Dive Brief:
- 4月份开始直接销售其盒子的谷物品牌魔术汤匙（Magic Spoon）在4月份直接销售其盒子，并获得了550万美元的种子融资，由Lightspeed Venture Partners领导。
- The funds will be used to expand the business, hire more people, increase marketing and create new flavors, co-founder Gabi Lewis told Food Dive. "We realized we were really onto something, so we wanted to pour gasoline onto the fire," he said.
- 尽管刘易斯没有与食物潜水共享销售数字，但他说，只需39.95美元的在线销售，加上运输和处理，四包谷物盒超过了所有预测。目前，该公司目前不打算将其产品带到杂货店的货架上，但刘易斯表示，这将在某个时候发生。
Dive Insight:
While flagging sales have dogged the cereal industry, this investment shows that the category is far from on its way out — and can benefit from some reinvention.
刘易斯和格雷格·塞维茨创立了魔术汤匙在将他们先前的板球蛋白酒吧公司Exo出售给Aspire Food Group后，去年年初。刘易斯说，他和塞维茨谈到了他们喜欢的产品，这些产品已经成熟了，谷物升至顶部。虽然许多美国人过去经常用一碗自己喜欢的谷物开始一天的一天，但销售breakfast staple fell 17%根据《洛杉矶时报》所引用的伊比斯世界统计数据，在2009年至2016年之间。
消费者关注谷物的营养含量，这些谷物通常含有大量的糖，以及组装早晨碗所需的时间和精力。DSM最近的一项调查发现了四分之一的人spend less than five minuteson breakfast, while half spend less than 15 minutes.
同时，许多制造商都倾注糖，全力以赴excessively indulgent varieties。cer的旅行eal aisle, consumers can purchase breakfasts inspired by cookies, candies and popular desserts. Manufacturers say they are looking to deliver great taste and excitement, and the sugary cereals are targeted at millennials.
但是刘易斯说，魔术汤也针对千禧一代。它的消费基础是喜欢谷物但又关心健康的人，并希望他们记得小时候的早餐。该公司目前有四种谷物：可可，果味，肉桂和磨砂。Magic Spoon的谷物牢固地种植在更好的类别中，每个碗，3次碳水化合物，几乎没有糖，含12克的完整蛋白质。
刘易斯说，在市场上，魔术勺有怀疑者。
他说：“在我们的早期，……这是我们实际上听到很多的回应，这是'你为什么要谷物？该类别死了，人们不再吃谷物了。'“但是我们对该数据的看法并不是因为该类别是出于任何基本的内在原因而垂死的。谷物，而是因为该类别中没有产品而下降，直到现在，这实际上是在与消费者想要的东西说话。”
Lewis said his feelings on the category have proven true and there has been an overwhelming response to Magic Spoon. But is it enough to disrupt the cereal segment? Lewis said he hasn't seen any big changes from Big Cereal to directly compete with Magic Spoon.
魔术汤匙需要在线订购，其价格约为消费者为更昂贵的杂货店谷物支付的两倍。刘易斯说，他确实想让所有消费者都可以使用魔术汤匙，这需要在砖和砂浆商店出售。但是就目前而言，该产品可以直接到消费者，尤其是考虑到新品种的直接反馈和简单的方法。
And even though a box of Magic Spoon is expensive, Lewis said he hasn't heard much pushback on the price. Other cereals that cost less use ingredients that are practically bulk food, he said, while Magic Spoon is essentially high quality protein bar ingredients in cereal form. And, he said, looking at a per-serving cost, Magic Spoon is about $1.36 per bowl.
这一资金投资者对魔术汤匙的潜力感到兴奋。Lightspeed Venture Partners的合伙人Merci Victoria Grace在有关投资的新闻稿中吹捧了该公司的强调。
“Magic Spoon’s healthy ingredients, delicious taste and great design have driven growth and customer loyalty,” she said.
