At CST Consulting, we find Consumer Products companies are increasingly seeking to partner with advisers which have a deep understanding of the industry's strategic landscape. The ability to provide strategic insights specific to their needs and competitive dynamics is what we offer businesses, advisers, investment banks, and private equity firms. Our advice is based on proprietary analysis to identify strategic issues/opportunities and illuminate the alternatives available to the client given their particular category focus, competition, and resources. The data we rely upon can include Nielsen, IRI, Euromonitor, Kantar, SEC filings, stock analyst reports, required state/local/regulatory filings, as well as internal company data pertaining to market research matters.
Alternative structures the firm’s principal has direct experience with include:
3.1 Preparation
Strategic Assessment
Feasibility Assessment
Transaction Preparation
Confidentiality
3.2 Buyers
Identifying Potential Buyers
Private Equity
3.3 Process Alternatives and Timeline
Two-Stage Auction Process
One-Stage Auction Process
Negotiated Transaction with One Party
3.4 Auction Process
Information Memorandum
Non-Binding Letter of Interest (or Indication of Interest)
Management Presentation
Due Diligence Inquiries
Governance Process
3.5 Contracts
Contract Features
Negotiating the Contract
Transition Services
3.6 Closing Requirements
Closing Requirements
Competition Authorities
3.7 Special Topics: Material Divestitures and Insider Sales
3.8 Special Topics: Spin-offs, Split-offs, Merger and Split-off
4.1 Preparation
Candidate Screening, Fit
Financial Constraints/Valuation
4.2 Approach
Initial Contact
Confidentiality Agreements
4.3 Due Diligence
Organization
Checklists: Corporate Matters, Management and Operations, Financial Matters, Legal Matters, Employee Matters, Insurance, Real Estate/Equipment/Personal Property, Intellectual Property, Market Research, Marketing and New Products, Sales and Distribution, Manufacturing/Safety/Environmental, Information Systems, Taxes
Read-Out Process
4.4 Pre-Closing Period
4.5 Special Topics:
Public Company Acquisitions
Stock versus Asset Purchases
5.1 The Steering Committee
5.2 Integration Advisors Selection
5.3 Personnel
Acquiring Company
Target Company
5.4 Competitively Sensitive Data
5.5 Integration Work Stream: Synergies
5.6 Integrating Cultures
5.7 Day One
Planning and Day One Checklist
Critical Process Planning and Day One Testing
Issue Tracking and Resolution on Day One and Post Closing
5.8 Integration Budgets
9.1 Identification and Appointment
9.2 Confidentiality
9.3 Project Management
9.4 Investment Banks
9.5 Accounting Firms
9.6 Law Firms
9.7 Environmental/Safety Consultants
10.1 Organization and Hiring
10.2 Authority and Standards/Consistency
10.3 Corporate Development Group Responsibilities
Sample “Teaser”/ “One Pager”
Sample “short form” Confidentiality Agreement
Sample “long form” Confidentiality Agreement
Sample Process Letter from Seller
Sample Auction First Round Letter from Seller
Sample Non-Binding Indication of Interest from Buyer
Sample Logistics Letter for Management Presentation
Sample Auction Second Round Letter from Seller
Sample Final Bid Letter from Buyer Fairness Opinion
Founded in 2012, CST Consulting is an advisory firm that provides highly sophisticated strategic advice to Corporations, Consumer-Oriented Businesses, Investment Banks, and Private Equity Firms. The firm takes a “client-side” perspective by advising on category trends, competitive dynamics, brand portfolio strengths and weaknesses, and related strategic alternatives. If a transaction is indicated, the firm can provide alternative structures to address specific client constraints.
Cameron is a media and tech consultant with 20 years experience in media and design leadership at Medline, Technomic and Kraft Foods.
CST Consulting LLC
Fidelity Corporate Park
765 Ela Road, Suite 301
Lake Zurich, Illinois 60047
CST Consulting has gathered over 200 operating profit margin figures for branded offerings to inform our estimates of profitability in 85 US Food and Beverage categories.
And, ground-breaking statistical analysis conclusively identifying WHY some categories have significantly higher profitability for branded offerings than others
HOW companies, private equity firms, and commercial lenders can out-perform their competitors with this study includes:
It is clear with this study WHY McDonalds has targeted their entry into retail grocery with coffee with their McCafe brand.
We can also see WHY Coke can be expected to rapidly enter the US retail grocery business with their own ready-to drink coffees (or even more likely, acquired brands or partnerships), following their $5 billion acquisition last year in Europe of the Costa coffee company
It is less clear if the Pepsi-Starbucks ready-to-drink coffee alliance in the US will be maintained in light of the Nestle-Starbucks grocery marketing arrangement: if not, Pepsi will need its own “play” in the category
This one-of-a-kind study is based on fundamental economics to understand the challenges facing retailers and restaurants as they respond to consumers’ need for convenience in an increasingly digital economy. We use precise data to inform our market size and growth projections, identify what approaches are most likely to succeed, and understand the strategic drivers of market participants. Studies from other firms focus on a description of WHAT is occurring, and are unable to take a perspective on WHY the industry is evolving.
The study makes clear:
Large grocery retailers are at risk of seeing up to 15% of groceries purchased over the internet by 2025, and they are building next day delivery systems to fulfill orders taken over their own portals.
Amazon with an estimated 65 million “Amazon Prime” members in the US (and 100 million worldwide) are in the center of the target households with convenience needs, with average family income over $100,000.
A nationwide delivery network also facilitated by internet-ordering portals, is being built by firms such as UberEats and GrubHub. It now covers 30% of all restaurants, and coverage is projected to grow to 50% by 2025.
Economies of scale and low labor costs per unit are the winning formula
The Hispanic opportunity is driven by growth. We expect Hispanics to grow from 17% to 21% of the U.S. population by 2030 and 28% by 2060. Understanding the rate of assimilation of Hispanics (fairly rapid), their language preferences for media and advertising (evolving more slowly), the degree to which they prefer different in-store marketing tools, their category preferences, and receptivity to private label brands are crucial for retailers and food manufacturers alike.
Many of the major food manufacturers have been responsive to the cross-over appeal of Hispanic-style foods to non-Hispanics, and have made a series of acquisitions over the past 30 years, including B&G Foods/Ortega, Campbells/Pace, ConAgra/Frontera, as well as the joint venture between Hormel and Herdez known as Megamex. A smaller number of Hispanic companies with roots in Mexico such as Gruma/Mission and Goya with roots in Puerto Rico have rapidly expanded with facilities in the U.S. and have concentrated on “authentic” items.
The study provides depth on:
The United States Private Label (PL) market for foods and beverages represents an estimated 20% of all retail grocery sales, and is expected to grow at a modest rate of a half percentage point of share per annum for the next several decades. Our study makes clear the drivers of this growth, variation by +64 categories, the approaches taken by the 12 major retail chains, and the profitability of PL manufacturers by category.
The drivers of PL growth are shown to be rising concentration of share among major chains (e.g. Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons) and share gains by discounters (Aldi, Lidl, etc.)
The share of PL by category varies from under 5% for snacks up to 60% for milk, and correlates with whether items in the category are standardized or have significant flavor/texture differences.
The PL branding architecture for each major retail chain is explored, from Walmart with one dominant PL brand, to Ahold with banner-specific offerings (Food Lion, Giant, Hannaford) supplemented by Nature’s Promise across all banners, to Albertson’s with five major PL brands across its banner stores, and very little PL offered under the banner names themselves. Aldi with 8 different major PL brands (and very little national brand presence) within a store has focused on benefits.
Operating profit margins for PL manufacturers vary by category, and while lower than national brands, follow the same pattern: lowest for commodities like milk/dairy (sub 5%) and higher for snacks with different flavor profiles (+14%) and distinctive sauces/salsas (17%).
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