59. Why Small Brands Will Replace Big CPG With Steve Hughes, Sunrise Strategic Partners and Boulder Brands

59. If you're betting on legacy CPG brands to carry the future of retail, you're betting on the wrong consumer. A $2 trillion purchasing power shift is underway—and millennials are not buying what their parents did.  In this powerful conversation with Steve Hughes, former CEO of Boulder Brands and founder of Sunrise Strategic Partners, we unpack how small natural brands are replacing big CPG—and why. From scaling Healthy Choice to building Udi's, Evol, and Earth Balance, Steve shares how disciplined brand building, conviction, and category leadership create explosive growth. We discuss grass-fed disruption, protein-powered center store innovation like Kodiak Cakes, why legacy brands are losing millennial relevance, and how brands must focus on market basket growth—not penny profit per SKU. If you want to compete in the new retail landscape, you must bring actionable insights, authentic storytelling, and true innovation that reshapes categories. Get instant access on the show webpage: RetailSolved.com/session59