Popcorn Startups & CPG in Space: CPG News, Week of May 31-Jun 4
Contents
Unioncrate's curated weekly round-up of CPG & supply chain news. This week's news features investments in an allergen kit, growing sales but flat inventory, and CPG for the space age.
investments-acquisitions
Investments & Acquisitions
Popcorn startup Opopop has raised $5M in its Series A, led by Valor Siren Ventures, ahead of its launch. Food Dive
Allergen introduction kit brand Ready, Set, Food raised $3.5M in a recent funding round. Food Dive
Robertet has acquired natural flavors and extract manufacturer Ecom. BevNet
Canadian cannabis brand BevCanna has acquired beverage manufacturer Naturo Group and is expanding into the US market. Forbes
Prestige Consumer Healthcare has acquired a group of over-the-counter brands from Akorn Operating for $230M. Drug Store News
Post Holdings has acquired TreeHouse Foods’ line of ready-to-eat cereals for $85M. FoodBev
Coty has appointed a new CEO to drive the expansion of Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian’s cosmetic brands. Consumer Goods Technology
Athletic Brewing, a product of nonalcoholic beer, has raised $50M in a Series C led by Alliance Consumer Growth and TRB Advisors. Food Dive
Kerry is opening a new taste facility in Irapuato, Mexico in a move intended to reach the Central American and Caribbean market. FoodBev
Coffee brands Snowing In Space and Grit are merging operations under one company: Bread & Table. BevNet
products-partnerships
New Products & Partnerships
RXBAR, an egg white-based protein bar, is going plant-based with two new flavors. VegNews
A new kind of plant-based nugget is coming to the US: Quorn, a UK-based fermented meat brand whose parent company just went public on the Philippine Stock Exchange. Food Dive
Colgate-Palmolive is going… intergalactic? The CPG giant is sending an oral care experiment up to the International Space Station. Consumer Goods Technology
Walmart is teaming up with a fourth-generation rancher to launch McClaren Farms, a private label beef line. Winsight Grocery Business
Ulta has joined the Fifteen Percent Pledge, committing to stocking 15% of its shelves with Black-owned brands. Yahoo
Another notable addition to the private label trend: Bed Bath & Beyond is launching three of its own. Chain Store Age
Kellogg just dropped another new Pringles flavor. This time? Wavy pineapple habanero. FoodBev
…and Kellogg also dropped three new Pop Tarts flavors! FoodBev
Milk Bar is launching a line of ice cream pints for retail sales. FoodBev
Keebler and Girl Scouts are partnering to make Thin Mints-dipped ice cream cones. Food Dive
Bertolli has launched d’Italia, a new line of pasta sauces inspired by Tuscan traditions. FoodBev
An internal company memo for Nestlé cited 60% of its F&B SKUs as “unhealthy.” The company is eyeing a strategy switchup. Bloomberg
Giant Co. is getting creative with Zoom marketing, with plans to have nutritionists to take families on “virtual roadtrips.” Progressive Grocer
Frank's RedHot is launching a cookbook to celebrate cicada season. A cicada cookbook. No further comments. Food Dive
supply-chain
Supply Chain News
Avocado consumption has increased by 33% YOY, creating some possible supply chain challenges. Food Dive
March saw growing sales but flat inventory growth. In response, companies like Walmart and Yeti have lengthened their lead times and turned to alternative ports. Supply Chain Dive
Donnie King, formerly the COO of Tyson Foods, is stepping up as CEO. FoodBev
Global supply shortages are popping up left and right. The New York Times
Not CPG, but a good read nonetheless: American Eagle Outfitters has improved their turn times thanks to a year-long supply chain transformation. Supply Chain Dive
Albertsons is growing its supplier diversity program by partnering with new vendors. Progressive Grocer
Meat giant JBS was cyberattacked last week—and the effects of it are still reverberating across the meat supply chain. The Wall Street Journal
In a new op-ed, a Colgate-Palmolive procurement manager argues that it’s impossible for procurement to ignore market intel. Supply Chain Dive
good-reads
Good Reads
Mondelez is conducting a “strategic review” of its gum lines. Food Dive
In-store sampling is returning at Sam’s Club. Grocery Dive
Eclipse Foods, originally intended for retail locations only, had to shift to a DTC model when the pandemic hit. Read about how they did it. Modern Retail
Apparently the proteins in milk and mealworms are quite similar. Is this the next frontier in plant-based eating? Food Dive
About Unioncrate
Unioncrate is an AI-powered Integrated Business Planning (IBP) platform that delivers demand forecasts with unmatched accuracy, collaborative visibility, and actionable intelligence—enabling CPG brands to plan and execute agile supply chain strategies at the click of a button.
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