Express Checkout #75 - the latest in CPG, Retail, and eComm

Hello hello!

Hope everyone had a good Memorial Day weekend! It was gorgeous weather here in NYC. Spent as much time as possible outside. Except when I went to Happy Medium where we got a seat at their art cafe and painted pottery!

The 2nd episode of my new podcast with Matt Clifford, Packaged Past, is now live – Kool-Aid!

Check out my new weekly series with Spate, where we dive into the latest trends taking TikTok by storm –– read last weeks insights HERE.

There are some fun industry events on the horizon!

☕️ I’m hosting a morning coffee meetup with Superfiliate on May 31st! Would love for you to come 🙂 ☕️ RSVP HERE

______

I’m proud to partner with The Lead on solid event on July 10-11 in NYC - The Lead Summit!

The Lead Summit 2024 is a 2-day event taking place on July 10-11, 2024. It features various sessions and speakers covering topics like marketing in a post-cookie world, in-store renaissance, growth through partnerships, and emerging AI capabilities.

Brands & Retailers go for FREE - USE THIS LINK to apply

All other attendees can use my special LINK for 25% OFF

______

Now on to the news of the week!

(If you’re reading this email in gmail it might get clipped! You can always view full issues here.)

🔥 Big News - 10 items or less 🔥

• Walmart dives deeper - Walmart Realm is a newly launched immersive virtual shopping platform. This platform combines interactive gameplay, content powered by creators, and eCommerce with merchandise. It’s designed with a younger and internet-savvy demographic in mind. Source

• Beauty is so hot right now - e.l.f. Beauty has announced their fourth-quarter and full fiscal year 2024 results, reporting over $1 billion in net sales and a market share gain for the fifth consecutive year. source

  • In other e.l.f. news, their portfolio company, Naturium Skincare brand, will be launching in Ulta Beauty stores in summer 2024. source

• They’re pulling a Pepsi - Liquid Death is giving away a custom-painted fighter jet worth $400,000. If this sounds familiar, well that’s because Pepsi did this in the 90s. Source

• Brands & Retailers lower their prices

  • Target - Target will lower prices on approximately 5,000 frequently shopped items across its assortment. This includes everyday items like food, beverages, and household essentials. The retailer has already reduced prices on about 1,500 items, with more price cuts planned for the summer. Source

  • IKEA - Ikea is cutting prices globally as inflation eases and plans to expand its price cuts in 2024. The company aims to reduce price increases introduced in 2022 and invest in pricing rather than profitability. source

  • Aldi - Aldi is cutting prices on over 250 items across various categories to help consumers deal with persistent inflation, as grocery prices remain elevated and up 21% compared to January 2021. source

  • Walmart - Walmart announced it was lowering prices back in March ‘24. source

🗞️ News from the week (5/20/24 - 5/26/24)

🛍 Retail

• Nintendo is opening its second standalone store in the US, located in San Francisco's Union Square, with doors set to open in 2025. Source

• Omni Retail Enterprises has acquired the intellectual property portfolio of Retail Ecommerce Ventures, the owner of Pier 1 and other retail brands. With the new ownership, Omni now owns various brands including Bodybuilding.com, Pier1, and DressBarn.com. source

• Vuori has expanded into the Chinese market by opening its first permanent store at the Jing’an Kerry Centre in Shanghai. This move comes after testing the market with a pop-up store. Source

• Ahold Delhaize USA will be closing an unspecified number of Stop & Shop stores as part of its evaluation of the overall portfolio. source

• Walmart has opened two new Neighborhood Market stores in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, and Atlanta's Vine City neighborhood. Source

• UNFI has launched the first Retail Media Network in partnership with Swiftly, a leading provider of retail technology solutions. source

🛒 CPG & Consumer Goods

• Biom, an eco-friendly biodegradable wipe company, has launched in Target stores. source

• Staff, a positive home goods company, has launched their newest product - tongs! Source

  • I also was able to stop by their pop up at the Goop store!

    • I love this company, similar to Madhappy they’re bringing a bit of joy to everyday products. Check out my TikTok I made on the brand

• MALK Organics, a plant milk brand based in Austin, has launched a new line of plant-based creamers following a recent funding round. The creamers, available in Vanilla Almond, Caramel Almond, and Lightly Sweetened Oat flavors. Source

• Pourri has expanded its product suite at Target, offering a range of odor freshener sprays including Poo Pourri, Home Pourri, Pet Pourri, Sole Pourri, and Baby Pourri. Source

• Dove has introduced a new range of whole-body deodorants. The collection includes a cream and an anti-friction stick, both available in different fragrances. Source

  • And if you’ve noticed a ton of whole-body deodorants, you’re not alone! Vox did a solid write up on the subject

• Ombré Men, a doctor-formulated men's personal care brand, has expanded into Walmart, offering 16 products including skincare, grooming products, and toothpaste bites. source

• Sonos makes its highly-anticipated headphones debut with Sonos Ace, a premium over-the-ear Bluetooth headphones. source

• French fragrance brand Maison Matine is expanding its presence in the US and aims to achieve $10 million in retail sales by 2024. Source

• Kiehl's might have left Equinox but it is joining the Amazon Premium Beauty store, bringing its premium skincare collection to a wider audience. source

• WhistlePig Whiskey and Solo Stove have teamed up to release a limited edition CampStock Wheat Whiskey. source

• Rothy's, makers of sustainable shoes made from recycled materials, has launched in Amazon's fashion store. Source

• Nestlé is introducing Vital Pursuit, a new line of foods designed for GLP-1 weight loss medication users and those focused on weight management in the US. source

• Sacred Serve, a brand that made plant-based gelato, is closing down. Despite strong consumer support, a lack of capital and the overall decline in the plant-based category made it challenging for the brand to continue. source

• MUSH introduces MUSHkins, a new line of oatmeal smoothies designed for kids on the go. source

• Sapporo-Stone Brewing has revealed the near completion of phase one of its $60 million expansion project at its Escondido brewery. source

💻 eCommerce

• L’Oréal Paris, Walmart, and Snapchat have collaborated to bring augmented reality hair color try-on experience to Walmart stores. Shoppers can scan QR codes on Féria hair dye boxes to virtually try on 15 different hair colors using Snapchat's AR technology. source

• Poshmark has launched Promoted Closet, a paid marketing tool designed to help sellers accelerate sales and increase engagement with their listings. The tool uses machine learning to match shoppers' search terms with promoted listings, enhancing relevancy and visibility for sellers. Source

• Instacart and Home Depot have announced a nationwide partnership to offer same-day delivery from nearly 2000 store locations. source

🏭 Supply Chain

• UNFI has extended its distribution partnership with Whole Foods Market until 2032. Under the agreement, UNFI will continue to serve as the primary distributor for WFM. Source

• The Shyft Group has secured an order from FedEx for 150 Blue Arc EV Trucks to be integrated into FedEx's pickup and delivery fleet in the U.S. Source

• 1440 Foods is investing $60 million+ in a new production facility in Jeffersonville to expand its operations. The company's brands include Pure Protein nutrition bars, MET-Rx meal replacements, and Body Fortress protein powders. Source

💸 Funding news

• Google has invested $350 million in Flipkart, an Indian e-commerce giant owned by Walmart. This investment is part of a $1 billion funding round that Flipkart started in 2023, with Walmart leading the round. source

• Max Retail, a marketplace that helps independent retailers and brands sell excess inventory, has raised $15 million in a Series A funding round. The round was led by Nosara Capital, with participation from Rethink Impact, M13, The Artemis Fund, and StandUp Ventures. Source

• Gorgias, the leading customer experience platform for ecommerce brands, has raised $29 million in Series C-2 funding from existing investors, including SaaStr and Alven. Source

• Cocktail Courier has acquired alcohol delivery platform Thirstie, integrating Thirstie's technology into its operations. The deal was a mixture of stock and cash. Source

• Jay-Z has invested in the Finnish Long Drink, a pre-mixed brand that aims to bring Finland's national drink to the US. The Finnish Long Drink has surpassed one million nine-litre cases and was named the fastest-growing spirit brand. Marcy Venture Partners, co-founded by Jay-Z, has taken a minority stake in the brand, joining other investors such as Rickie Fowler, Kygo, and Miles Teller. Source

• Uncle Nearest, the top-selling Black-owned spirit company, has acquired Square One Organic Spirits, America's Original All-Organic Spirits Company. source

• Private equity firm Forward Consumer Partners has acquired a 50% stake in Xochitl, a chip and salsa maker based in Irving, Texas. source

🧐 Interesting reads

• What did we learn from New York’s design week? - Business of Home

• Hostage Tape is projecting $40M in revenue for 2024 while putting all of its paid media into Meta - Modern Retail

💡 Data, reports, and trends

• Reports of Street Retail’s Demise Are Greatly Exaggerated - CBRE

• 2024 Recommerce Report - eBay Inc.

😋 Brands and things I’ve tried this week

Candy is probably my favorite food group, so getting to try some freeze dried made my week. Say hello to Kanpai! I think my favorite is either the chamoy one or the nerds bites one

Thanks for reading! If you have any suggestions, feedback, or stories I missed, let me know!

Nate :)

📰 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