Kelly Nigh joins us on this episode of the TWIG Podcast for an interesting discussion about the power of storytelling in e-commerce products. As Chief Merchandising Officer for Misfits Market and Imperfect Foods ( Acquired by Misfit Market (over a year ago), she is helping to tackle the massive environmental problem of food waste.
According to Kelly, one-third of the food produced in the United States is wasted, which equates to about $408 billion worth of food. Online grocer Misfits Market works directly with farmers to rescue organic produce that would otherwise go to waste and delivers these fruits and vegetables to consumers' doorsteps.
It's Kelly's job to tell people where this food comes from. “One of the differentiators for e-commerce, she explained, is that we have the space and ability to tell more of our product and supplier stories, and also get more customer attention.” . “We are not limited by the space on our product packaging or the limited end caps that brick-and-mortar stores have. We are serious about creating spaces and mechanisms that allow us to highlight the stories of our products and suppliers. We are working on it.”
This approach has worked very well for agricultural products, so Misfits Market is exploring new opportunities in CPG and currently offers: upcycled food, that is, packaged foods made from raw materials that would otherwise be thrown away. Kelly calls this “an exciting and growing part of the food waste movement.”
Kelly also oversees the Misfits and Imperfect private labels. Upcycled ingredients play a key role here too. She explains why the company harvests “substandard pumpkins” and what exactly “broken jasmine rice” is.
And while Misfit Market's primary focus is on food waste, Kelly points out that the online grocer also aims to reimagine the food supply system.
[RELATED: Misfits Market Introduces Fulfilled By Misfits]
Kelly also touches on his career, from his start in the sports world to his stint at electronics giant Amazon. She talks about a key moment in her career where she learned the value of asserting herself and advises her fellow women at the grocery store to rely on their “superpowers.” Masu.
Progressive Grocer's podcast focuses on trends, topics, and interests that are advancing women in the grocery retail industry. If you have an idea for a topic for a TWIG podcast, please contact us. [email protected] and/or [email protected].
