Musings From Deepak @ DSG Consumer Partners #70

All things consumer & insurgent brands. What I am currently reading, thinking about, and reflecting upon. You can follow me on Twitter at @dishahdadpuri or follow DSGCP at @dsgcp.

I am writing this today at Chicago O'Hare Airport as I wait for my flight to SFO. I have spent the last 5 days in Miami, Asheville, New York and Chicago, meeting DSGCP's long-term LPs. It has been a great trip for many reasons.

Firstly, we have 10 years of performance to now assess DSGCP's 2012 thesis that there was an opportunity to build the next generation of consumer brands. I want to thank the LPs who backed me in 2012 and 2013 (you know who you are) when it was just a hypothesis. 10 years later DSGCP has backed brands that have gone on to become category leaders from Veeba to Epigamia to Sleepy Owl to Chope to Eazydiner and lots more.

Secondly, each LP introduced me to 2 or 3 other investors who wanted to learn more about the CPG category in India and SE Asia.

Thirdly, I am convinced this is just the beginning. Between my meetings, I visited dozens of retail shops from Whole Foods to Ulta to Sephora to indie shops in Dumbo in NY and West Loop in Chicago. Consumers are continuing to move away from the large CPG brands and look for more relevant and personalized products with brand narratives that are relevant to them.

Lastly, the global CPG giants who I met in Europe and US on this trip have confirmed that they are increasing their M&A activity as they look for products and brands that fit within their playbooks. From Nestle to Kellogg to Unilever to L'Oreal, everyone is looking for brands to buy. This is great news for entrepreneurs building insurgent brands - you have hungry acquirers waiting for you.

🐶🐱 How E-commerce is Accelerating the Growth of Pet Care Industry 🐶🐱 — www.indianretailer.com

Varun Sadana, co-founder of DSGCP portfolio co Supertails writes about India's pet care industry in the latest issue of Indian Retailer.

🍷🍷 Rāsā Cabernet Sauvignon, from DSGCP portfolio co Sula, wins India's first-ever Silver medal at the Global Cabernet Sauvignon Masters 2022 🍷🍷 — www.linkedin.com

I first invested in Sula Vineyards in Dec 2004 backing Rajeev Samant on his mission to do 2 things: 1. educate Indians about wine, and 2. show the world Indian can make great wine.

The World’s Largest Plant-Based Grocery Store Just Opened in Chicago — thebeet.com

Everyone I spoke to in Chicago mentioned PlantX which opened the world's largest vegan grocery store in the city last week. The 6000-square-foot supermarket offers exclusively plant-based products.

Uncharted Accounts: The smart diversification by Asia’s sovereign fund giant, US$297B Temasek — the-ken.com

Interesting piece from The Ken on Singapore's Temasek, who are doubling down on India. DSGCP has co-invested with Temasek at SEA's leading salad chain SaladStop! and plant-based protein company Growthwell Foods.

Retail disruptors are turning to layoffs to cut costs and restructure — www.retaildive.com

As we adjust to a post-COVID way of life, we are seeing many changes and a reversion to norm which will impact businesses that relied upon strategies that worked when we were going out less.