4 Takeaways from the Natural Industry’s Largest Event
Last week, I was in Anaheim, Calif., for Natural Products Expo West, the world’s largest natural, organic, and healthy products event. Each year, the trade show brings together tens of thousands of Health & Wellness (H&W) professionals, representing manufacturers, brands, retailers and distributors from all over the world, to showcase the latest and greatest in natural, organic, and healthy products.
As always, the event gave me the chance to connect with many industry leaders and get the pulse on what’s top of mind for H&W brands. Here are four of my takeaways from the 2023 trade show.
1 - ‘regenerative agriculture’ is taking root
In walking the trade show floor and then discussing the show with other industry vets, I found that there’s even more going on in the world of regenerative agriculture and vertical farming than I would have predicted. Netrush partners Ancient Nutrition and True Grace seem to be leading the pack—not just as innovators but as agitators, as they are clearly pushing regulators to push harder on certification.
Given just how much of a threat greenhouse gasses now pose, the movement is a great sign—and evidence that the environment and carbon neutrality are becoming table stakes in the way organic, non-GMO, and gluten-free already are.
2 - large companies made a big impression
Many brands went all out with their booths and messaging—especially those owned by large conglomerates such as Nestle, Unilever, and P&G. This served as further proof that H&W brands backed by these large companies have the ability to spend in a way the smaller players just can’t.
But the show also showed these large CPGs embracing the H&W space more tightly; instead of looking to the same marketing playbook they’ve been reading from for years—or even decades—they are making a concerted effort to rally around the natural products enthusiasts that are integral to the industry.
3 - internal ecomm excellence is becoming a priority
While many of the brand reps I spoke with are still farming out projects and responsibilities to external partners, a lot of them are looking for opportunities to become more self-sufficient. That says a lot about the evolution—and state—of ecommerce. Most brands used to balk at dedicating resources to online retail. Now, a lot of them are willing to invest in FTE and working to make ecommerce a core competency.
Now, there’s still a significant distance to span—fact is, the vast majority of brands are still partnering with multiple agencies and subscribing to multiple platforms—but it does feel as if there’s some momentum being built in the area of in-house ecommerce capabilities.
This is where I believe Netrush is well positioned compared to other ecommerce agencies. We offer everything from full-service solutions to custom, standalone services spanning fulfillment and logistics, marketing, content development, and more—meaning we truly can meet brands wherever they are in their digital journeys.
4 - amazon is not everything
Lastly, my conversations did not center around Amazon for once. A lot of people I spent time with instead wanted to talk about things like customer engagement (especially our Digital ID technology), off-platform advertising, third-party logistics (3PL), and getting closer to the shopper. Some of these conversations included mention of Amazon, but not a single chat turned into a full-on discussion about the world’s largest online retailer.
So, while Amazon was—and still is—the dominant “etailer,” brands are showing an increasing desire or need to: a) diversify away from the increasing costs on the platform; and b) implement omnichannel sales and marketing strategies so they can reach customers at every possible touchpoint and grow in new areas.
Netrush is rooted in health and wellness. Our very first brand partners come from this space, and we’ve had the pleasure of working alongside many purpose-driven, health-and-wellness brands over our 16-year history. We have the knowledge, network, and data to not only create valuable studies such as the 2023 Health & Wellness Shopper Insights Report, but take your brand to the next level. Contact us to explore partnership opportunities.
ABOUT the authorRob Principe is Netrush’s Director of Business Development. He helps brands in the CPG and Sports & Outdoors sectors maximize their reach, revenue, and profitability on the Amazon platform. Prior to joining Netrush in 2020, Rob spent 10 years creating and managing the ecommerce channels for Megafood, Blue Dog Bakery, and Sovereign Silver. Connect with Rob.