State of Amazon Address
& Panel Discussion:
Best Go-To-Market Approaches with Amazon
11:05 am - 11:45 am PT | ROOM 1
Amazon's dominance in the U.S. eCom market is borderline unfathomable; the retailer accounts for around 40% of online sales today & continues to outgrow key competition on a dollar & percentage basis. Resultingly, capitalizing on Amazon's success is paramount for nearly all branded manufacturers. Still, unpredictable network changes, pricing disruptions, sudden platform changes, lackluster vendor manager engagement, & many related challenges are constantly testing the flexibility & action bias of branded organizations.
CRC’s own eCom analyst, Sidney Hutson, will share an in-depth review of how Amazon has evolved over the last 12 months & dive into key topics vendors should center their business around in order to stay ahead with Amazon.
Sidney will also sit down with top eCommerce professionals, Paul Murphy (Menasha), Matt Kelly (Vytalogy) & Kristy Eckman (New Balance), to provide perspective into how forward-thinking organizations have adjusted their approach to treat Amazon not as a traditional retailer but as an innovative, industry-leading platform & marketplace.
Panelists
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Sidney Hutson
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Sidney is a Research Associate on the eCommerce Council at Cleveland Research Company focusing on the eCommerce industry. In her role, she gathers insights to write the team’s research reports, and connects with eCommerce Council Members via a number of touch points including 1x1 analyst calls and roundtables. Sidney aims to aid branded manufacturers in figuring out how to win with Amazon and other eCommerce-centric retailers.
Sidney holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Economics from Miami University of Ohio.
CRC's eCommerce Council helps branded manufacturers grow their eCommerce businesses faster and more profitably. Our written reports, webinars, roundtables, and annual conference provides our 170+ members with the leading-edge insights needed to set their organizations up for eCommerce success and stay ahead of the competition that only continues to grow. A few favorite elements among our community include quarterly Amazon updates, supplier benchmarks such as our annual eCommerce Teams series, share group discussions with non-competing peers, our industry-leading annual eCommerce Summit, and access to our team of research analysts to go deeper on the research and get ad hoc questions answered.
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Paul Murphy
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Since January 2019, Paul Murphy has served as Vice President of Retail Strategy and Sales for Menasha Packaging Company, LLC. Menasha Packaging Company, LLC, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Menasha Corporation and the Corporation’s largest operating company.
Paul joined Menasha in 2001 as a General Manager, following Sales, and General Management positions with Boise Cascade, MacMillan Bloedel, and Pratt Industries, and has held leadership roles in multiple Menasha businesses. In the early 2000’s, Murphy helped lead Menasha's transformation from an industrial and graphics packaging provider, into the leading retail focused merchandising solutions provider in North America, developing meaningful relationships with the Channel Leading Retailers in the U.S., resulting in strong Retailer-CPG collaborations and thought Leadership. From 2001 through 2019 he held successive leadership positions across the company including General & Sales Management roles. In 2017 he was named Vice President of Sales and Operations for the paperboard packaging business, with multiple operations in the U.S. In 2019, he was named Vice President of Retail Strategy and Sales for Menasha. Murphy has extensive experience in industrial packaging, Retail, POP/Display, and on/off shelf merchandising, and has played a key role in developing strategies and tactics to support the strategic focus and growth of Menasha Packaging.
Murphy is a graduate of Lambuth College (BA) and University of Memphis (MA).
Menasha is the industry’s largest independent, retail-focused packaging and merchandising solutions provider. Yet, what most impresses the world’s leading retailers and consumer packaged goods companies is our commitment to Go Beyond the expected. They receive the greatest measurable value, delivered on time and just in time, across the entire integrated merchandising supply chain.
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Matt Kelly
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Matt Kelly has spent his entire career in CPG, working for companies such as Glanbia Performance Nutrition, Reckitt, Nestle Health Science, & Vytalogy. He's spent the last 8 years in eCommerce operating primarily on Amazon. Matt's led scaled businesses in every operating model on the platform (1P, 3P Direct, & 3P Brand Partner) & has a deep expertise in Amazon Advertising.
Vytalogy Wellness pushes the limits of what's expected & relentlessly pursues innovation. Every day, our products bring vibrant energy to life. We’re innovating to surpass our consumers’ expectations & bring them unparalleled products that are even better than before.
We tether our passion for invention to precision & high standards. We evolve & iterate to make each & every one of our vitamins, minerals & supplements work better & better, improving our consumers’ journeys to wellness.
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Kristy Eckman
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Kristy Eckman is a dynamic & distinguished sales leader with over 21 years of experience delivering exceptional sales results. Born with a physical difference, Kristy developed extraordinary drive, tenacity, adaptability, all qualities that have propelled her from a collegiate athlete to a leading sales professional.
Throughout her career, Kristy has held various sales roles, led diverse teams, & implemented strategies that consistently deliver business objectives. Her innovative approach, strong negotiation skills, & unwavering resilience have driven substantial sales results, market share expansion, & enhanced brand positioning.
With extensive experience across various distribution channels, she brings a unique perspective, derived from her extensive sales roles across multiple business segments, that has made her a leader in adapting go-to-market strategies, overcoming challenges, & leveraging strategic insights to achieve impactful results.
About New Balance
New Balance, headquartered in Boston, MA, has the following purpose: Independent since 1906, we empower people through sport & craftsmanship to create positive change in communities around the world. New Balance employs 9,000 associates around the globe, & in 2023 reported worldwide sales of $6.5 billion. New Balance owns five athletic footwear factories in New England & one in Flimby, U.K. New Balance MADE U.S. footwear contains a domestic value of 70% or more & makes up a limited portion of New Balance’s U.S. sales. To learn more about New Balance, please visit www.newbalance.com; for the latest press information visit http://newbalance.newsmarket.com.