The consumer packaged goods (CPG) space is more competitive than ever, particularly in health and nutrition, where shelves are crowded and consumer preferences consistently shift. For founders entering the market, success often depends on identifying overlooked gaps and developing products that integrate seamlessly into everyday life.
Liz Lane, Founder and CEO of Scoops, joins the latest episode of Business Trends Today to discuss how she secured a partnership with Target before her high-protein peanut butter powder brand officially launched. She attributes the milestone to thorough preparation, strong industry relationships, and a product built around an underserved opportunity.
According to Lane, she spent years scaling high-growth consumer brands, including leadership roles at Magic Spoon and Huel, before identifying what she describes as white space in the nutrition market. After leaving Magic Spoon, she consulted with emerging brands while quietly evaluating opportunities of her own.
Lane notes how the peanut category kept rising, offering strong familiarity, a reliable supply chain, and nutritional benefits that existing products lacked. She discovered that none of the major competitors used peanut isolate, which boosts protein per serving. This gap became the foundation for Scoops.
Lane says she was looking for a category she was passionate about and believed could support long-term growth. Peanuts checked every box.
Securing Target
Scoops entered the retail pitch process with branding, product samples, and a defined market position already in place. Target, known for its interest in innovative and emerging brands, responded and ultimately expanded its initial offer beyond what Lane had originally anticipated.
The early retail win brought immediate operational pressure. Stocking a major retailer requires significant upfront inventory, and retail payment cycles do not move quickly. Lane turned to her professional network to raise capital fast, drawing on investors with direct experience in consumer packaged goods and supply chain operations.
One of Lane’s most deliberate decisions was where to place Scoops on the shelf. Rather than entering the protein powder category alongside established players, she positioned the brand in the peanut butter aisle, reducing direct competition and increasing visibility among shoppers not actively seeking a supplement.
Lane emphasizes that strategic positioning can be more valuable than chasing the largest market. Finding and owning a clear gap, she says, significantly improves a brand’s odds of early success.
Building lean and growing fast
Additionally, Scoops operates with a small core team. Lane remains directly involved across operations, finance, marketing, and retail relationships, supplementing internal capacity with advisors and former colleagues from her industry career.
On the marketing side, Lane has leaned into social media, influencer partnerships, and founder collaborations to build early awareness. The Target launch generated significant credibility and shelf-level visibility for the brand. She is now evaluating longer-term influencer arrangements designed to align financial incentives with sustained promotion.
The growth is accelerating as Scoops will expand into more Target stores later this year. Lane confirms that the company plans to launch on Amazon and TikTok Shop, focusing on new flavors and improving retail performance.
The long game
Lane envisions Scoops eventually reaching health clubs, athletic facilities, and sports nutrition channels, with a product line spanning breakfast, snacking, and family nutrition. She believes the peanut isolate ingredient functions as a platform rather than a single product, with room to build an entire brand ecosystem around it.
For founders still searching for their category, Lane points to the retail shelf as the starting point. She encourages entrepreneurs to look for aisles where innovation has stalled and consumer choice is limited, arguing that the most competitive markets are not always the most accessible ones. Identifying and owning a clear market gap, she says, can matter far more than the size of the category itself.
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