Happy Sunday — there’s a lot going on in the CPG world, so let’s get into it!
I’m heading to Maine next week 🐟 There will be no new editions of Wholesome Goods for the next 2 weeks but podcast episodes & the Founder Ritual columns will still go live :) talk soon!
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Acquisitions/Mergers
Goodles to be acquired by Barilla Group [source]
Martignetti to acquire Red Network distributor Girardi in Massachusetts [source]
Nestlé and PAI’s European Pizza Group reportedly ‘closing in on deal’ to buy Crosta Mollica [source]
Thirteen Lune reacquired by Nyakio Grieco, announces international expansion into South Africa [source]
Divestments
Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) sells its full equity stake in Chobani back to the company for US$800 million [source]
In a related transaction, Chobani will acquire KDP’s manufacturing facility and warehouse in Allentown, Pa., for approx. $125 million, including the facility lease, equipment and operations. Chobani will continue to manufacture certain products for KDP at the Allentown facility for a defined period after the sale under a co-manufacturing agreement.
Nestlé agreed to sell its mainstream VMS division to Yellow Wood Partners for $1B [source]
The scope of the transaction includes seven established brands: Nature’s Bounty, Osteo Bi-Flex, Ester-C, Gard, Nuun, Puritan’s Pride, and Sisu.
Partnerships
CELSIUS has been named the Official Energy Drink Sponsor of ESPN’s College GameDay [source]
Fruit Riot x Kool-Aid = Tropical Punch Sour Grapes
BUM Energy x Ella Langley = Peaches & Honey
As country music continues to surge culturally, this launch taps into a growing intersection of music, lifestyle, and functional wellness, introducing a clean energy option (112 mg natural caffeine + Cognizin® citicoline) built for sustained focus without the crash.
Auntie Anne's x Hero Bread = LTO Pretzel Bites
Hero Bread has teamed up with Auntie Anne’s® to reimagine their iconic pretzel bite — with baked-in protein and fiber. Inspired by the pretzel brand’s beloved bites, Hero Bread created a version of the iconic snack with 16g protein, 18g fiber and just 3g net carbs.
Launches
Wellness
Dear Biology, the premium wellness brand, sold out of its first production run in just 72 hours [source]
Pure Genius Protein just launched a Protein + Fiber shot line [source]
Equip just announced the launch of Equip Kids, a line of bars and protein powders with 10g of grass-fed beef protein [source]
Willie’s launches Stardust Sleep Gummies [source]
Hydration
HiNote's Juicy Peach flavor returns for National Peach Day [source]
Delivering 20g of protein, 5g of fiber, and 13 fruits, veggies, and superfoods per serving, with no sugar, caffeine, or artificial ingredients
V8 adds electrolytes to energy drink line available in 3 flavors: Lemon Lime, Strawberry Passionfruit, & White Peach [source]
Pantry
Chici Mama launched a limited-edition Apple Pie à la Mode dried mango snack [source]
Classico unveils “Sunday Football Sauce” ahead of NFL season [source]
Kreatures of Habit launches Blueberry Cream Cruncher DAILY BAR [source]
Mondelēz brings UK protein bar Grenade to the US [source]
Beverages
Blue Bottle launches two rare Excelsa-Forward Coffees, now available [source]
Including:
Exceedingly Rare Vietnam Quang Tri 96B Excelsa Natural, a highly limited single-origin lot.
Beyond Arabica, a new blend combining Indian Excelsa and Vietnamese Robusta.
Excelsa remains one of the rarest coffee species in commercial production, accounting for less than 1% of global output, and its inclusion in both releases gives roasters and coffee media a timely hook into a category still largely unfamiliar to most U.S. drinkers. The Quang Tri 96B lot spotlights Excelsa in its purest form as a single-origin natural, while Beyond Arabica offers a more accessible entry point by pairing it with Robusta in blend format.
Zevia launches a new Cherry Lime Soda [source]
David enters drinks With RTD Protein Shake [source]
BrewDog co-founder James Watt is back in the beverage biz with Fool’s Fix, a sparkling electrolyte drink designed to be your last drink of the night [source]
Alcohol/THC
Liquid Death founder and Sazerac launch Mr. Fancy canned ‘American Bubbly’ [source]
Khalifa Kush launches THC beverage with the debut of Khalifa Kush & Orange Juice [source]
BERO is introducing its signature Kingston Golden Pils glass bottle to consumers nationwide for the first time [source]
All Día is a new canned tequila cocktail brand from Austin, TX. The company launched with a line of 2.5% ABV cocktails containing 50-60 calories and 5-7 ingredients [source]
Sweets
Compartés' launches a viral-inspired Dot Cake Chocolate Bar [source]
Jeni’s Ice Cream launched their Fall Flavors [source]
Hazelnut Stracciatella: Roasted hazelnut ice cream with bittersweet chocolaty curls.
Miso Butterscotch Brownie: Dark chocolate brownies in toasted sugar and miso cream. Sweet, barely savory, and intensely satisfying. A returning fan favorite for a reason!
Pumpkin with Brown Sugar Blondies: Heirloom pumpkin ice cream with warm spices, caramel, and brown sugar blondies.
Doich is preparing to launch Protein Cups in October, its first move beyond clean-label snacking dough and a step toward becoming a broader better-for-you confection platform [source]
FUNDAY Natural Sweets, the Australian brand, is bringing it’s sweets to nearly 1,300 Target stores starting September 13th [source]
Investments
Medici Brands raises $250M to scale David Protein, HallPass [source]
Gracie Hunt has taken an equity stake in DAYLY, the AM/PM oral wellness brand that launched earlier this year [source]
SEMCAP Beauty & Wellness announced a minority investment in Healf, a UK-based personalized wellness platform [source]
Path lands late-stage funding from Agility Ventures to fuel global push [source]
$$$
Campbell’s Q4 results ‘Unacceptable,’ plans more cost-savings [source]
Garage Beer is expected to top 6.5 million cases in 2027 after growing 50% this year [source]
People
Good Culture names former Sovos Brands Exec, Kirk Jensen, as new Operations Chief [source]
Athletic Brewing appoints Dan Kleinman as CMO [source]
Strategy
Target launches Target Beauty Studio [source]
A reimagined beauty destination featuring an expertly curated assortment of more than 1,600 products from 90 prestige, emerging and global brands — most new to Target
Ulta leans into exclusivity amid Target Beauty Studio competition [source]
ALDI let fans vote on their next coffee creamer flavor & Caramelized Banana and Honey Vanilla won! [source]
Pre® Brands launches new tailgating recipes for football season [source]
Campaigns
Happy Dad just announced a multi-year partnership with Big John Golfs [source]
Bud Light launches Can-O-Flage & digital content series for NFL 2026 Gameday
Bud Light, the Official Beer Sponsor of the NFL, is celebrating fans everywhere with their new “Can-o-Flage” sleeves, designed to transform any Bud Light can into your favorite team’s can - so fans can rep their team wherever they are. This announcement follows Bud Light’s return of the fan-favorite Bud Light NFL team cans, and a new campaign that shows just how far fans will go to enjoy Bud Light and gear up for football season.
To help launch the product, Bud Light tapped Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, 49ers Star George Kittle, and comedian Shane Gillis for a series of new digital spots showing how they will do anything to rep their teams on game day.
“Irish exiting is cat” - Smalls launches “Is Cat”, its largest OOH/TV campaign yet [source]
Is Cat is Smalls’ biggest 360° brand campaign yet, concentrated in New York City and supplemented by national TV across linear and streaming. The campaign goes live Tuesday, September 1 and runs through Sunday, September 27, with select OOH extending into October.
Including
A hero OOH takeover of New York, concentrated in Soho, Noho, and Williamsburg — the neighborhoods where the campaign’s audience actually lives, works, and lingers. The buy includes:
Colossal hand-painted murals — the campaign’s hero placements
Billboards and street-level placements strategically selected across all three neighborhoods
Wheatpastes plastered across Soho, Noho, and Williamsburg, using repetition to build the “___ is Cat” lines into a visual language
Branded billboard trucks circulating across the tri-state area
A national TV campaign across linear and CTV, running :30 and :15 spots that extend the brand campaign into a 12-week flight and drive to smalls.com.
A one-night-only, invite-only exhibit in New York treating the “___ is Cat” lines as art pieces — intimate gathering energy rather than launch-party energy, hosted by artist and cat parent, Chloe Wise.
Paid creator partnerships with NYC creators, amplifying the OOH and the “___ is Cat” lines in-feed. Secured thus far: Kate Norkeliunas, Lauren Caruso, Jake Fleming, Ava T’Ocloo, Daisy Pyo, with more to come.
Design
Magic Mind unveiled a new look as the company enters its next phase of growth [source]
Curie unveiled its new brand identity on July 22nd and the company’s Walmart sales jumped 29% month-over-month [source]
Retail
Kylie Jenner’s k2o launches into Target [source]
HallPass, the low-sugar chocolate candy brand from Medici Brands (the parent company of David), is now available nationally at Walmart [source]
Chomps lands Starbucks as retail footprint tops 65,000 doors [source]
Food Service
Sweetgreen launched their new fall menu on September 1 [source]
Autumn Harvest Bowl – Antibiotic-free blackened chicken, maple glazed Brussels sprouts, roasted sweet potatoes, apples, goat cheese, roasted almonds, wild rice, organic shredded kale and balsamic vinaigrette.
Maple Glazed Salmon – A new seasonal plate featuring antibiotic-free miso glazed salmon, maple glazed Brussels sprouts, warm roasted sweet potatoes, napa cabbage slaw, white rice and garlic aioli.
Roasted Bacon Brussels – A new seasonal side pairing maple glazed Brussels sprouts with crumbled bacon and charred jalapeño ranch. Also available without bacon.
Available at Sweetgreen restaurants nationwide from 9/1 - 12/28.
Levain Bakery is bringing back their cult-favorite Black & White cookie for a limited time [source]
Available at all Levain bakeries nationwide for four days only, September 11–14, in celebration of National Black & White Cookie Day on September 14.
Goop Kitchen opens first dine-in restaurant in Del Mar, San Diego [source]
The new 92-seat destination marks a major evolution for the brand, which has built a loyal following by redefining better-for-you takeout with clean, chef-crafted food made-to-order. Now, for the first time, goop kitchen is bringing that ethos beyond delivery and into a thoughtfully designed dine-in experience.
Designed by Michael Hsu Architecture in close collaboration with Gwyneth Paltrow, the space brings together thoughtful hospitality, intentional design and clean, delicious food in a setting that feels distinctly Southern California.
Legal
Congress passes one month extension for Hemp Ban [source]
Investors sue Owyn protein shake owner after reformulation led to sales dip [source]
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, says Simply Good Foods switched to “an inferior supplier of pea protein,” impacting taste and ultimately sales of the plant-based protein shake brand.
Since purchasing Owyn in 2024, Simply Good Foods’ stock price has plummeted 70% and the company has taken a cumulative $200 million impairment on brand assets, the lawsuit said. Investors are asking a judge to grant compensation for “substantial financial losses and economic damages.”
Grüns sued over ‘Sugar Free’ Allulose claims [source]
Grüns and parent company Unilever are facing a proposed class action lawsuit alleging the supplement brand deceptively markets its allulose-sweetened gummies as “sugar free,” making it the latest CPG brand to be pulled into a legal battle over the sweetener.
The Complaint: Four plaintiffs filed a 97-page complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey on Aug. 31, alleging that Grüns’ front-of-pack “sugar free” claims violate federal regulations because its gummies contain 6-9 grams of allulose per serving. The plaintiffs contend that allulose, as a monosaccharide, falls within the federal definition of sugar.
Avocado Oil claims add legal risk to snack brands’ seed oil shift [source]
Trader Joe’s loses bid to dismiss Uncrustables trademark lawsuit [source]
A U.S. District Judge has ruled that J.M. Smucker Co.’s trademark lawsuit against Trader Joe’s regarding crustless peanut butter and jelly handheld sandwiches can proceed.
Judge John Adams of the Northern District of Ohio denied Trader Joe’s motion to dismiss the case, which was initially filed last October. Trader Joe’s filed its motion to dismiss in January.
Kava, Kanna Eye Opportunity Amid Hemp THC Uncertainty [read more]
Casey’s Reveals College Football’s Earliest Risers [read more]
Back for another year as the “Official Pizza of Noon Kickoffs,” the brand surveyed fan bases across Casey’s Country to uncover tailgate habits, gameday rituals and just how long Saturdays are in its first-ever Tailgate Tracker.
Key findings:
For noon kickoffs, The Ohio State University rises earliest on gameday (7:52 a.m.).
35% of survey respondents wake up before 8 a.m. on gameday.
Fans tailgate for an average of 2 hours and 36 minutes.
Casey’s sold more than 2 million whole breakfast pies, and more than 32 million breakfast pizza slices before noon in the 2026 fiscal year.
Faire Independent Retail Pulse: Fashion, Rewired [read more]
Key findings:
Mock-neck sweatshirts are in: U.S. orders on Faire grew 11.5x, fueled by a TikTok DIY trend of customizing them with iron-on patches, a cheaper, more personal alternative to ready-made merch or pricier brands like Parke.
Loungewear and matching sets are overtaking activewear: Order growth hit nearly 95% for loungewear and over 103% for matching/coordinated sets, making them the two fastest-growing apparel subcategories.
Plus-size unit share is decreasing: With an estimated 1 in 8 adults now using GLP-1 drugs, a figure that could triple by 2030, the share of apparel units sized above an XL has fallen by over 27% in the past three years.
Herb Light — ultra-low does 1mg THC beverage
Fool’s Fix — a sparkling electrolyte drink made to be your final drink of the night
Liz Zwillinger, Co-Founder of Biologica
Liz Zwillinger spent years working as a divorce lawyer while raising three children and serving as a trusted sounding board to her husband, Joey Zwillinger, as he built Allbirds. Somewhere in the middle of that balancing act she began paying closer attention to the hormonal shifts that shape a woman’s life, and the way the wellness industry had turned them into a maze of single ingredients, conflicting advice, and overstuffed supplement cabinets.
Curious to understand what women actually needed; they spoke with thousands of women, ran focus groups across three decades of life stages, and consulted with leading OB/GYNs and naturopathic doctors. The insight was clear: a woman’s hormonal stage is one of the biggest drivers of her health, and yet no product truly addressed it the different needs throughout different stages.
Biologica is a women’s health company creating stage-specific nutritional support for the reproductive years, perimenopause, and postmenopause. Founded by Liz and Joey Zwillinger and grounded in clinically validated science, Biologica helps women stay in harmony with their hormones and feel their best through every phase of life.
Listen to the episodes:
Spotify | Apple Music | Substack
Rachel Solomon, Co‑Founder and CEO of Boarderie
Boarderie is redefining entertaining and gifting with beautifully arranged, ready-to-serve cheese and charcuterie boards delivered straight to your door. Founded in 2021, the family-run company was born out of the pandemic, when a Palm Beach hospitality business was forced to close. What started as a solution for bringing the restaurant and catering experience home quickly grew into a nationwide DTC brand, earning recognition from Oprah’s Favorite Things, Shark Tank, and Forbes.
At the center of Boarderie’s growth is co-founder, co-CEO, and CMO Rachel Solomon. With a background in finance and economics, Rachel joined the founding team in 2021 and helped turn the initial pandemic pivot into a nationally recognized food and gifting company. Today, she leads the brand’s marketing and growth while helping shape a modern approach to entertaining that makes hosting feel effortless, elevated, and most importantly, fun.
Listen to the episodes:
Spotify | Apple Music | Substack
*Founder Rituals is a new column on Wholesome Goods all about CPG founders & the rituals that keep them present, creative, and focused both in their business and personal lives alike. New interviews every Thursday.
Founder Rituals: Celine Ivari, Founder of Wholyme
I didn't plan to start a wellness brand. I planned to be in science, and for a while, I was. I studied Human Biology and the Genetics of Human Disease. But the real education started much earlier than that, sitting beside my mother at doctor's appointments from the age of nine, watching her live with chronic pain and arthritis while doctors reached quic…
Founder Rituals: Alison Seibert, Founder of The James Collective
The James Collective is a bicoastal PR and integrated communications agency founded by Alison Seibert, specializing in CPG, food & beverage, travel, wellness, wine & spirits, and design. Since 2015, the agency has partnered with leading lifestyle brands to build awareness, shape compelling stories, and create meaningful connections with consumers throug…
& there you have it! Sh*t you should care about for this week.
Catch ya next week Wednesday!
Lauren Hodgen
Founder & Creative Director | Citrus Diaries Studio
hello@citrusdiaries.com
Ready for your brand to look as good as it tastes? hello@citrusdiaries.com 🍊
I’d also check out Mission Craft Cocktails and their two new SKUs. The brand donates one meal for every bottle sold of their ready to drink cocktails to Feeding America.