Shopper Futures Pairs Mondelez Brands With Retailers, Startups

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Mondelēz International has announced the eight startups selected to participate in the company’s Shopper Futures program. Shopper Futures, the company’s innovation initiative, brings together retailers, entrepreneurs and its own “power brands” to help transform the consumer retail experience.

7-Eleven (link is external), Kum & Go (link is external), Mac’s (link is external) and QuickChek (link is external) are among the convenience-store retailers involved in the initiative.

The company received hundreds of applications from startups across the United States and Canada. After a rigorous evaluation process, Mondelēz invited 18 startups to a Pitch Day to present and meet with participating retailers and brand “intrapreneurs.” The eight selected startups will now work with major retailers in collaboration with Mondelēz brands to bring in-market pilots to life over the next 90 days.

Those collaborations are:

“We’re thrilled to be working with some of the most ambitious entrepreneurs and retailers across North America, to help shape the future of retail both in-store and online,” said Kim Yansen, director of field shopper marketing. “The caliber of participating startups is truly incredible. Through our 90-day collaboration process, we’re looking forward to putting real solutions in market to solve pressing retail challenges and help unlock growth for our retailers and categories.”

Shopper Futures is the fourth global iteration in the Futures series, building on the success of Mobile Futures, an initiative Mondelēz launched in 2012 that paired its brands with select startups to accelerate existing mobile innovations and incubate new ventures.

Kicked off by several days of “immersions” at each startups’ headquarters, the teams will work together to build programs to pilot within 90 days. By harnessing each startup’s entrepreneurial spirit, the retailers’ commitment to testing innovative ideas, and Mondelēz’s brand and shopper marketing expertise, the goal of Shopper Futures is to develop scalable shopper learnings and solutions by the end of 2015 while continuing to infuse a spirit of intrapreneurship internally at Mondelēz.