Calling BS in the Sauce Aisle: How One CPG Brand is Taking on Big Food

Calling BS in the Sauce Aisle: How One CPG Brand is Taking on Big Food

If you’ve ever stood in the grocery aisle staring at a wall of “clean,” “natural” or “better-for-you” labels and wondered what any of it actually means, you’re not alone. In this episode of Retail Remix, host Nicole Silberstein speaks with Anna Vocino — actor, comic, cookbook author and founder of Eat Happy Kitchen — about what it really takes to build a clean-label CPG brand in a market dominated by food giants. Anna shares how her celiac diagnosis set her on a hunt for better-for-you foods that has evolved into a thriving food business and why breaking into grocery requires far more than a great-tasting product (although that matters). From label confusion and ingredient trickery to slotting pressure, promo costs and the realities of wholesale expansion, this conversation offers a candid look at what it takes to build a mission-driven food brand from the ground up. Key Takeaways * How Anna turned her personal health journey into cookbooks, a podcast and the growing CPG brand Eat Happy Kitchen;   * Why building a clean-label food brand means constantly pushing back against misleading ingredient claims and grocery aisle “trickery”;   * How to navigate the challenge of not just getting on shelves but staying there by driving trial and managing margin pressure;   * Why Anna’s direct-to-consumer community remains essential for the brand even as it expands to more than 1,300 retail doors; and * What Anna’s background in acting and comedy has taught her about pitching, negotiating and surviving the “Walmart wince.” * PLUS…Stick around to the end to hear the voice Anna would give one of her best-selling products.  Related Links * Explore Eat Happy Kitchen [https://www.eathappykitchen.com]’s sauces, spices and snacks * Related reading- Small Business, Big Ideas: Eat Happy Kitchen’s Recipe for Breaking into a Crowded Market [https://www.retailtouchpoints.com/features/small-business-big-ideas-eat-happy-kitchens-recipe-for-breaking-into-a-crowded-market/155987/] * Get more retail industry insights from Retail TouchPoints [https://www.retailtouchpoints.com]\ * Subscribe and catch up on all episodes of Retail Remix [https://www.retailtouchpoints.com/podcasts]

Selling Memory at Scale: Pandora’s Digital Transformation Story

Most people know Pandora for its iconic charms, but far fewer realize the company is the largest jewelry brand in the world by volume — producing more than 100 million pieces a year. In this episode of Retail Remix, host Nicole Silberstein speaks with David Walmsley, Chief Digital and Technology Officer at Pandora, about how the brand is modernizing its business without losing sight of what it really sells: memory, connection and emotion. David shares how Pandora’s Program Phoenix transformation has helped turn around the business, why the company is investing heavily in digital and omnichannel infrastructure, and where AI is starting to unlock value across service, selling, forecasting and product design. Key Takeaways * Why the company focused first on building stronger digital channels and stabilizing store tech before chasing bigger transformation bets;  * How Pandora is using AI in customer service today, and what the agentic future holds for the company; * Why jewelry creates a more emotionally complex AI selling challenge than more functional categories;  * Where AI may have the biggest long-term impact at Pandora: design, service and operational automation;  * Why omnichannel success depends on brands — not customers — being the “glue” across digital and physical touchpoints; and * How to avoid the tech pitfall of “platformitis.” Related Links * Explore Pandora [https://us.pandora.net]’s jewelry collections and gifting experience * Related reading: How Data and Tech Power Jewelry Brand Pandora’s Mission to ‘Give a Voice to People’s Loves’ [https://www.retailtouchpoints.com/features/how-data-and-tech-power-jewelry-brand-pandoras-mission-to-give-a-voice-to-peoples-loves/130189/] * Get more retail industry insights from Retail TouchPoints [https://www.retailtouchpoints.com] * Subscribe and catch up on all episodes of Retail Remix [https://www.retailtouchpoints.com/podcasts]

How Whatnot Made Live Shopping Click in America

After years of hype around live shopping in the U.S., Whatnot looks like it might be one of the first companies to truly make the model stick at scale. In this episode of Retail Remix, host Nicole Silberstein speaks with Whatnot’s VP of Categories and Expansion Armand Wilson about why the platform’s community-first approach is resonating with Western consumers. Armand explains how Whatnot evolved from a collectibles marketplace built around trust into a live shopping platform spanning hundreds of categories — everything from trading cards to tomahawk steaks — and how live commerce creates a more human, transparent and personalized shopping experience than traditional ecommerce. Key Takeaways * Why Whatnot’s model differs from live shopping in China and is built more around community and expertise than mass product pushing;  * How the platform grew to more than $8 billion in GMV in 2025, doubling year over year;  * Why trust, transparency and seller expertise are central to the Whatnot’s experience;  * How the platform’s algorithm blends social engagement signals and purchase intent to surface the right streams to the right buyers;  * Why categories like beauty and food are opening up new opportunities;   * What makes a successful Whatnot seller (hint: it has more to do with business fundamentals than a sparkling personality, although that certainly helps); and * Why Armand believes 2026 could be the year live shopping goes mainstream in the U.S.   Related Links * Explore live shopping on Whatnot [https://www.whatnot.com] and discover sellers across categories * Related reading: Gary V on the Shifting Landscape of Attention and the Death of Don Draper Marketing [https://www.retailtouchpoints.com/features/gary-v-on-the-shifting-landscape-of-attention-and-the-death-of-don-draper-marketing/157095/] * Get more retail industry insights from Retail TouchPoints [https://www.retailtouchpoints.com] * Subscribe and catch up on all episodes of Retail Remix [https://www.retailtouchpoints.com/podcasts]

Beyond the Doom Scroll: Why Brands Are Turning to Snapchat for Growth

If you still think Snapchat is just for teenagers, you may be missing one of the most underappreciated growth channels in digital advertising. In this episode of Retail Remix, host Nicole Silberstein speaks with Sidharth Malhotra, Global VP of SMB at Snap, about why Snapchat is becoming an increasingly important platform for small- and mid-sized brands looking to acquire new customers. Sid explains how Snap’s nearly 1 billion-strong user community has matured into a high-spending audience, why the platform’s engagement patterns differ from that of other social channels and how advertisers are using everything from dynamic product ads to AR to drive measurable results. Key Takeaways * How brands are using Snapchat to reach incremental audiences they may not be finding on TikTok or Pinterest;  * The benefit of the kind of active, “two-thumb” engagement that Snap encourages, as opposed to the passive scrolling on other platforms; * Why Snap’s AR capabilities function like a “pocket fitting room” for brands of all sizes;  * What the “Hot Wheels problem” reveals about the limits of last-click attribution;  * How AI is helping level the playing field for SMBs, enabling them to “out-execute the Goliaths”;  * Why he believes chat-based commerce will be the next major frontier in performance marketing; and  * Important tips for nailing chat-based advertising. Related Links * Learn more about Snap [https://forbusiness.snapchat.com]’s advertising solutions for brands and retailers * Related reading: L’Oreal Taps Snapchat for AR Hair Color Try-on in Walmart Stores [https://www.retailtouchpoints.com/news/loreal-taps-snapchat-for-ar-hair-color-try-on-in-walmart-stores/143365/] * Get more retail industry insights from Retail TouchPoints [https://www.retailtouchpoints.com] * Subscribe and catch up on all episodes of Retail Remix [https://www.retailtouchpoints.com/podcasts]

Merchandising a Marketplace: The Magician Behind Etsy’s Curatorial Magic

With more than 120 million listings and millions of active sellers, Etsy operates one of the most unique marketplaces in retail. But surfacing the right products for the right buyers requires more than algorithms alone. In this episode of Retail Remix, host Nicole Silberstein speaks with Mary Andrews, Head of Global Merchandising at Etsy, about how the company balances human insight and instinct with AI-driven discovery to curate a shopping experience that feels both personalized and culturally relevant. Mary shares how her team identifies emerging trends, translates cultural moments into shopping occasions and uses AI to scale those insights across Etsy’s massive inventory.  Key Takeaways * How Etsy uses a combination of AI and human curation to translate cultural trends and buyer signals into an ever-changing slate of collections and experiences;  * Why AI will actually make human merchandisers even more valuable;  * Insight from Etsy’s early experiments using AI answer engines like ChatGPT and Gemini to expand product discovery;  * Lessons learned from working alongside Depop’s team of merchandisers, who have their finger on the pulse of Gen Z;  * How AI personalization is helping to amplify niche interests rather than homogenize the internet; and  * Why the future merchandiser will spend less time programming products and more time shaping taste and culture.  Related Links * Explore Etsy [https://www.etsy.com] and discover one-of-a-kind products from independent sellers * Related reading: Etsy, Shopify Among Early Partners for Microsoft’s Copilot Checkout [https://www.retailtouchpoints.com/topics/digital-commerce/etsy-shopify-among-early-partners-for-microsofts-copilot-checkout] * Related reading: Etsy Debuts Ad Campaign in Bid to ‘Keep Commerce Human’ [https://www.retailtouchpoints.com/topics/digital-commerce/e-commerce-experience/etsy-updates-policies-debuts-ad-campaign-in-bid-to-keep-commerce-human] * Related reading: Ebay to Acquire Depop Resale Fashion Marketplace from Etsy  [https://www.retailtouchpoints.com/news/ebay-to-acquire-depop-resale-fashion-marketplace-for-1-2-billion/157018/] * Get more retail industry insights from Retail TouchPoints [https://www.retailtouchpoints.com] * Subscribe and catch up on all episodes of Retail Remix [https://www.retailtouchpoints.com/podcasts]