Shopping with Christy, now on
YouTube.

Shorts and deep dives on shopper behavior, pricing, packaging, and shelf performance.

Christy Lebor Partner/ Strategy Group Director

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Shopping with Christy: get insider takes on shopper behavior, pricing, packaging, and shelf performance.

The Role of AI in Packaging Strategy

Every packaging project starts with the same groundwork: get grounded in the category, understand the competitive space, and figure out what's actually driving purchase decisions. Mike Keplinger, Chief Innovation Officer at SmashBrand, walks through where AI helps at this early strategy stage and where it falls short, especially in novel or emerging sub-categories. AI can accelerate category research and competitive mapping, cutting down the calendar time and strategist hours that discovery normally takes. It can't replace the process of translating decision drivers and differentiation into a creative brief. That step still comes from a long-standing, tested approach, not a single prompt. Watch the full episode on Startup to Scale with Jordan Buckner: https://www.foodbevy.com/274-can-ai-create-packaging-that-actually-sells/ #PackagingStrategy #CPG #BrandStrategy #AIinCPG #ConsumerInsights #ProductDifferentiation

Featured

Watch Christy’s

Shorts

Does Kinder's Seasoning Have Permission in Frozen?

Frozen is a velocity aisle where low turns lose the slot. Kinder's spent two years…

Tropicana Has Made Plenty of Packaging Mistakes. This One's a Win.

Christy walks a new Kroger in Colorado and one pack stops her in the orange…

Pepsi's Prebiotic Cola Is Already Getting Discontinued at Costco

Christy spotted Pepsi Prebiotic Cola at Costco just months after launch. Now the shelf tag…

One benefit, said 4 times. Here's why

Communicate a real point of difference once and most shoppers never register it. Say it…

This is what a defensible premium tier looks like

Gorilla Tape doesn't just call this one "Ultimate." It shows you why: a cardboard sleeve…

Flex Tape says "400% more"... more of WHAT?

Flex Tape Max claims "400% more" right on the pack. But more of what? More…

Tide Evo vs Arm & Hammer: Who Wins on Shelf

Tide Evo and Arm & Hammer's laundry sheets are fighting for the same shopper. Only…

These Tide Evo Pods Cost More and the Pack Won't Tell You Why

Tide Evo pods run $10 for 16 count, more than the standard line. The tech…

Sun Bum Made This Bottle Impossible to Read

Christy grabbed a Sun Bum hair spray and could not tell what it actually was.…

I wanted to buy this. The packaging talked me out of it.

A strong product idea can still lose the sale when the packaging creates confusion at…

Why None of These Pet Wipe Brand Stands Out at Shelf

Christy is in PetSmart walking the pet grooming aisle and she spots something worth paying…

Shopping Sunscreen by Fragrance? H-E-B Nailed It!

Shopping with Christy heads to H-E-B in Texas for a first look at the retailer's…

Uh Oh! They Took All the Distinctiveness Out of Caress.

Christy walks into an HEB in Texas and the first endcap she sees is a…

How Ryze Uses Packaging to Win Coffee Shoppers

Mushroom coffee has a shopper communication problem: some consumers still don’t know it’s actually coffee.…

Getting on shelf is 25% of the battle and this merchandiser is limiting the other 75%

Getting on shelf is just the starting point for winning in retail. In this audit,…

SmashBrand joins Salem One to Connect Consumer-Validated Brand Strategy with Scaled Market Execution

We’re excited to share that SmashBrand has joined Salem One. This marks a step forward.…

Waterloo Was Ready for This New Merchandising Fixture. Other Brands Weren’t.

Waterloo is winning here because it was built for this exact merchandising fixture. As shelves…

These Barilla Pasta LTO's Really Grabbed My Attention!

Walking the pasta aisle at Walmart and this Barilla limited-time offer completely captured my attention.…

View More Category Insights

Full Videos Category Insights

What the Weed Killer Aisle at Lowe's Can Teach Us About Shopability and Brand Blocking

The weed killer category at Lowe's is two full bays of product, and almost no help for the shopper trying to navigate it. No shelf talkers, brand block, or clear organizing logic until you start reading every single…

Shopping the Pasta Set for Lessons in Packaging Design

In this episode of Shopping with Christy, we walk the pasta aisle to break down real-world packaging—from what catches the eye to what gets lost in the noise. You’ll see how smart brands shift from emotional storytelling to…

How Smart Packaging Helps Brands Win in Lowe’s Cleaning Aisle

*In this in-store breakdown, SmashBrand’s Christy Lebor walks the specialty cleaning aisle at Lowe’s to answer one big question: 🧽 Why is this category so hard to shop — and what makes some cleaning brands win while others…

The Branding Lessons Hiding in the Egg Aisle Every CPG Brand Should Know

What does the egg aisle really reveal about shelf strategy, brand equity, and consumer messaging? In this video, we break down a real-world category walkthrough—highlighting what brands like Vital Farms and Eggland’s Best get right, where private label…

Here's What the Salad Dressing Aisle Can Teach Us About Brand Blocking and Category Ownership.

What makes one salad dressing brand win over the competition? In this full salad dressing category teardown, we walk the aisles of Super Target to see what works and what doesn’t in brand blocking, color ownership, and form…

View More Category Insights

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Shopping with Christy, now on
YouTube.

Featured Video

Featured Video

The Role of AI in Packaging Strategy

Watch Christy’s

Shorts

Does Kinder's Seasoning Have Permission in Frozen?

Tropicana Has Made Plenty of Packaging Mistakes. This One's a Win.

Pepsi's Prebiotic Cola Is Already Getting Discontinued at Costco

One benefit, said 4 times. Here's why

This is what a defensible premium tier looks like

Flex Tape says "400% more"... more of WHAT?

Tide Evo vs Arm & Hammer: Who Wins on Shelf

These Tide Evo Pods Cost More and the Pack Won't Tell You Why

Sun Bum Made This Bottle Impossible to Read

I wanted to buy this. The packaging talked me out of it.

Why None of These Pet Wipe Brand Stands Out at Shelf

Shopping Sunscreen by Fragrance? H-E-B Nailed It!

Uh Oh! They Took All the Distinctiveness Out of Caress.

How Ryze Uses Packaging to Win Coffee Shoppers

Getting on shelf is 25% of the battle and this merchandiser is limiting the other 75%

SmashBrand joins Salem One to Connect Consumer-Validated Brand Strategy with Scaled Market Execution

Waterloo Was Ready for This New Merchandising Fixture. Other Brands Weren’t.

These Barilla Pasta LTO's Really Grabbed My Attention!

Full Videos Category Insights

What the Weed Killer Aisle at Lowe's Can Teach Us About Shopability and Brand Blocking

Shopping the Pasta Set for Lessons in Packaging Design

How Smart Packaging Helps Brands Win in Lowe’s Cleaning Aisle

The Branding Lessons Hiding in the Egg Aisle Every CPG Brand Should Know

Here's What the Salad Dressing Aisle Can Teach Us About Brand Blocking and Category Ownership.

Shopping with Christy, now on YouTube.

Featured Video

Featured Video

The Role of AI in Packaging Strategy

Watch Christy’s

Shorts

Does Kinder's Seasoning Have Permission in Frozen?

Tropicana Has Made Plenty of Packaging Mistakes. This One's a Win.

Pepsi's Prebiotic Cola Is Already Getting Discontinued at Costco

One benefit, said 4 times. Here's why

This is what a defensible premium tier looks like

Flex Tape says "400% more"... more of WHAT?

Tide Evo vs Arm & Hammer: Who Wins on Shelf

These Tide Evo Pods Cost More and the Pack Won't Tell You Why

Sun Bum Made This Bottle Impossible to Read

I wanted to buy this. The packaging talked me out of it.

Why None of These Pet Wipe Brand Stands Out at Shelf

Shopping Sunscreen by Fragrance? H-E-B Nailed It!

Uh Oh! They Took All the Distinctiveness Out of Caress.

How Ryze Uses Packaging to Win Coffee Shoppers

Getting on shelf is 25% of the battle and this merchandiser is limiting the other 75%

SmashBrand joins Salem One to Connect Consumer-Validated Brand Strategy with Scaled Market Execution

Waterloo Was Ready for This New Merchandising Fixture. Other Brands Weren’t.

These Barilla Pasta LTO's Really Grabbed My Attention!

Full Videos Category Insights

What the Weed Killer Aisle at Lowe's Can Teach Us About Shopability and Brand Blocking

Shopping the Pasta Set for Lessons in Packaging Design

How Smart Packaging Helps Brands Win in Lowe’s Cleaning Aisle

The Branding Lessons Hiding in the Egg Aisle Every CPG Brand Should Know

Here's What the Salad Dressing Aisle Can Teach Us About Brand Blocking and Category Ownership.

Shopping with Christy, now on
YouTube.