Company overview

• Jennifer's Homemade is a privately-held company headquartered in Miami, Florida which is listed as a wholesaler of cookies and crackers. The company employs between 5 and 9 people.

Company origins

• Jennifer's Homemade was founded in 2005 in Miami, Florida, when Jennifer Behar decided to put her passion for baking to use. Her friends gave her the advice to start selling her breadsticks, which Behar, having a background in marketing, listened to.

Company growth

• In the beginning, Behar experimented with packaging, until she found the perfect combination. Jennifer's Homemade differentiated itself by donating 5% of every sale to the Daily Bread Food Bank, a local charity organization.
• By 2009, Behar already had her own food manufacturing facility and was present in major local supermarkets, such as Publix and Whole Foods. She aimed at Whole Foods because the retail chain donated some of its profits to charity, which aligned with her business goals. She overcame the economic downturn by keeping her product prices steady and earning lower profits (due to increasing ingredient prices). At the time, Behar's company had 8 employees.
• Around 2009, Jennifer's Homemade introduced the Double Chocolate Chunk Biscotti, which quickly gained popularity, but Behar stated she is more focused on the core offerings of her business and that she is exploring food service and caterers.
• By 2013, Behar's business had 20 employees. Her company went through restructuring, as she struggled to pay off company's debts. Around this time, Jennifer's Homemade company began to shift its focus from retail outlets to wholesale.

• By 2018, the company had reached stability and Behar was doing the majority of the business herself. She claims that her company is currently focused on growth.

Countries and locations

• Jennifer's Homemade has one store location, in Miami, Florida.
• Jennifer's Homemade is currently present in hotels, restaurants and gourmet markets nationwide. The company's products don't appear to be available outside the US.
• The company's products are available in retail outlets, primarily across Florida, New York, Connecticut and New Jersey, but restaurants and other small businesses across the country also offer the company's products. By examining the company's Facebook profile, it is evident Whole Foods is the main retailer of its products. Apart from Whole Foods, the company's products are offered in Harris Teeter, ShopRite, The Fresh Market, Lucky Market and Earth Fare.

• Jennifer's Homemade products are available at all Whole Foods stores in Florida, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Northern California, Northern Nevada, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. As of recently, all Whole Foods stores in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Washington D.C., Texas, Virginia, Oklahoma, Ohio and Maryland also offer the company's products. Whole Foods location in Reno, Nevada also offers Jennifer's Homemade products.
• In Florida, Jennifer's Homemade products are available in Publix stores from Key West to Vero Beach. Regardless, the company's Facebook profile appears to be most focused on online delivery services, as many posts offer discounts when ordering from the company's website.

• Company's products are offered in several restaurants in Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Wisconsin. Apart from this, the company's products are offered in gourmet markets in California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Pricing

• Original Breadsticks: $5.99 
• Original Flatbread: $5.99 
• Rosemary Breadsticks: $5.99 
• Rosemary Flatbread: $5.99 
• Salt and Pepper Breadsticks: $5.99 
• Salt and Pepper Flatbread: $5.99 
• Variety Pack Breadsticks: $15.99 
• Variety Pack Flatbread: $15.99 
• Variety Pack Sampler: $16.99 
• Variety Pack One: $29.99 
• Variety Pack Two of Everything: $58.99 

Company size

• This company is privately-held and hasn't publicly disclosed its revenue, but third-party sources estimate its revenue to be under $500,000.
• Recently, the company has appeared in the local magazines VoyageMIA and Miami Herald. The company is also known for appearing in the Marta Stewart show in 2007, on CNN and The New York Times in 2008 and for collaborating with American Express to create an advertisement for the OPEN small business card in 2009. The brand doesn't appear to have advertised through digital channels recently, although it is active on social media.

RESEARCH STRATEGY

Professional Background

• Jennifer Behar is the founder and CEO of Jennifer's Homemade. Jennifer's Homemade was founded in July 2005 and sells breadsticks and flatbread nationwide.
• Before venturing into entrepreneurship, she was an account executive at the New York office of Lintas. She worked at the company from 1989 to 1992.
• Jennifer Behar served as the president of Boston University AdLab from 1988 to 1989.
• She joined the Boston University advertising agency for upper-level students in her sophomore year at the university.

Educational Background

• Behar graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor of Science in Communications. She attended the school from 1985 to 1989.
• She graduated with a major in communications and minor in psychology.

Personal Interests and Hobbies

• Jennifer Behar is a divorced single mom. She has a 21-year-old daughter named Stephanie, who is a student at Boston University.
• Jennifer Behar lives in Miami, Florida. 
• She takes an hour every day to exercise to keep healthy as it helps in keeping her focused on her business and family.
• It can be inferred from her twitter posts that she's politically inclined as most tweets are negatively directed towards the POTUS, Donald Trump.

Social Media Accounts

•  LinkedIn.  
•  Twitter. 
•  Facebook. 

Social Causes

• Behar's company donated 10% of their sales to the Hurricane Dorian Relief Fund.
• Jennifer Behar was among the chefs that provided for the "fight hunger and feed hope" campaign organized by Feeding South Florida.

Current Responsibilities as CEO

• As the CEO of Jennifer's Homemade, she is responsible for maintaining the vision of the business and developing a business strategy to support it.
• She also oversees the financials of the company which include, securing funding, handling the budget, hiring a CPA.
• Jennifer Behar is also in charge of employee management which includes hiring employees, interviews, training, and termination of employee contracts.
• She oversees the company's marketing campaigns and is responsible for creating relationships with suppliers and tracking inventory purchases.
• She also has to assist with customer service and form business alliances to help at crucial moments to obtain resources, ideas and funding.

Recent News

• In the past two years, Jennifer Behar has been featured in news articles by Boston University Campus Magazine, and Voyage MIA.
• On the Boston University Campus, Jennifer Behar talked about her time in college and motivation for starting a business. She also shared advice for undergraduates seeking to go into entrepreneurship or choosing a career path.
• Voyage MIA discussed Jennifer's professional background and a brief overview of role as the CEO of Jennifer's Homemade.

Research Strategy

Recent News

• On November 12, 2019, Jennifer's Homemade announced the launch of their bread sticks at Publix grocery stores from Vero Beach to Key West.

• On September 4, 2019, Jennifer's Homemade announced that 10% of all orders made via the company website during the month of September 2019 would go to support Hurricane Dorian relief.

• On July 6, 2019, Jennifer's Homemade announced their 14th birthday, which included a sale.
• On June 6, 2019, Jennifer's Homemade announced their participate in a Whole Foods Flavors Moment promotion in many Whole Food's Stores across the country.

• On June 2, 2019, Jennifer's Homemade highlighted that they were part of the local promotion at Whole Foods Stores in Florida.

•  On April 3, 2019, Jennifer's Homemade announced the launch of their products at Whole Foods Market South stores (Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee).
• On March 11, 2019, Jennifer's Homemade announced the launch of their products at Whole Foods Stores in Northern California & Northern Nevada.
• On February 28, 2019, Jenifer's Homemade announced a limited partnership with Apolis to create a Jennifer's Homemade branded bag.
• On November 2, 2018, Jennifer's Homemade announced the launch of their products at Harris Teeter stores.
• On October 10, 2018, Boston University published a profile of the founder of Jennifer's Homemade, Jennifer Behar.

Research Strategy

Jennifer's Homemade Overview

• Jennifer's Homemade creates all-natural, non-GMO and 100% vegan products like breadsticks and flatbreads using extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt and fresh rosemary.
• They are sold in gourmet markets, hotels, and restaurants across the U.S.
•  Online ordering is also available.

Jennifer's Homemade Competitors

SimpleMills

•  SimpleMills is a true competitor because all its products are gluten-free, non-GMO verified, and a vast majority of them are vegan. The company is based in Chicago and ship their products throughout the country. They have online ordering options available along with presence in all major online as well as offline retailers like Amazon, Whole Foods, Target, Walmart, etc.

• The company also have recipes available on their website, which promotes low sugar levels, boost vitamins, and mineral content.

Back To Nature

•  Back to Nature is a true competitor because its products like crackers, which are non-GMO verified, gluten-free, and vegan, are similar to Jennifer's Homemade products. They are US-based with extensive online presence with e-retailers like Amazon.
• Back to Nature has been supporting The Nature Conservancy's Plant a Billion Trees program to promote a planet with healthier and happier people in line with its motto of recipes inspired by nature.

Mary's Gone Crackers

•  Mary's Gone Crackers is a true competitor because they are popular for their tasty crackers, that are organic, non-GMO, plant-based and 100% vegan. They are a U.S-based company with shipping available throughout the country, as well as Alaska and Hawaii. Online shopping is available along with a retail presence at stores like Wholefoods.
• They source organic and sustainable palm oil from farms in South America who are committed to a zero deforestation policy.

Earth Balance

•  Earth Balance is a true competitor because they sell snacks and crackers, which are 100% vegan and non-GMO. They are based in Boulder, Colorado and their products are available online as well as with retailers.
• Earth Balance sells one of the most popular vegan buttery spreads in the U.S. and is known to use recyclable packaging.

Judy’s Breadsticks

•  Judy’s Breadsticks is a true competitor because their products are 100% vegan and made using whole wheat flour. They are based in San Fransisco and are available online as well as at retailers like Whole Foods, Safeway, Mollie Stone’s, etc.
• They recently celebrated 25 years of handmade, wonderful, chewy, unique rich flavored 100% natural breadsticks.

Flackers

•  Flackers is a true competitor because its crackers are vegan, paleo, non-GMO verified and gluten-free. One can shop online on their website as well as purchase through Amazon.com, Thrive Market, VitaCost.com, and other online retailers, along with major grocery stores like Whole Foods, HyVee, H.E.B., Sprouts.
• All their crackers are made using flaxseed and help to maintain normal cholesterol levels and promote optimal digestion.

Rustic Bakery

•  Rustic Bakery is a true competitor because its famous products like naturally leavened flatbreads and crackers are vegan, low fat, and organic. They are based in Marin County, California, and are available at various bakeries like Murray’s and retailers like Whole Foods.
• All their products are low in fat, full of nutrients and naturally delicious, and best paired with wine and cheese.

Research Strategy

1. Jennifer's Homemade

Competitive Advantage

• According to the company's website, their products are baked fresh daily, making them attractive to customers who inclined towards fresh foods, especially consumers who believe that fresh foods are more nutritious and have no health effects when consumed.
• Jennifer's Homemade breadsticks and flatbreads are "made with extra virgin olive oil, the finest kosher salt, unbleached/unbromated wheat flour, and fresh rosemary" to give them a distinctive taste that is unparalleled.

Strengths

• Large Production Capacity: Jennifer's Homemade has the capacity to bake about 70,000 breadsticks and flatbread daily.
• Dependable Retail Partners: Jennifer's Homemade retail partners like Whole Foods, Publix, and The Fresh Market, are some of the most popular retail outlets among US citizens.
• Social Media Presence: Jennifer Homemade is active on its social media platform; Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram. They make regular posts on their offerings to attract their online community.
• Media Recognition: According to its LinkedIn page, "Jennifer's Homemade has been featured in Food & Wine and Gourmet Magazines, The New York Times, The Miami Herald, The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch, The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer on CNN, and National Public Radio."

Perceived Weaknesses

• Weak Marketing: There is no indication that the company has undertaken any marketing campaigns on digital channels. Its website does not specify any marketing efforts that have been employed, apart from its activity on social media.
• Limited Offerings: The menu may be limiting to individuals who are not vegans and explorers of breadsticks and flatbread of diverse tastes.

Geographical Footprint

• Jenniffer Homemade has its headquarters in Miami, Florida. Of all the states, It has the most number of retail outlets in Florida.
• Jennifer Homemade's products are available in hotels and restaurants across US.

Publicly Available Revenue Information

• This company is privately-held and hasn't publicly disclosed its revenue, but third-party sources estimate its revenue to be under $500,000.
• The products are available in Whole Foods Market, Gourmet Markets and Shops, Harris Teeter, Lucky's Market, Publix, Earth Fare, and The Fresh Market among other retail outlets in all the states nationwide.

2. Simple Mills

Competitive Advantage

• In an interview with Simple Mill's Founder and CEO, Katlin Smith, when asked about their competitive advantage, she stated: "We create products that our consumer wants, which sounds so simple, but it's more than just focus groups and customer surveys."
• She added that they have remained competitive because they strive to "offer a consumer experience that is so much better than anything else in the market".
• According to the CEO, the differentiators of their crackers are "3g of protein, a good source of Vitamin E, and a lower carbohydrate count, and glycemic impact than most competitive products.

Strengths

• Highly Skilled and Trained Employees: In an interview published on Forbes, Katlin Smith said that they take their employees through a carefully designed recruitment process to ensure that they understand the consumer.
• Firm Foundation: The company's operations are guided by strong cultural tenets that include holistic health elements, humility, drive, and internal collaboration.
• Strong Marketing Strategy: According to the company's Vice President of Marketing, Michelle Lorge, social media and influencers have played a significant role in driving growth at Simple Mills. With considerable followings on social media, they have kept their audience highly engaged, working with hundreds of talented influencers who share incredible content on behalf of the company.
• Strong Market Position: According to the CEO, as of 2017, Simple Mills was ranked third among natural cracker brands considering dollars sold.

Perceived Weaknesses

• The saltiness of almond flour, fine ground sea salt crackers may be unattractive to customers who do not prefer salty foods.
• Low Employee Base; With over 13,000 stores, Simple Mills has less than 50 employees, a fact that may slow down its operations. Employees may also be overwhelmed with work.

Geographical Footprint

• Simple Mills is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
• Currently, Simple Mills operates across the US. The products are available in over 13,000 stores nationwide.

Publicly Available Revenue Information

• According to Crunchbase, Simple Mills has an estimated annual revenue of about $9 million. 
• In 2017, Simple Mills CEO reported that in 2016, the company registered a 300% retail sales increase and a 260% increase in revenue across its channels.

Research Strategy

2. Back to Nature

Competitive Advantage

• The major competitive advantage of Back to Nature is the company's willingness to meet consumer demand. They started in 1960 with a granola bar that was popular in health food stores in California and grew to provide other nutritious products by developing great tasting cereals, crackers, nuts and cookies.
• The company has been awarded numerous certifications that give them a competitive edge such as Non-GMO Project Verified, USDA organic certified, and Whole Grains Council certified.

Strengths

• The company grew from offering just granola bars to offering cereals, crackers, nuts, cookies, trail mix and juice. They have products for numerous dietary restrictions such as kosher, non-GMO project verified, USDA organic certified, whole grains council certified, and gluten free.
• Their products are available nationwide at commercial grocery stores such as Whole Foods, The Fresh Market, Publix, Dollar General and Kroger.
• Back to Nature is considered a leader in the cookie and cracker category.

Weaknesses

• The company experienced some "growing pains" after its acquisition by B&G Foods. These weaknesses were inefficiencies in operations and weak performances in some categories.
• Reviews regarding the cookies and crackers compare them to paper and state that there the bars are flavorless, however, even the bad reviews still cited something nice about their other products.

Revenue

• Their sales in the fourth quarter of 2017 amounted to $20 million.

Footprint

• Their products are available nationwide at commercial grocery stores such as Whole Foods, The Fresh Market, Publix, Dollar General and Kroger.

3. Mary's Gone Crackers

Competitive Advantage

• Mary's Gone Crackers is a premium rice cracker producer in the North American market and have experienced high rates of growth due to the rise of the Japanese food boom and health consciousness.
• Mary's Gone Crackers was invented after the founder's diagnosis of Celiac Disease, so the products are loaded with "whole, nutritious, unique ingredients, and are gluten free and organic without trans-fats or dairy".
• Their ingredients are conscientiously sourced and sustainable. The company sources its rice from California, where farmers and conservationists have converted 550,000 acres of rice fields to seasonal wetland habitats for millions of waterbirds. The organic palm oil comes from sustainable farms in South America that have been committed to a zero deforestation policy since 2001.
• In September 2019, the company proclaimed that it was still the only fully organic and gluten-free cracker brand that is available nation-wide at major grocery stores.

Strengths

• The company has introduced new brands and reinforced their sales team, which has helped buffer the effects of some of their lackluster sales for Mary's Gone Crackers.
• The company's offerings are plant-based proteins, vegan and cruelty-free.
• MGC's partnership with PepsiCo has positioned them for future development. Also, the consolidation of their factory led the company to see reduced costs and improved efficiency.

Weaknesses

• The parent company, Kameda Seika, reported lackluster sales for Mary's Gone Crackers due to intensifying competition from new players and lost opportunities due to a plant move.
• Mary's Gone Crackers' weakness is its distribution spread but it is currently working to expand through consolidation and make its processes more efficient.

Revenue

• MGC's 2018 annual revenue was $42.3 million.

Footprint

• Mary's Gone Crackers is headquartered in Nevada. As the brand does not appear in the parent company's international portfolio, we have assumed that it only operate in the US. Their parent company shows three locations in the US for Mary's Gone Crackers.
• Mary's Gone Crackers is sold nationally in grocery stores and natural food stores such as Whole Foods Market, Kroger, and Sprouts.

Earth Balance

Competitive Advantage

• Since its inception, Earth Balance has transformed into the most prominent and fastest-selling vegan buttery spread in the United States.
• Through its Facebook page, customers can sign up for the company's newsletter. The newsletter assists Earth Balance in tracking and offering products to the customers.
• Earth Balance also engages with its customers. These engagements include celebrating events such as Father's Day, National Fudge Day, National Peanut Butter Cookie Day, etc., where they interact virtually with their existing and potential customers, which helps to establish a strong relationship between the company and shoppers.

Strengths

• With 505,028 likes and 499,964 followers on Facebook, Earth Balance has notable exposure to consumers on social media. Users can shop for their products through Facebook.
• Ready Set Eat is a collection of recipes that assists users with cooking. One of the brands featured in their recipes is Earth Balance. Through these features, Ready Set Eat helps Earth Balance to reach more consumers and increase sales.
• Earth Balance utilizes recyclable packaging.
• They also avoid the use of GMOs, and their products are produced using sustainably sourced ingredients.

Perceived Weaknesses

• Conagra Foods (parent company of Earth Balance), which purchased the parent company of Boulder Brands, Pinnacle Foods Inc., eliminated the 100 positions within its Boulder office. This move affects the overall performance of the company. The former employees were granted outplacement support and severance pay, which could consume the company's resources.
• Conagra Brands also shuttered its Boulder office, meaning those that did not lose their jobs had to be transferred to other facilities in which they required relocation, which could impact company performance.
• Earth Balance has limited offers that only includes spreads, baking sticks, nut butters, dressings, snacks, and crackers. The snacks and crackers they provide merely consist of two options, the Vegan Aged White Cheddar Flavor Puffs and Vegan Cheddar Flavor Squares.

Revenue

• In 2019, Conagra, which includes the Earth Balance brands, generated net sales of $2.391 billion.

Cities/Countries

• As a part of Conagra Brands, Earth Balance has several plants located throughout the United States, including Georgia, New Hampshire, California, and Colorado.
• Earth Balance's parent company, Conagra Brands, is located in Omaha and Chicago.

Judy’s Breadsticks

Competitive Advantage

• Judy's Breadsticks offers a wholesale inquiry for customers. This unique feature, which is only meant for a particular transaction, helps the company to hear the concerns of shoppers and address queries regarding the purchase of goods in large quantities.
• It has also operated in its market for decades, offering products to consumers in Marin County since the year 1993.
• Additionally, the company allows customers to place their orders online through the official website.

Strengths

• The company's product line is vegan, meaning they do not contain dairy or honey, something that many health-conscious consumers seek.
• Judy’s Breadsticks promotes itself as a "California Original Vegan Award-Winning Bakery", proving that the company provides high-quality products to their customers.
• The company also participates in festivals, helping it to reach consumers and expand brand awareness. One of them is the Tiburon Wine Festival, which is one of the most popular wine events within the Bay Area.

Perceived Weaknesses

• A weakness of the company is the restricted number of locations, as most of their products can be found in the Bay Area (California).
• Judy's Breadsticks' engagement on social media, specifically Facebook, is rather poor. With just 39 likes and 48 follows, the company does not have noticeable reach on their Facebook page, which most potential customers use.
• Also, the company has a limited collection of products to offer, consisting of Lovesticks, Country Crackers, Twigs, and Somewhat Seedy Garlicky Toasted Bites.

Cities/Countries

• Most of the company's locations are in California, namely San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma, Napa, East Bay, Peninsula/South Bay, and Santa Cruz.

Research Strategy:

1) Flackers

Competitive Advantage

• The company is co-founded by Dr. Alison Levitt M.D, offering a considerable advantage for healthier product development.
• Flackers offer products that are plant-based, vegan, gluten-free, keto-friendly, and contain a lower concentration of carbohydrates. Further, the products are certified by USDA organic, verified for Non-GMO ingredients, and certified by Kosher.
• Flackers' products are made from unique and healthy ingredients like quinoa, hemp seed, hatch green chile, black sesame seeds, black pepper, flax seeds, dill, sea salt, and rosemary.

Strengths

• The company has been featured on prominent media outlets as a healthier snack option. Some notable publications include People, Star Tribune, AOL, Healthline, PopSugar, Los Angeles Times, Shape, Greatist, among others.
• The products are available across numerous prominent retailers such as Amazon, WholeFoods, H.E.B., Thrive Market, Albertsons, Sprouts, HyVee, Ralph’s, VitaCost, among others.

Weaknesses

• The company operates in a narrow market segment of crackers and crisps. Further, the company offers just eight product SKUs with six flavors of crisps and crackers.
• Even after a decade of existence, the brand has a low noise level on social media platforms. Flackers has just 1,894 followers on Facebook, 1,253 followers on Twitter, and 4,725 followers on Instagram.
• The products are fairly expensive to buy, i.e., packs weighing 5oz (142grams) are priced at $5.99.

Revenue

•  $3 million to $5 million

Locations

• Presence in over 3500 grocery stores across the US.

2) Rustic Bakery

Competitive Advantage

• The small-batch artisan bakery claims to bake everything by hand and use the best organic ingredients like grains and seeds. Further, their nutrient-rich products are low in fat.
• The company is focusing on developing its artisan crisps line and planning to launch a new snack-pack line-up in 2019.
• Rustic Bakery is the only sourdough flatbread/cracker maker that offers organic and Non-GMO Verified products in the market. It is also one of the few makers of homemade sourdough flatbread in the market.

Strengths

• Rustic Bakery strictly sources its ingredients that are locally grown, organically certified, and globally-sourced.
• The company's full product line features 28 products, including flatbread, artisan crisps, bites, cheese coins, and cookie options.
• Some unique flavors offered by the company include olive oil, rosemary, sel gris, kalamata olive, crème fraiche, parmesan reggiano, sweet onion, brandy, pistachio, among others.
• The company also offers outdoor catering services.

Weaknesses

• The company recently faced immigrant workers' issue when it was served with a notice to layoff immigrant workers by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) department.
• The artisan bakery-cafes are present at four locations only. Also, the official sources of information like its website does not feature the availability of products across major retailers like Costco, WholeFoods, H.E.B., Amazon, among others.
• Rustic Bakery's website provides no links to official social media profiles. Also, the bakery features moderate to low number of followers on Facebook (3,126 followers), Twitter (741 followers), and Instagram (6,027 followers).

Revenue

•  $13.9 million ($10-$50 million)

Locations

• The cafes are present at four locations across California, i.e., two cafes at Larkspur, and one cafe at Novato and Tiburon, each.
• The bakery offers products across more than 350 retail outlets of Murray's Cheese. Additionally, the company distributes its products across the US, Canada, the Middle East, and Japan.