Gopuff Expands to New York City
E-commerce convenience delivery platform Gopuff launched in New York City this week, with the promise of delivery to New Yorkers in 30 minutes.
Headlines
Amazon: 100K New Brands Have Joined in 2021
Amazon has welcomed more than 100,000 brands to its U.S. store so far this year, and the company has introduced a suite of new services and user tools aimed at helping those brands gain customers and increase profits. The online retailer made the announcement yesterday at its annual Accelerate 2021 sellers conference in Seattle, where it also revealed that sales by brands are up 60% year-over-year through the end of June.
People Moves: Eternal Water Taps Essentia Talent; Jones Soda Names New CMO
In this People Moves roundup: Eternal Water taps Essentia talent, Jones Soda names new CMO amid push towards cannabis, Lemon Perfect brings on PepsiCo Water+ alum as CMO, Jennifer Yu in as Diageo’s VP of Brands and Culture and New Wave Soda Brings on J.W. Fischer as Sales VP.
Vita Coco Opens Trading on NASDAQ
The Vita Coco Company officially became a publicly traded company today when it was listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market exchange under the letters COCO.
Wild Bill’s Aims To Get Consumers Back On The Soda Bandwagon
Craft soda maker Wild Bill’s is adding some new innovations to its wagon through a business model expansion and growing product portfolio which includes seasonal soda launches, a low sugar line, and a variety of new snacks and sauces.
X2 Performance Partners with AB ONE to Grow DSD Network
Clean energy drink brand X2 Performance announced today it has partnered with Anheuser-Busch InBev’s AB ONE distribution network to expand its presence in the California market. Based in New Jersey, X2 makes a line of NSF Certified for Sport energy drinks containing antioxidants and electrolytes.
Nielsen: Non-Alc Beverage Sales Growth Stays Strong
All channel beverage sales have remained strong this month, despite an ongoing volume shift towards the on-premise channel. According to an analysis by Goldman Sachs Equity Research of Nielsen sales data for the period ending October 9, non-alcoholic drinks were up 12.9% in the two-week period while total dollar sales grew 22.6% in the period on a two-year stacked basis.
La Colombe, Whole Foods Partnership Grows With In-Store Cafe Concept
Coffee roaster and retailer La Colombe is expanding its partnership with Whole Foods Market this fall, which will include the opening of two La Colombe-owned and operated “Friends of Whole Foods Market” flagship locations in Texas and New York City.
Humm Kombucha Receives $8M Line of Credit
Seeking to expand operations and fund new marketing initiatives, Humm Kombucha announced today that it has opened an $8 million line of credit with Naturally Gerber Finance. In a press release, the Oregon-based kombucha brand said it intends to use the credit to hire new staff, purchase machinery and “fund large-scale retail programs and marketing initiatives.”
Whole Foods Predicts Sustainably Sourced Food and Functional Ingredients Will Be Among 2022 Top Trends
Sustainability-focused food trends such as ultra-urban farming and regeneratively-grown grains were among the top picks in this year’s edition of Whole Foods’s Top 10 Food Trends list, released yesterday. For the first time, in conjunction with the announcement, the retailer is offering a 10-item sample box highlighting a product from each trend
Taste Radio: When You Have A Nutty Idea, Always Fear This More Than Failure
NuttZo founder/CEO Danielle LiVolsi recalled the creative ways that she won over the nut butter and snack brand’s first retail buyers, why she adheres to the Nordstrom model of customer service and why she has consistently turned down outside investment. We also sat down with Kun Yang, the co-founder/CEO of cactus water brand Pricklee, who discussed the impact of localized social marketing.
Goldman Sachs: Out-of-Stocks Key Challenge for C-Stores in Q3
Convenience channel beverage sales were strong in the third quarter, according to the latest Beverage Bytes retailer survey by Goldman Sachs Equity Research, but ongoing supply chain disruptions are poised to put more pressure on brands and stores in the coming months.
Premium Mixer Brand AVEC Closes $1.2M Pre-Seed Round
Better-for-you mixer brand AVEC announced this week it has closed a $1.2 million seed funding round led by Gather Ventures, an investment firm specializing in plant-based products. The round also included funding from Black Ambition, a prize fund supporting minority-owned companies founded by singer Pharrell Williams.
Southern Glazer’s Brings Good Sunday to California
Founded in spite of brutal hangovers and built on the foundation of a life-long friendship, spirit-based ready-to-drink cocktail brand Good Sunday announced it has closed a $1 million Series A funding round led by Vecture Inc. founder Angelo Catenaro to support the brand’s upcoming U.S. debut.