Owen’s Craft Mixers Closes $3M Round
New York-based Owen’s Craft Mixers announced today it has closed a $3 million Series A fundraising round led by Levy Family Partners.
NACS 2019 Recap: PepsiCo and Nestlé Debut 2020 Innovation; Kombucha Takes On Convenience
In this recap of news from the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) 2019 trade show, we cover new innovations across PepsiCo's family of products, examine how Nestlé Waters is tilting towards more functional offerings, and track the growth of the kombucha category in c-stores.
NACS 2019: Yerbae’s Todd Gibson on Tackling the Convenience Channel
In this video recorded at last week’s National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) Show 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia, Yerbae founder and CEO Todd Gibson discusses his brand’s channel strategy, how the clean energy trend is developing in convenience, and why there’s still a long way to go for consumer education on yerba mate drinks.
Elevator Talk: Whole Harmony Makes Plant Medicine Accessible
Stacey Wood founded Whole Harmony with her partner David Soule as a vehicle to educate consumers on the benefits of plant medicine. The pair believes their community focus and authenticity is what sets the brand apart, as they connect with consumers through handcrafted tonics and elixirs using herbs sourced from their farm.
BevNET Magazine Feature: The Shape of Water
While consumer buying habits and nutrition trends are providing healthy tailwinds for the nascent category of kids water, developing a strong identity — to say nothing of building a business around that concept — remains a challenge for all involved, particularly in the face of declining sales for the entire kid-positioned beverage market.
NACS 2019: Energy, Coffee Highlight Coke’s 2020 Innovations
In this interview recorded at NACS 2019, BevNET managing editor Martin Caballero spoke with James Ford, Coca-Cola’s VP of category strategic advisory, about the company’s product showcase, including the highly anticipated U.S. launch of Coca-Cola Energy, the development of Coke’s expanding coffee portfolio, and how the brand is strategizing for growth in the convenience store channel.
BevNET Magazine Feature: Where Cold-Pressed Juice Can Still Grow
As cold-pressed juice moves into the next stage after its mid-decade height as a hot beverage trend, the subcategory continues to grow but leaves behind a reformed field of wholesale players marketing lower-priced offerings, alongside new competition from the private label space.
Former Vita Coco VP Tim Dwyer Joins Flow
Flow Alkaline Spring Water announced today the appointment of Tim Dwyer, a 10-year veteran of Vita Coco who most recently served as that company’s VP of sales, as chief revenue officer. Dwyer said he sees “the same potential” in Flow that he saw in coconut water a decade ago.
Taste Radio Ep. 183: Death & Co.’s Day: To Set The Bar, Keep Pushing The Envelope
Alex Day, co-founder of trendsetting cocktail bar Death & Co., spoke about his thoughtful approach to innovation and branding. He also explained why articulating the brand’s style is an “ongoing process,” why the Death & Co. considers itself a content creator as much as a bar, and why it never “follows trends out of fatigue.”
Ocean Spray Revamps R&D, Will Enter New Categories
Last week, the company announced a new model for innovation, known as the Lighthouse Incubator, which will focus on rapid innovation and bring the company into new categories beyond beverage.
NACS 2019 Gallery: New Products Set For C-Stores
In this gallery, we highlight a handful of notable new products introduced at this year's National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) trade show, including innovations from Coca-Cola, Danone/White Wave, Nestle Waters and Keurig Dr Pepper.
Peet’s Closes Coldcraft Unit to Focus on Shelf-Stable Coffee Innovations
Peet’s has cooled its efforts to create a regional cold chain distribution system. The company has ceased operations of its Coldcraft direct store distribution network and discontinued its bottled cold brew line as it focuses on developing shelf-stable RTD coffee products.
PepsiCo: Revenue Momentum Continues in Q3
PepsiCo beat analysts’ expectations in posting 4.3% organic sales growth in the third quarter of this year, according to financial results released by the company on Thursday.
Taste Radio Insider Ep. 54: The ‘Better’ Way to Rethink Brand Strategy
In this episode, we’re joined by Ashleigh and Trey Lockerbie, the co-founders of organic kombucha brand Better Booch, who joined us for a conversation about the good, the bad and the ugly of a brand revamp. As part of our conversation, they discussed how the process helped shape the strategy that now serves as the foundation for the company’s future.