The Fancy Food Preview... 👀
CPG and Retail news from the week of 6/23/25
Hello hello!
We’re reporting live from the Summer Fancy Food Show, with tummies full of a (concerningly) random amalgamation of bites and feet incessantly throbbing.
It’s been a whirlwind two days on the show floor, and we can’t wait to share more of our thoughts and observations in the next edition. For today, we’re keeping things relatively short + sweet (so we can preserve our single remaining brain cell for post-show events 🫠).
Let’s get into it →
Crush Prime Day with Settle!
Prime Day can either be your biggest sales driver… or your biggest operational headache.
Most CPG brands go in underprepared. They under-forecast, overorder, or tie up too much cash in inventory. That’s a tough place to be when payouts are delayed and suppliers want payment upfront.
Settle helps you plan ahead and move fast.
Here’s how:
Track your true landed costs before you set pricing
Forecast Prime Day demand based on data, not gut feel
Fund your POs now and pay later
Thread Wallets used Settle to stay stocked, meet wholesale demand, and avoid dilution at a critical time!
If Prime Day is on your radar, now’s the time to prep your systems and cash flow.
News From the Week
We just wrapped up two glorious days at Summer Fancy Food 2025—and tried damn near everything. Today, we’re sharing two of our best bites. Stay tuned for a full rundown of the show later this week, featuring the rest of our faves. 👀
Cravers is a new brand on the scene, focused on all things hazelnut…Turkish hazelnuts, that is (apparently the world's best—checks out!).
Their Cacao Hazelnut Spread is a real standout here, delivering rich, sweet flavor with shockingly only three ingredients (hazelnuts, date puree, and cacao powder)—AKA no oil or refined sugar.
Currently expanding in the US, this feels like the kind of brand that's about to give Nutella a serious run for its money. And in all honestly, we hope it does: This brand is incredibly sustainable and focused on ethical production. Grab a jar if you spot one—it's next-level good!
We tried so many hot sauces at Fancy Food this year… but there was one real standout: Hot N Saucy is bringing serious heat with hot sauces that pack incredible flavor into every bottle—sans preservatives. No wonder they've been featured twice on Hot Ones (seasons 14 and 18). This brand just gets it.
I’m a fiend for anything umami, and the Black Garlic N Peri Peri flavor delivered. This sauce offers a real kick of robust Peri Peri peppery flavor, plus rich black garlic and a hint of sweetness. It is just such a brilliantly culinary flavor—certain to take even the lamest of packaged ramens to restaurant-quality flavor. - J
I loved the Miller High Life collab, and this will sound gross but I mean it in the best way, it tastes exactly like a high-end dive bar should. It would be absolutely killer in a michelada or bloody marry. The Beet N Fresno and Collard N Ghost also blew me away with their unique flavor combinations. - N
CPG & Consumer Goods
Athena lands in the world of Man. Athena Club, the DTC female razor company, launched House of Atlas, a new personal care brand targeting men—available both in Target and DTC.
An unpredictable expansion… Olly, the iconic supplement brand owned by Unilever, launched a new bodycare line called Olly Mood + Skin, featuring products like body scrubs and washes.
I get that brands need to evolve, but I’m not sure if this was the right move here for Olly. It feels (and looks) out of the ordinary. - N
…but this extension makes sense. GOODLES launched new single-serve microwavable cups featuring its most popular flavors, Cheddy Mac and Shella Good.
If U Seek Aimee ( - Britney Spears - the entire CPG community). Better Brand, a company previously valued at $170M, is facing allegations of fraud and deceit after defaulting on a $700,000 loan. Its founder, Aimee Yang, has been accused of conspiracy and has been very elusive…as in, completely impossible to locate.
For months now, customers have reported ongoing issues with unfulfilled orders, and the company's social media presence has been largely inactive after attempting to remedy its tarnished rep with this
insanely sketchyexplanatory post.
Going au naturel 😏. Just a week after Heinz announced it’s removing artificial dyes from their products, General Mills, Conagra, Nestlé, and J.M. Smuckers have also committed to doing the same.
Maybe they got too high. Jones Soda is exiting the marijuana-infused beverage market by selling its Mary Jones brand to a private cannabis business called MJ Reg Disrupters for around $3 million.
Cheese for everyone. Daiya introduced two new spicy, dairy-free cheese products: Chipotle Cheddar Shreds (the first spicy dairy-free shreds) and Pepper Jack Slices.
eCommerce
Looking good has never been so easy. Daydream, a fashion startup, is launching an AI chatbot for online shopping that lets users search for clothing with text or images, though purchases redirect to merchant sites.
Daydream was founded by Julie Bornstein, an eComm veteran with executive experience at Nordstrom, Urban Outfitters, Sephora, and Stitch Fix.
Taking on Walmart any way they can… Amazon is expanding its Same-Day and Next-Day delivery services to over 4,000 smaller cities, towns, and rural communities by the end of 2025, investing over $4 billion to enhance its delivery network.
Retail
Wayfair loves its physical retail. Wayfair's luxury home retail brand, Perigold, opened its first brick-and-mortar store in Houston, Texas, featuring over 150 luxury home brands.
The store is part of Wayfair's strategy to expand its offline presence, and comes after opening several other physical retail locations in recent years.
DTC to retail to partnerships. Parachute, the luxe home linens brand, plans to close 19 stores by the end of the year, leaving just 7 open, as it shifts focus to partnerships with major retailers like Target and Nordstrom.
The learning? Brand awareness needs to come before brick-and-mortar expansion. The DTC darlings who’ve launched successfully in retail could only do so upon the foundation of brand awareness (think: Warby Parker). Parachute is a fantastic brand, but its competitor Brooklinen, which threw hefty spend at paid media and influencer, will likely be more successful in its owned retail. - J
But DTC-to-retail isn’t dead. Rocksbox, a jewelry rental subscription service, is expanding into brick-and-mortar retail by opening permanent stores after a successful pop-up in San Francisco. The company plans to open seven stores in total.
Another DTC darling launches retail. Dossier opened its first flagship boutique in NoLita, New York, offering customers an immersive experience to explore their full range of fragrances.
Friend of Express Checkout, Rekon Retail to the buildout! Rebecca and Libby are amazing humans and know retail like the back of their hand! (not sponsored!) - N
Grocery is futureproofing. Wegmans is testing smart carts in four stores to gather customer feedback and evaluate if this technology meets their shopping needs. The carts allow shoppers to scan items as they shop, with trials occurring in Rochester, Buffalo, and Syracuse. This initiative follows Wegmans' investment in upgrading self-checkout technology in their stores.
Klosures. Kroger plans to close about 60 underperforming stores over the next 18 months while also opening 30 new stores in high-growth areas.
Funding news
A well-earned doctorate. Men's grooming brand, Dr Squatch, was just acquired by Unilever for a reported $1.5 billion. The deal adds Dr Squatch’s unique natural angle to Unilever’s portfolio of men's personal care, which already includes brands like Axe and Dove Men+Care.
Martin Forde, who was employee #13 at Dr Squatch, wrote a series of great posts on why this brand was so successful. The TL;DR: Filled a genuine white space, narrow + clear target audience, killer paid media, and a narrow SKU focus. Whether you’re in food + bev, supplements, or skincare, we could all learn a thing or two from this exit. - J
Everyone is an influencer now. Superfiliate raised $2 million to assist CPG and DTC brands in managing their influencer marketing efforts.
Bye bye microplastics. Cellugy, a Danish biotech firm, secured a $9.25 million grant from the EU to develop lab-created ingredients that replace petrochemicals in beauty products.
It must have been the bubblegum butt wipes. DUDE Wipes (who’s doing $200 million plus) has secured a strategic growth investment from TSG Consumer Partners to accelerate the expansion of its innovative personal hygiene brand.
Always bet on consumer brands! Aria Growth Partners closed its second fund with $152 million to continue its focus on investing in emerging consumer brands.
Aria has invested in amazing brands like Hero Cosmetics (ext to Church & Dwight for $630 million), Lesser Evil (ext Hershey's), and the INKEY List!
Casalú, a Miami-based beverage startup, has closed its seed funding round to expand its sparkling rum ready-to-drink brand. Casalú is currently available in key retailers across Florida, including Total Wine and The Fresh Market.
It is DAMN good liquid - N
Out with chemphobia. Epicutis, a science-driven luxury skincare brand, raised $10 million in Series B funding to support its growth, including international expansion and product innovation. The brand is on pace to do $35 million in revenue.
Tempeh snacks for everyone. Mamame raised $2 million led by Granite Asia to expand its offerings in modern tempeh snacks. They only entered the US market last fall.
This was one of my favorite bites at Expo West!! I absolutely love Mamame’s Hot Chili Tempeh Chips and raved about them with anyone who would listen. Tempeh is a seriously slept-on plant-based protein, and as a mostly-veg gal always looking for a savory, protein-packed snack, this checked off every box. - J
Restaurant to retail is cooking! Momofuku has raised nearly $30 million in investment to support its growth and development.
The restaurant to retail pipeline has been growing significantly over the past few years. With many brands seeing success transfering over their IP to the grocery store shelves. Brands like Tacombi (Vista Hermosa), Milk Bar, Magnolia Bakery, Zucker’s Bagels, and so many more!
Weekly Pickups
This week, we spoke with our favorite oats influencer, Trace Alexander! Trace has built his online presence with the best content on all things oats (and healthy eating), and recently launched his own overnight oats brand that has earned a permanent spot in our pantries. Check out his weekly pickup here! 👇
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The Aimee Yang story is wild!