Two New Books Highlight Small Companies Battling for Grocery Store Shelf Space
Saint Louis, Mo., September 12, 2013 – The fight to get on the shelves in the grocery industry is traditionally marked by large megabrands battling against each other trying to establish supreme reign. In many instances, there is another entity trying to enter the fray as well. Small brands, often featuring products with superior quality to the megabrands which tend to cut corners to maximize profits, are trying to carve out their space on the same shelves.
While they may fall under the radar initially, eventually the large brands take note of their presence and turn their attention to them. Outmanned by established distribution channels and outnumbered by promotional budgets which can stretch into the millions of dollars by the megabrands, the small brands have to figure out a way to succeed in an unbelievably challenging environment.
Success for the small brands comes from a passion of individuals in the company, hard work and little bit of luck. Those who are able to succeed end up with compelling stories of triumph and good fortune.
Author Steve Akley explores the stories behind 25 of these miniscule wonders with his book, Small Brand America. Steve notes, “I was amazed at the unique and extremely interesting stories of these companies and the people behind them. After interviewing each, I began to write and quickly realized it read like 25 mini novels within the book.”
Small Brand America also spurred a second book: Small Brand America The Cookbook. Steve states, “I noticed many of the companies in the book utilized recipes as a means to promote their products. I thought a great bonus section to Small Brand America could be some of these recipes. With the many recipes I ended up receiving, I quickly realized it warranted a second book.”
The end result is a book that delivers insight into the interesting adventure of being a start-up in the grocery industry and a cookbook featuring recipes in five categories (appetizers, soups and salads, main courses, desserts and drinks).
Both books are available on Amazon or local bookstores for $13.99 each. Small Brand America is available on for Kindle for $7.99. If you would like to learn more, check out Steve’s website: steveakley.com.
