redefining “function” (with protein, THC, and caffeine) to the new target demographics for skincare + fragrance and the future of retail. Thank you for being a listener this year—we are so grateful, and can’t wait to continue providing more for you in 2026. If there’s anything e...

This week, we’re chatting about the sneaky strategy behind lip balms, the future of female-focused energy drinks, Rao’s rise to success, why Oreo and Instacart are getting heat, and so much more. Our latest newsletter gets into more details on all of the above. Read it here: https://expresscheckout.co/p/how-brands-are-winning-with-lip-balm The Rundown 00:00 Intro 00:45 The “lipification” of beauty...

This week, we’re ogling over crazy-fast shipping, wondering how “delicious” and "visceral fat reduction” have managed to enter the same product copy (@ Lemme), unpacking Live Nation’s latest bev partnership, and, obviously, learning how Nate dodged laced brownies in high school. Our latest newsletter gets into more details on all of the above. Read it here: https://expresscheckout.co/p/the-drones-...

We’re coming in hot off of Black Friday/Cyber Monday! In this episode, we’re sharing some results from this sale weekend, thoughts on Quince’s foray into food + wine, Aldi’s massive US expansion (and what that says about consumer behavior), and more. If you’re fascinated by “dupe culture”, check out our recent deep dive on Quince ! Gift guides can all be found here ! As always, if you have any tho...

Welcome back to another episode of The Curious Consumer! This week, we’ve got a great lineup of consumer goods stories—from the beverage brand that’s secretly winning through foodservice, to the new era of medical-grade skincare platforms. The breakdown: 00:00 Intro 00:48 Tractor Beverage: From foodservice to retail 05:18 The new era of non-alc beverages 10:18 Silk’s high-protein soy milk 15:45 Th...

Welcome back to The Curious Consumer! In our weekly podcast, we break down the latest news in consumer brands and retail. This week features some of the most controversial news we’ve covered yet (with our unfiltered, hot takes to boot). Our Express Checkout newsletter subscribers know: we had a whole lot more news to share in writing this week, too. To get a full breakdown of all consumer goods +...

We are SO excited to share that this episode was sponsored by our friends at Glimpse ! Glimpse is offering brands 30 days FREE plus a 12-month lookback at their deductions to see where they could’ve saved $. Getting started is super easy—onboarding takes 15 minutes with a specialist. No CC or complicated forms required (love to hear it). On this week’s episode of The Curious Consumer, we’re talkin...

Welcome back to The Curious Consumer! In our (now) weekly episode, we break down the latest news in consumer brands and retail. Today, we get into: * Why your dog is probably eating better than you * Culture Pop x Noah Kahan * Why plant-based alternatives aren’t working right now * The new brand in teen personal care * Bon Jovi’s son’s new brand incubator * The brand reinventing car freshener * Th...

Hello hello! We’re excited to test out a new format on the pod :) Every Monday, we share the previous week’s biggest news in consumer + retail in our newsletter, Express Checkout. Now, we’re bringing that newsletter to life—walking through each Monday edition on the pod. This week, we chat about: * Gen Z males’ new fragrance obsession * The latest protein-infused products (protein Pop-Tarts and Ba...

Welcome back to another episode of The Curious Consumer! This is our part 2 episode of our dive into protein. If you haven’t watched our first one, you can check that out here ! Protein isn’t just for bodybuilders anymore. It’s everywhere. It’s in your cereal, your ice cream, even your condiments. I know. 🥣🍦🥨 This week on The Curious Consumer, we’re diving deep into the “protein-ification” of A...

Welcome back to another episode of The Curious Consumer! Today we’re talking about the hottest topic right now…..PROTEIN. Let’s get one thing straight: protein isn’t just a trend. It’s a fundamental part of our nutrition, and it’s been essential long before it started trending on social media. Whether you’re an athlete, a busy parent, or just someone trying to eat a little healthier, protein plays...

Energy drinks are for the girls: a deep dive into the drink that's all of a sudden everywhere! In this episode of 'The Curious Consumer,' hosts Nate and Jenna explore the evolving energy drink market, discussing everything from nostalgic brands like Red Bull and Monster to newcomers like Celsius and Bloom. They delve into historical origins, from Japan's early energy tonics to Red Bull's global do...

Here we are—our first-ever podcast!!! After yapping via written word for almost 3 years, it’s time to go verbal (visual?) with our new pod, The Curious Consumer. In our ~ inaugural ~ episode of The Curious Consumer podcast, we partake in a fun yap sesh about consumer habits, wellness trends, and the coolest (weirdest?) new consumer products. Expect a good hearty convo on the behind-the-scenes of t...