Field notes
Writing from the aisle
Practical notes on reading launches in consumer packaged goods—how shelves, claims, and reset calendars show what is sticking.
How shelf sets signal a real launch
A new pack on a single end-cap is not the same as a category reset. Here is what our store walks treat as durable launch evidence.
11 November 2025
Reading claims on new CPG SKUs without getting distracted
Front-of-pack lines multiply quickly in personal care and beverages. A calm way to compare them keeps the competitive set usable.
19 January 2026
Timing launches around modern-trade resets
Category resets and festival windows reshape when a new SKU can hold space. Planning against those rhythms reduces wasted first weeks.
3 March 2026
What mini-marts reveal that hypermarkets hide
Smaller formats in Binh Thanh and neighbouring districts often show which SKUs survive without a large gondola story.
14 May 2026