SKU’d Thoughts 34: How have startups changed Big CPG’s M&A approach?
Most consumer startups of the last decade are often built with a singular focus: a commitment to fulfilling an unmet consumer need. This approach has allowed brands like Halo-Top, Casper, and Beyond Meat to capture a disproportionate share of growth in their respective categories. According to a Bain analysis, these “brands may only account for 2% of the market share across the 45 categories that they’ve disrupted, yet they captured around 25% of the growth from 2012 to 2016.” This level of disruption has changed the way Big CPG looks at M&A.
In the past, Big CPG approached M&A as a strategic way to build scale to dominate their respective categories and boost earnings of the newly-formed company through economies of scale (reduction of redundant cost factors, improved R&D efficiency, etc.). Some recent examples of this strategy have been Mars and Wrigley (2008), Kraft and Heinz (2015) and Anheuser-Busch InBev and SABMiller (2015).
But startups have changed the Big CPG M&A playbook from one that primarily focused on “scale” to one that is keen on “scope”. In scope M&A deals, the acquired company enables an acquirer to enter a new market, product line or channel. Some examples of this type of M&A are Proctor & Gamble’s 2018 acquisition of Walker & Company, a DTC company that makes personal-care products for people of color, and PepsiCo’s 2016 acquisition of KeVita, creator of fermented probiotic and kombucha beverages. The P&G deal allows the company to gain more traction within a diverse consumer base by leveraging and learning from a brand like Walker & Co. that has already built trust with people of color. The PepsiCo acquisition positioned the company to expand its healthy product offerings and become a key player in the Kombucha market, which is projected to hit $3.5 billion by 2025.
The rise of corporate venture capital (CVC) investments in the consumer goods space is another sign of how startups have influenced Big CPG’s approach to M&A. Large CPG companies have recognized that if they are invested in a brand early on, they can avoid writing a larger check to acquire the brand at a later stage because they can acquire before it hits a high premium. Essentially, companies are looking to avoid writing billion-dollar checks to the Dollar Shave Clubs of the world as Unilever did in 2016.
Consumers have varying preferences and startups are small and nimble enough to quickly adjust and fill unmet consumer needs. As consumers continue to vote with their wallets, Big CPG has realized that their traditional approach of building scale and only offering consumers with a finite amount of options will not cut it. This is a great exit opportunity for consumer product entrepreneurs.
Cross posted on Medium