Podcast Summary: The CPG Guys – LIVE from Groceryshop '25 with TCC's Rick Swinkels

Date: October 18, 2025
Hosts: Peter V.S. Bond & Sri Rajagopalan (CPG Guys) with guest Rick Swinkels (CEO, TCC Global)
Special Co-Host: Daniel Torres Dwyer (FMCG Guys)
Event: Recorded live at Groceryshop ‘25

Overview

This crossover episode brings together leaders from both the CPG Guys and FMCG Guys podcasts for a candid discussion with Rick Swinkels, CEO of TCC Global. The conversation centers on the evolving landscape of grocery & retail, exploring how shopper behavior, loyalty, and technology—particularly AI—are redefining the relationship between retailers, brands, and consumers. The episode addresses loyalty strategies, the challenges of retail media monetization, the rise of private labels, and the emotional connection that retailers must foster as the industry accelerates amid economic and digital changes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Shifting Retail & Shopper Landscape

• Acceleration of Trends ([04:11])
  • Shopper behavior changes discussed last year (value-seeking, promiscuous loyalty, increased choice) have intensified.
  • “Shoppers have more choice than ever, they have smaller budgets than ever, they have higher demands than ever, and they have more means to literally go for what they want.” – Rick Swinkels ([05:16])
• Promiscuous Loyalty and Budget Pressure
  • Increasingly rational, budget-conscious shoppers are actively shopping around multiple retailers for the best value ([04:51]).
  • Even loyal customers are splitting their spend between more stores.

2. Private Label Growth and Value Proposition

• Private Label: Quality & Loyalty ([08:05], [09:09])
  • The price gap between branded and private label products has widened, leading to substantial growth in store brands.
  • “Private label products … are loyalty drivers. … The price difference between private label products and branded products has grown.” — Rick Swinkels ([08:39])
• Influencer & UGC Impact ([11:35])
  • Influencers and user-generated content now validate private label quality, erasing old perceptions and driving trial ([12:00]).

3. Retailer and Brand Challenges

• Promotions Undermining Loyalty ([09:22])
  • National brands’ reliance on promotions promotes disloyalty: “What promotions do in many cases … is promote disloyalty.” — Rick Swinkels ([09:22])
• Volume Decline and Shopper Share ([18:04], [19:06])
  • Even with more visitors, total store sales can decline if top shoppers spend less (“Your best shoppers are spending less with you. And that is really a trend that's very difficult to change.” – Rick Swinkels [18:45]).

4. Loyalty Programs and TCC’s Approach

• TCC Global’s Elevator Pitch ([15:24])
  • “We may be the biggest marketing company that you've never heard of.” — Rick Swinkels ([15:24])
  • Delivers sales uplift (3–5% total store)—not by category—through campaigns that reward specific shopper behaviors with physical rewards ([16:34]).
  • “Physical reward is the most effective loyalty tool in the market.” — Rick Swinkels ([17:02])

5. Evolving Role of Retail Media

• Media Monetization Limitations ([21:28])
  • Most retail media spend goes to major players; for smaller retailers, it doesn’t move the needle ([21:50]).
  • “Building loyalty … is a worthwhile investment, isn’t it?” — Peter V.S. Bond ([22:09])
• Media vs. Experiential Loyalty
  • Overfocus on media monetization sometimes hurts the shopper experience ([22:21]): “If you go too far on media monetization, it can interfere with the right shopping experience.” — Rick Swinkels ([22:21])
  • Alignment and integration across teams (media, marketing, merchandising) is often lacking, creating internal friction ([27:01]).

6. Personalization and AI

• AI’s New Frontier ([20:08])
  • “With AI, it's going very fast that retailers can … make [personalization] personal.” — Rick Swinkels ([20:08])
• The Limits and Potential of Automation
  • AI has moved from hype to tangible backend benefits (forecasting, pricing, etc.), but risks losing emotional connection ([40:40]).
  • “A danger is that you sort of lose that emotional connection in stores.” — Rick Swinkels ([41:43])

7. Paid Subscriptions – The Next Big Loyalty Trend

• Emerging Model ([44:19])
  • Predicts that paid subscriptions (like Costco/Thrive Market) will spread, offering premium experience, exclusive offers, and delivery benefits ([45:07]).
  • “If a shopper goes into a paid membership, it means that the shopper is really valuing what you stand for and is committing.” — Rick Swinkels ([46:12])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“Shoppers have more choice than ever, they have smaller budgets than ever, they have higher demands than ever, and they have more means to literally go for what they want.”
— Rick Swinkels ([05:16])

“Private label products ... are loyalty drivers. ... The price difference between private label products and branded products has grown.”
— Rick Swinkels ([08:39])

“What promotions do in many cases ... is promote disloyalty.”
— Rick Swinkels ([09:22])

“We may be the biggest marketing company that you've never heard of.”
— Rick Swinkels ([15:24])

“Building loyalty … is a worthwhile investment, isn’t it?”
— Peter V.S. Bond ([22:09])

“If you go too far on media monetization, it can interfere with the right shopping experience.”
— Rick Swinkels ([22:21])

“A danger is that you sort of lose that emotional connection in stores.”
— Rick Swinkels ([41:43])

“If a shopper goes into a paid membership, it means that the shopper is really valuing what you stand for and is committing.”
— Rick Swinkels ([46:12])

Key Timestamps

• 04:11—06:52: Shifts in shopper behavior and loyalty
• 08:02—09:09: Private label acceleration and value proposition
• 15:24—17:38: TCC Global’s model and loyalty campaign impact
• 21:28—22:21: Media monetization critique and pivot to loyalty
• 27:01—27:55: Retailer organizational challenges
• 32:53—34:48: Trust, mission-driven retail, and brand alignment
• 44:19—45:07: Paid memberships as the next loyalty wave
• 49:48—51:08: Looking ahead—retail’s future, experience, and loyalty

Tone & Takeaways

The conversation is energetic, collaborative, and global in perspective, with humorous and candid banter. Rick Swinkels emphasizes both strategic vision and hard-won lessons (“I wanted people to buy more Pampers ... I started receiving first complaints ... it hit me ... some people, when they get older, get problems with their teeth ... I was sending them discounts on Pampers.” - [24:21]), showing that the quest for the perfect loyalty program is both art and science.

Core Message: In a world of rapidly evolving retail technology, shopper value orientation, and competitive pressures, those retailers who shape authentic, trust-based relationships—rooted in real understanding and differentiated value propositions—will outpace those who over-rely on media or discount tactics. The future belongs to those who master both personalization (via AI and digital tools) and the emotional dimension of loyalty—especially through innovative models like paid subscriptions.

Summary for New Listeners

If you haven’t listened to this episode, you’ll get a comprehensive state-of-the-industry analysis on retail loyalty: how shoppers’ expectations and behaviors have changed, why private label is surging, how technology both helps and hinders loyalty-building, and what best-in-class retailers are getting right—grounded in stories from both sides of the Atlantic. Rick Swinkels pulls back the curtain on TCC’s impact, offers real-world data, and advocates for a more human-centric, trust-based approach to retail.

For more, check out the full episode or visit CPG Guys website.