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Express Checkout #77 - the latest in CPG, Retail, and eComm

CPG and Retail news from the week of 6/3/24

Author

Nate Rosen
June 10, 2024

Hello hello!

Last week was one busy week! I went to a wonderful event put on by Cherub, a new platform that helps brands find angel investors deploying capital and for angels to find amazing brands!

I also attended Foundermade, met some amazing founders and brands. one of my favorites had to have been Bonita Fierce, their Elote candle was amazing!

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

  • Naturally NY - Pitch Slam - RSVP HERE | June 14th 📍NYC

  • Good Morning SubSummit! - RSVP HERE | June 18th 📍Dallas

    • Brands! Join me and Jess Cervellon at Subsummit!

  • Run + Coffee - RSVP HERE | June 18th 📍Dallas

  • Fancy Happy Hour at Happier Grocery - RSVP HERE | June 25th📍NYC

    • Join Jess and I again for a amazing happy hour post Fancy Food Show!

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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 🔥

  • Foxtrot is ALIVE - Foxtrot, the upscale c-store chain, is set to reopen 15 stores across Chicago, Dallas, and Austin this summer, according to co-founder Mike LaVitola. The announcement comes after the parent company, Outfox Hospitality, abruptly ceased operations back in April. LaVitola is also back to run the company. Source

  • Outdoor Voices finds a buyer - Consortium Brand Partners has acquired OV, the athleisure lifestyle brand founded by Ty Haney in 2013. This acquisition marks CBP's 2nd after acquiring a majority stake in Draper James. Source

  • ABG finds its Champion - HanesBrands has announced the sale of its sportswear brand Champion to Authentic Brands Group for $1.2 billion. ABG owns brands like Aeropostal, Brooks Brothers, Eddi Bauer, and Barney's. source

  • FTC Uncorks Legal Action - The FTC is preparing to sue Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits, the largest alcohol distributor in the US, over alleged anti-competitive pricing practices. This move comes as part of the Biden administration's broader initiative to enforce antitrust laws more rigorously. Source

  • Youthforia Returns - After a month of social media, Youthforia has returned following backlash over the shade range of its Date Night Skin Tint Serum Foundation. The brand reemerged with a post on TikTok and Instagram announcing a job opening for an in-house director of product development, signaling its commitment to providing inclusive products. The post received mixed reactions, with many expressing disappointment over the lack of an apology. Source

  • Co-Creating Products with Customers - Sam's Club has unveiled a novel initiative, the Member’s Mark Community, which allows members to contribute to and shape the exclusive private brand at Sam's Club. This community enables members to give feedback on products, and engage in the creation and trialing of new products. source

  • CPG data just got better -SPINS, a provider of CPG data, has acquired The Data Council, a content management platform in the CPG industry. lx one, part of The Data Council, is the EDI that most natural retailers use. So, this acquisition will enable easier and more efficient interactions in the natural product ecosystem. source

  • MORE TJ’S!! - According to a leaked internal document, Trader Joe's plans to open 24 new stores across the country. While 7 of the new stores will be in Southern California, two locations in Nevada will cater to Lake Tahoe travelers. source

🗞️ News from the week (6/3/24 - 6/9/24)

  • Walmart is implementing digital shelf labels to 2,300 stores by 2026. source

  • Retail TouchPoints and Design:Retail have announced the winners of their annual 40 Under 40 Awards, recognizing emerging leaders in the retail industry. full list here

  • Banana Republic has unveiled its flagship store in SoHo, NYC. Source

  • Mashgin and Verifone have announced an integration to bring self-checkout to over 50,000 convenience store operators in the U.S. Source

  • Sephora is set to open its first locations within Tanger outlet centers in Phoenix, Palm Beach, Charleston, Deer Park, and National Harbor. Source

  • Couche-Tard has partnered with Too Good To Go to combat food waste across North America and Europe, aiming to include over 9,000 Circle K and Couche-Tard stores. source

  • ShopRite has partnered with TerraCycle to launch a recycling program for flexible-film plastic packaging. The program allows customers to drop off various types of flexible-film packaging, such as snack bags and pet food packaging, at dedicated recycling kiosks located outside five ShopRite stores in New Jersey. Source

  • Legislation in Pennsylvania that would allow retailers to sell RTD cocktails has moved closer to becoming law. Senate Bill 688, which passed with a narrow margin, would permit the sale of low ABV spirits and RTD cocktails in locations that already sell beer and wine. source

  • Target has announced a collaboration with Kylie Cosmetics, bringing a curated selection of their lip products to the Ulta section in select Target stores. Source

  • Sezzle, a leading Buy Now, Pay Later platform, has partnered with Vallarta Supermarkets to meet the increasing demand for BNPL options in the grocery industry. Source

  • RH has opened a new high-end location in Palo Alto, CA. The multi-level gallery showcases luxurious home furnishings and includes lifestyle installations, a rooftop restaurant, and a landscaped rooftop park. source

🛒 CPG & Consumer Goods

  • Stur, a natural water enhancer brand, has launched a limited edition Passionfruit Guava flavor developed by investor and new part-owner Kat Stickler. Source1

  • U Beauty has collaborated with influencer Tinx on a limited-edition shade of its popular Plasma Lip Compound. Source

  • Noyz, a new fragrance brand started by Beach House Group, has launched with four debut scents. Beach House has helped build brands like Pattern, Beis, Florence by Mills, and Moon Source

  • Gryme, a new gen alpha (I’m starting to feel old, damn) brand founded by former Estée Lauder executive Sabrina Yavil, aims to provide the right products for kids' skin. Source

  • Sarah Creal, who played a significant role in the development of Tom Ford Beauty, has launched her own beauty brand specifically catering to women over 40. source

  • Wonderbelly is set to disrupt the digestive health category as it launches at CVS. The clean digestive health brand has recently secured a $12 million series A funding and introduced a new de-bloating product. Source

  • Parachute (who has amazing linen sheets) has launched a new take-back program for sheets, towels, pillows, and robes, allowing customers to recycle their old textiles and give them a second life. source

  • Sofía Vergara, the Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated actress, has launched ¡DÍOS MIO! COFFEE, a new coffee brand. source

  • Delola, the RTD bottled cocktail brand created by Jennifer Lopez, has launched a light Margarita. Source

  • Former Shark Tank entrepreneur Zack Schreier, known for his success with egg white chips company Quevos, has launched Lifestacks, a mental health-focused coffee creamer. Source

  • McCormick & Co.'s Cholula hot sauce is expanding into the frozen category with the launch of Burrito Bowls. Source

  • Free AF, the alcohol-free brand known for its premium NA canned cocktails, is expanding to Target Stores nationwide. Source

  • According to a report by Consumer Reports, cassava-based puffs from Lesser Evil and Serenity Kids have been found to contain high levels of lead. The snacks, marketed as healthy options for children, were tested for heavy metals, with some products surpassing the lead levels found in 80 other baby foods previously tested. source

💻 eCommerce

  • Lucky has announced the addition of Best Buy to its lineup of retailers, allowing consumer electronics brands to connect their DTC websites with Best Buy's store inventory in real time. Lucky allows brands to sync their DTC sites with retailers' store inventory in real time Source

    • Huge congrats to Sneh and the team over at Lucky! This is another massive unlock.

  • True Fit, a company that organizes footwear and apparel data, has launched Fit Hub. Fit Hub is an AI innovation by True Fit that synthesizes size and fit information from various sources to simplify and enhance the online shopping experience. source

  • ShopShops has partnered with Century 21 NYC to launch on TikTok Shop. Source

  • eBay has introduced an AI-powered background-enhancement tool that allows sellers to replace image backgrounds with AI-generated backdrops. The tool is available for iOS users in the U.S., U.K., and Germany. source

  • Pinterest and VTEX have partnered to expand social commerce for consumer brands, allowing VTEX's 2,600 global customers to integrate their product catalogs, create Pins, and run shopping campaigns on Pinterest. Source

  • eBay has announced that it will no longer accept American Express payments starting August 17th 2024 source

🏭 Supply Chain

  • Flexport has expanded its Convoy Platform, allowing brokers to leverage AI (of course) for automated booking and increased productivity. source

  • Alibaba has officially launched Alibaba Guaranteed, a new service aimed at simplifying global sourcing and providing a reliable supply chain for SMEs. This service offers fixed prices, inclusive shipping fees, and guaranteed dispatch within 72 hours. source

  • The USPS has released its annual rankings of dog bites on postal employees, with over 5,800 incidents reported last year. To raise awareness, the USPS has launched the 2024 National Dog Bite Awareness Campaign. I honestly am surprised how much dogs hate mailmen. source

    • Yes, this is very real

  • Walmart is expanding its tech-driven services by introducing drone deliveries through its app. Source

💸 Funding news

  • CONGRATS GIL!! Shopify has acquired Checkout Blocks, a leading checkout customization app that allows Shopify Plus merchants to make no-code customizations in their checkout. Source

  • PostPilot, an amazing direct-mail marketing company., has announced a strategic investment from global growth equity firm Summit Partners, with participation from Klaviyo founders Andrew Bialecki and Ed Hallen. source

    • I highly recommend PostPilot for direct mail campaigns. Happy to connect anyone to the founder/team if you’re interested!

  • The Desire Company, a pioneer in expert product review, has secured a valuation of $97 million in its Series B funding round. source

  • Zebra Technologies, a company specializing in products and services for retail operations, recently raised $500 million in a private offering. Source

  • Wicked Kitchen, a plant-based retail and foodservice brand, has been acquired by the Ahimsa group of companies. The acquisition includes Good Catch and Current Foods, the alternative-seafood lines acquired by Wicked Kitchen. Source

🧐 Interesting reads

💡 Data, reports, and trends

😋 Brands and things I’ve tried this week

Kloo! A new coffee craft concentrate brand. It is absolute delicious and just look at this packaging!

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

Nate :)

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