Express Checkout #116
CPG and Retail news from the week of 3/3/25
Hello hello!
Jenna and I are finally all rested up from Expo West! Our tummies are feeling a bit better (thank you Wonderbelly) and we are ready with our thoughts from the show! First a couple of housekeeping items….
Surprisingly Jenna and I got no solo photos 🤷♂️ - So we’ll brag about the people we met (Anouck Gotlib, Founder of Belgian Boys, and Michael Solomonov, famous chef and Zahav Foods Founder)
I’m co-hosting a webinar with the folks at Instant.one! Join Patrick Johnson (CEO of Progress Labs), Erica Tucker (Founder of Sweet Es Bakery), and myself for a fun discussion on how to optimize your customer journey by combining effective website development with email marketing strategies!
📅 Date: March 13th
⏰ Time: 12:30 PM ET / 9:30 AM PT
📍 Where: Online
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from the best and take your customer journey to the next level.
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News From the Week - Expo West Edition!!!
What a SHOW. As per usual, the energy in Anaheim did not disappoint. There’s so much we want to share, so instead of taking up precious newsie real estate, we drafted a FULL RECAP HERE :)
Quick highlights: I got to emcee the New Hope Pitch Slam with the best of the best, Asa Mckee! Thank you New Hope for having me!
We also hosted an amazing 200-person event at Bubba Gump Shrimp - thanks to our partners Glimpse, Drivepoint, and Shopline!
Don’t forget: We partnered with Glimpse on a giveaway of $26,000 towards your Expo West 2026 booth! Glimpse is an AI-powered platform that streamlines deductions management for CPG brands working with KeHE, UNFI, Target.
CPG & Consumer Goods
Yes, this brand still exists. Crystal Light launched Vodka Refreshers, a low-calorie, zero-sugar RTD cocktail. They’ll only have an ABV of 3.8%, providing a lighter alternative to hard seltzers and traditional vodka sodas.
A data-backed innovation: 1-in-5 Crystal Light users have used the product for a cocktail mixer, so this only makes sense!
eCommerce
It’s giving….recession. A recent J.D. Power survey found that Gen Z used buy now, pay later services more than credit cards during the 2024 holiday shopping season, with 54% opting for BNPL compared to 50% for credit cards. This marks the first time BNPL has surpassed credit card usage among this demographic.
Can’t go a week without an AI update. Google Shopping introduced new AI tools that help users find clothing and beauty products by matching their visions to real-world items. Users can describe garments or search for makeup looks, and the AI provides visual suggestions and virtual try-on options for a more immersive shopping experience.
There’s something weird here... Uber Eats partnered with FreshDirect to offer same-day and on-demand grocery delivery in New York City, marking FreshDirect's first availability on a third-party app.
Retail
Private label is getting serious. Target’s premiere private label brand Good & Gather is launching a new line called Good & Gather Collabs, featuring collaborations with celebrated chefs, starting with Ann Kim. This is the first-ever chef collab by Target! The collection includes four premium frozen pizzas and three restaurant-quality frozen appetizers
Target's private label business does more than $30 billion in revenue across 45+ brands. And according to Numerator, private label brands account for 24% of all unit sales across categories, it's serious.
Size does matter. CVS Health plans to open small-format stores focused on pharmacy services, eliminating many retail items to better serve areas with limited prescription access.
Entering the ‘4th wave of coffee’: Sur La Table has announced the acquisition of Seattle Coffee Gear, enhancing its specialty coffee retail offerings.
Funding news
Love a good mezcal. Pronghorn, a spirits incubator backed by Diageo, has made an undisclosed investment in Doce Mezcal, a female-founded mezcal brand based in New York. Launched in 2022, Doce Mezcal aims to enhance its market presence through a distribution partnership with Blueprint and is focused on amplifying underrepresented brands in the spirits industry.
Tackling tariffs. Swap, a London-based startup, raised $40 million in Series B funding to develop tools for eCommerce companies to navigate challenges in cross-border trade, particularly in light of new tariffs.
The year of celeb-backed tequila RTDs. SipMARGS, a ready-to-drink sparkling margarita brand, is officially relaunching—now backed by a $3 million investment led by Palm Tree Crew with influencer Alix Earle as the largest single investor and brand partner.
Weekly Pickups
See Expo West deep dive 🥴
See ya next week!
Nate + Jenna :)
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