Express Checkout #101

Hello hello! And happy almost Thanksgiving! 🦃 

I’m going to Nosh Live December 5-6th! If you’re going to be in town let me know, would love to say hi!

Nosh is an incredible opportunity for food brand founders and operators to meet with retailers, distributors, investors, and industry partners! Here is a discount to save $500 per ticket! I hope to see you there!

Also congrats to my friend Maya Ayed on the launch of her product, Alya! It’s a shot of the most amazing olive oil! I can hear Bryan Johnson drooling under his red light therapy cap.

News From the Week

AI isn't just writing your emails anymore—it's about to be your personal shopper, customer service rep, and deal hunter all rolled into one. And with Cyber Week approaching, we're getting our first real look at just how massive this shift is going to be.

This week, Perplexity (think: ChatGPT meets Google) launched a shopping feature that allows US subscribers to search for products and buy them without leaving their search results—no more jumping between Google and Amazon. They're promising "unbiased" recommendations without sponsored slots (we'll see how long that lasts), and they're betting big on changing how we discover products online. This thread highlights how AI-powered search is already disrupting traditional SEO practices.

Tech giants and retailers are also racing to leverage AI’s potential:

• Amazon introduced tools like a shopping assistant and AI-powered image generation, enhancing how users discover and visualize products.

• Google revamped its Shopping platform with Gemini models, featuring AI-generated briefs and personalized recommendations.

• JCPenney, in partnership with Revieve, uses AI beauty advisors to engage customers and boost conversions.

Behind the scenes, AI is becoming essential for brands of all sizes.

• Customer service: Tools like Siena AI handle thousands of inquiries simultaneously, maintaining conversational context and resolving issues faster.

• Personalized recs: Platforms like Big Sur AI analyze customer behavior, offering precise product suggestions to enhance conversions.

• Inventory management: AI-powered systems like Treater and Glimpse predict stock needs, optimize logistics, and reduce overstock or shortages.

• Marketing: Tools like Klaviyo, Triple Whale, and Archive are driving hyper-personalized email campaigns, social media content creation, and even ad placements.

And the numbers speak for themselves. According to new Salesforce data, AI will influence $61 billion in global sales during Cyber Week alone—19% of all orders. Since October, retailers using AI have seen their average order values jump 7% ($117 vs. $109) compared to those without it. Translation? AI is literally making people spend more money.

The future of retail isn't coming—it's already here, and it's powered by AI. Whether retailers are ready or not, the holiday shopping season is about to show us just how much AI has changed the game.

CPG & Consumer Goods

• Oat with the old, in with the new. MUSH, the brand known for its ready-to-eat overnight oats expanded its product line by introducing a 3-SKU line of protein bars in Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Double Chocolate Chip, and Maple Cinnamon flavors featuring 15g of protein.

  • Jenna’s thoughts: I know what you’re thinking: another protein bar?! But these bars can be found in the refrigerated section—a smart strategy for the fridge-native brand. Instead of trying to push its customers to the highly competitive shelf-stable bar aisle, MUSH is expanding its facings where the brand is already known + trusted.

• Going all in on hummus. PepsiCo announced its acquisition of the remaining 50% interest in Sabra hummus and Obela—both of which were 50/50 ventures formed between PepsiCo and Strauss Group.

• San Pellegrino or bust. Nestlé plans to spin off its water and premium beverages business into a standalone unit starting next year. The new entity will be based in Paris.

• The weight loss products keep coming. Adding onto its existing weight loss supplements, Hims & Hers is now offering meal replacement bars and shakes. The products are developed by registered dietitians to complement personalized weight management plans—and are delivered straight to your door.

eCommerce

• AI on your face. JCPenney partnered with Revieve, a AI-powered digital beauty tool, to create an interactive beauty shopping journey.

• Deck the FYP. A recent survey by MGH reveals that over half of TikTok users have found holiday gift ideas on the platform, with 39% actively searching for them. TikTok's role in e-commerce is expected to grow, especially during the upcoming Cyber Week.

  • Some of my friends created some epic gift guides on TikTok - Katie Stone, Pyone, Kristiana (she didn’t put it on TikTok but I love her TikTok)

• Just in time for last minute holiday shopping…Google launched three key updates to its shopping section:

  • A new in-store Google Lens feature that provides product insights and reviews tailored to specific stores you're in, powered by AI and the Shopping Graph's 45B+ product listings

  • Product search capability in Google Maps to help find items at nearby stores

  • Expanded Google Pay features including new buy-now-pay-later options and virtual card protection with additional partners

Retail

• The Mug comes to Brooklyn. East Fork, an Asheville-based pottery brand, has opened its first permanent store in Brooklyn, marking its 3rd brick-and-mortar location. The store features a range of pottery along with curated home goods, while also emphasizing community engagement through events and workshops.

• Beis better watch out! Luggage brand Calpak opened its first permanent store in LA’s Century City Mall, after successful pop-up experiences. The move reflects a broader trend among DTC brands recognizing the value of quaility in-person shopping, especially among younger consumers.

• Grocery to C-Store. Gelson's opened its first convenience store, ReCharge by Gelson's, in Santa Ana, California, co-located with an electric vehicle charging hub. The store combines traditional convenience store offerings with elements of Gelson's grocery stores, featuring bigger aisles and a selection of fresh food options.

  • Convenience stores have shown remarkable resilience with increasing customer visits, particularly among higher-income shoppers, with channel buyers growing by 2.2% and trips up by 1.1% year-over-year.

  • Regional chains are aggressively expanding into new territories, with companies like Wawa and Buc-ee's moving into new states, while others are modernizing their offerings with enhanced food service options and digital ordering capabilities.

  • We’re also seeing strong consumer engagement, as demonstrated by promotional events like 7-Eleven's Slurpee Day, which drove 127.3% increase in store visits compared to daily averages.

• Retail Media networks are no joke. Walmart's advertising business has become a significant revenue source, contributing almost a third of its $6.7 billion operating income, with year-over-year growth of 28%. The company’s strategy includes leveraging its retail media network, Walmart Connect, and third-party marketplace to enhance visibility for sellers.

• I hope she sang Genie in a Bottle. H&M celebrated the reopening of its Times Square flagship store in New York City, which first opened 25 years ago, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring Christina Aguilera. The redesigned space emphasizes customer experience with immersive fitting rooms.

Supply Chain

• Do NOT mess with Guy Fieiri. 🔥 His brand, Santo Tequila, lost approximately $1 million worth of tequila when two trucks carrying 4,040 cases were stolen after crossing the US-Mexico border. Guy is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of the trucks.

  • No, we are not laughing at this misfortune. We are definitely not laughing.

Funding news

• House of brand giant adds to portfolio. Helen of Troy Limited, owner of brands like OXO, Hydro Flask, Vicks, and Braun, acquired Olive & June, a nail care brand, for $225 million in cash plus an additional $15 million earnout based on performance.

  • Drew Fallon, founder of Iris Financial, shares a great breakdown of the deal.

• From DTC darling to Sephora star. Crown Affair, a buzzy clean haircare brand, raised a $9 million Series B funding round led by True Beauty Ventures.

  • The brand started DTC in 2020 and expanded to ~200 Sephora doors by 2022—a strategic move that’s putting the brand on track for $20M in revenue this year (up from $8M in 2023) with an even split between DTC and retail.

  • What's next? More treatment & styling products, plus a stacked team (they just nabbed Sephora's former hair merchandising director)

• Your smart ring is getting smarter. Oura secured a $75 million Series D investment and announced a partnership with Dexcom to enhance its metabolic health offerings.

• Traditional medicine 🤝 modern money. Apothékary, a Japanese-inspired plant medicine brand, raised $8 million in a pre-Series A round, including a strategic investment from Shiseido. The funding coincides with the brand's launch on Ulta Beauty's website.

  • Founded in 2020, Apothékary aims for 40% growth this year, targeting $30 million in revenue.

• Betting on affiliate. Levanta, an affiliate marketing platform for Amazon sellers, raised $20M in Series A funding led by Volition Capital.

• One of my favorite canned drinks! Bawi, an Austin-based agua fresca maker, has raised $3.5 million in a seed round led by Brand Foundry.

• Find your next co-man. Keychain, a New York-based platform for connecting CPG companies with manufacturing partners, has raised $15 million in Series A funding. The platform provides a search and discovery tool for co-manufacturers, leveraging AI to match products with suitable manufacturers.

• Big money, small towels. Clean Skin Club raised $32 million in funding from Astō Consumer Partners and Amberstone, positioning itself to exceed $100 million in sales for 2024.

  • The brand specializes in single-use face towels and is on track for projected sales of $107 million this year.

• The fancy strawberry goes global. Oishii, a vertical farming company known for it’s fancy-ass (for lack of better term) strawberries and tomatoes, raised an additional $150 million in Series B funding led by Resilience Reserve and Miyako Capital. The funds will support the company's first international expansion with a new facility in Tokyo.

Weekly Pickups

My favorite sauce I have a hard time pronouncing is now available in a bottle! So Shuug is a bottled version of Zhoug, an incredible spicy cilantro sauce that you’ve probably had at Cava. And yes this is AMAZING on pizza.

Jenna’s latest obsession: FUJI Bars. These super high-protein (22g!) Asian-inspired bars have been my go-to after a morning workout. The matcha flavor seriously hits the mark with the just-right, lightly sweet green tea flavor sans bitterness.

See ya next week,

Nate + Jenna :)

📰 Got news? Submit it here! 📰

Any other questions or inquiries you can respond to this email or DM me on Twitter or LinkedIn or TikTok

If you are enjoying my newsletter please share with anyone you think would benefit from it! 🙏