As consumers adapt to the 'new normal' of staying in PepsiCo is launching two new direct-to-consumer platforms that will let hungry customers get food and beverages delivered straight to their doors.
PantryShop.com offers consumers curated bundles of PepsiCo's top-selling snacks that can be delivered to their doors within two days, and on Snacks.com, they will be able to choose from more than 100 Frito-Lay products as well.
Gibu Thomas, PepsiCo senior vice president and head of e-commerce, told Cheddar Monday that these new platforms are designed to meet customers' needs now.
"It's really what we've seen during this time. There is a whole new set of behaviors we're seeing from consumers. They're working from home, working out from home, homeschooling their kids, so there's a lot of things that they need," Thomas said.
These new platforms aren't meant to replace retailers, Thomas noted, and the company is using the new channels to learn about consumers' needs directly from them.
"The way we look at this is, 'How do we complement these offerings?'" he said. "And there are certain things that we want to also test and learn through this process because there is research that shows e-commerce in food and beverage could have accelerated as much by five years."
For years even before the COVID-19 outbreak, PepsiCo had been growing its digital presence, allowing the company to experiment with new ideas and adopt a startup model when it comes to e-commerce, according to Thomas.
"Over the past few years PepsiCo has built talent and capabilities in the digital space that allows us to move like a startup," he said. "Now as we get feedback on the things that people like and the things that people want, we can pivot in a matter of hours and days like startups can do."
Since the beverage and snack food giant will be able to quickly receive feedback from consumers through these platforms, Thomas expects new insight to emerge that can help market products in-store.
"Part of being a consumer-centric company, which is a big value in which we operate, is to get that feedback from the consumer as quickly as possible," he said. "Let's say we find that people like Propel and Gatorade protein powder and some protein snack we're selling together as a solution, then that insight can lead us to maybe merchandising our product in a store differently."
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people — including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures — has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of sports betting in the U.S. The multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy for sports fans — and even some players — to wager on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. But regulating the rapidly-growing industry has proven to be a challenge. Professional sports leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has also raised eyebrows.
Tesla, the car company run by Elon Musk, reported Wednesday that it sold more vehicles in the past three months after boycotts hit hard earlier this year, but profits still fell sharply. Third-quarter earnings fell to $1.4 billion, from $2.2 billion a year earlier. Excluding charges, per share profit of 50 cents came in below analysts' estimate. Tesla shares fell 3.5% in after-hours trading. Musk said the company's robotaxi service, which is available in Austin, Texas, and San Francisco, will roll out to as many as 10 other metro areas by the end of the year.
Starbucks’ AI barista aims to speed service and improve experience. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune Business Editor, explains its impact on workers and customers.
As Big Tech reports Q3 earnings, investors await proof that massive AI and cloud investments from Meta, Apple, Microsoft, and Alphabet are driving real growth.
Eric Trump joins us to discuss American Bitcoin’s mission, market strategy, and why he believes the U.S. must lead the next era of digital currency innovation.
Unreal Snacks CEO Kevin McCarthy shares how dye-free candy is leading the sweets revolution—just in time for what could be a record-breaking Halloween 2025.
