"Stepping Off" the Gas: Olipop's New Formulation; New CEOs At Chamberlain Coffee

Canned Meat Snack-Inspired Meals, Why the Bouqs/Whole Foods Partnership Makes Sense

Hi there folks! It’s been a busy week here in CPG-land. I know the community is buzzing about the Mars/Kellanova deal, but let’s be honest—you don’t need another press release recap. :) So, let’s dive into other news you also should pay attention to.

Will Olipop’s New Formulation Enable Distribution Growth?

This week, Olipop officially launched a new shelf-stable four-pack, allowing the previously chilled-only soda brand to be sold in new sections of the store. The line features a revised version of the company’s “proprietary” Olismart fiber mix, replacing Chicory Root Inulin and Jerusalem Artichoke Inulin with Acacia Fiber and Guar Fiber for roughly a 30% reduction in fiber. At 6 grams of fiber, the new formulation aligns more closely with other prebiotic sodas like SunSip, Heywell, Levo, and several private label brands, which generally contain between 2-5 grams of fiber.

(For now, let’s ignore that they now have two versions of the same “proprietary” formula, as that opens a whole other can of marketing worms.)

“Many customers wanted to drink more OLIPOP per day (closer to how they enjoyed traditional soda) but struggled to do so with the very high fiber content,” Olipop founder and CEO Ben Goodwin told me. “We are excited to provide our customers with options that fit their lifestyle and are available to drink on-the-go or stocked up in the pantry.”

The shelf-stability alone opens up new merchandising options, but I’d argue the drop in fiber level will help as well. Olipop has been targeting food service and alternative channels, and it feels like it’s an even easier sell when your product won’t send consumers to the restroom mid-movie or game.

For context, I asked Behave candy’s founder Mayssa Chehata about her own formulation move, which also included a fiber drop, and she pointed out that if you want your product to be sold everywhere, and not be limited by use case, you need to consider what happens after consumption. She also noted that inulin (one of the fiber sources removed from Olipop’s latest formulation) can be particularly taxing to digest.

Of course, Olipop isn’t exactly struggling to gain distribution right now. Case in point, the WSJ announced yesterday that Olipop will be sold at the Intuit Dome. The new home of the LA Clippers, the sports arena will stock the older, higher fiber formulation. Currently, the brand will only offer the shelf-stable, lower-fiber line in four-packs, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see that change in the future.

Flower Power:

Hot on the heels of a $23M capital raise, D2C flower company Bouqs has opened three stores inside California Whole Foods Markets.

Before COVID, Whole Foods was big on the store-within-a-store concept (or as Bouqs calls it "shops-within-shops"). These were mostly restaurant concepts designed to make Whole Foods more of a shopping experience versus a chore to just get done. But that program seems to have largely fizzled out. In Massachusetts, we had a similar concept with a local high-end florist, but that, too, seems to have faded away.

So, what’s brought about the return of the shop-within-a-shop? Here’s my take:

• Labor: It seems like these stores are run by Bouqs’ employees, meaning WFM can save on staffing and team member education costs.

• Quality and Differentiation: Whole Foods used to have numerous marketing programs for their floral department that emphasized the benefits of their direct sourcing efforts. While they still have strong sourcing practices focused on Fair Trade, more products appear to now come via third-party vendors, making it hard to stand out compared to other suppliers. Bouqs, however, claims to purchase flowers directly from farmers.

• E-commerce: I recently tried to order flowers from Whole Foods for someone in a different city. The issue? For most bouquets, it wasn’t clear what I was buying when I ordered something like the “floral visionary” bouquet. They also didn’t appear to be true arrangements as much as standard plastic-wrapped bouquets. With Bouqs handling delivery, Whole Foods can offer a more curated, true floral store experience, without dealing with the backend processing.

Finally, a side note: If you want to see some stunning floral departments, check out Town and Country stores in the Seattle area. They have an amazing build-your-own bouquet program with impressive quality and variety, not to mention knowledgeable team members.

An Epic Marketing Strategy:

If you’re into gardening (raises hand), you’ve probably noticed that all the cool kids have one of Epic Gardening’s Birdies raised beds or planters (I am not one of those cool kids, alas).

If you don’t know them, pay attention. The TCG-backed company, which last year acquired seed brand Botanical Interests, is yet another example of the power of content, with a killer blog and social media feed (1.7 million followers on Instagram and 3.3 million in TikTok).

It’s this strategy, founder Kevin Espritu says, that enables the “content to commerce” company to enter less traditional classes of retail. This summer Epic Gardening rolled out a "Gardening with Your Pet" merchandising program in roughly 200 Petco-owned stores. Next year, he said on LinkedIn this week, they’ll expand to 750-1,000 stores.

“This where the ‘creator commerce’ journey starts to get exciting,” he wrote. “Once you can prove you can drive real volume in stores, all sorts of creative ideas start to pop up.”

News Bites:

• Chamberlain Coffee has not one, but two new folks in its top leadership role, with the news that former COO Gustav Langberg Hossy and influencer Emma Chamberlain will assume the positions of co-CEOs. One thing not yet disclosed: Wherefore art thou, former CEO Chris Gallant? The CPG exec’s LinkedIn profile still lists him as leading the brand, and Gallant last posted about new distribution for Chamberlain less than a month ago.

• Private equity firm Butterfly has sold the majority of its minority stake in vitamin and supplements brand MaryRuth Organics back to the company’s original owner and founder. According to one report, the company had about $200 million in revenue in 2022 with a 60% gross margin.

• There’s been a mushroom mania for several years, but the market size and potential for growth remained somewhat unclear. However, it seems functional chocolate brand Alice Mushrooms is doing something right, with the company announcing this week funding from big-name investors including PE shop L Catterton along with actors Zac Efron, Pedro Pascal, and Kevin Hart.

• It been less than two months since Wedderspoon was acquired by New Zealand-based Florenz, and the manuka honey brand is already fast-tracking growth for its three new Bee Propolis sprays. After seeing high consumer demand, CEO Mike Tod posted on LinkedIn, the company has secured placement for the line in an additional 2,300 doors. A national push is expected to follow in 2025. The propolis sprays take the company down a decidedly functional/supplement path that will put it head-to-head with category leader Beekeeper’s Naturals. Meanwhile, it seems Wedderspoon has discontinued its Manuka honey-infused apple cider vinegar which was found in center store.

• Last week, I mentioned Venture for America’s closure. If you’re hiring consider bringing on one of the fellows now looking for a new role.

• Cookie pioneer Wally Amos, the founder of Famous Amos cookies, passed away earlier this week at 88.

• Funding is cool, but as an industry, we also need to support the less “sexy” wins. So I totally agree with this LinkedIn post from Matthew Woods, Rishi Tea’s head of retail: it IS pretty exciting when you sell enough product that you can switch from a wrap to printed cans!

• Erewhon has a (perhaps surprising) new competitor for hot grocery swag: H Mart. The Asian supermarket debuted a pretty slick New York exclusive tumbler.

• Trader Joe’s seasonal candles are always fire, but now they are quite literally causing fires. The retailer recalled its summer Mango Tangerine candles due to manufacturing issues.

New On Shelf:

• Idahoan Foods has had a busy summer, most recently launching two new flavors of its potato cups in Tapatío Triple Cheese Mashed Potatoes and Idahoan Bacon Cheddar Potato Shreds. Meanwhile, in July the company not only rolled out refreshed, colorful branding but also debuted dairy-free and low-sodium versions of its Buttery Homestyle Mashed Potatoes, targeting customers with special diets.

• Cheerie Lane launched a state fair-inspired pack of popcorn pods in Funnel Cake, Jalapeño Popper, and Dill Pickle. (Say that ten times fast).

• Functional treat brand Gwell released Coco Calm, a powdered reishi and chaga enhanced Drinking Chocolate that can also be used for baking. The mix draws flavor and functionality inspiration from Gwell’s best-selling (and delicious) chocolate shortbread cookies.

• Meat snack brand Jack Links is moving into a new category, launching canned bean-free chili in Walmart. I initially thought this must be a licensing play, but the back of pack seems to indicate it’s an owned product.

• Maya Kaimal is now offering a meal-ready version of its Tikka Masala sauce with the addition of peppers, potatoes, and chickpeas. Available in microwaveable pouches, the new dish can go from pantry to table in just a few minutes.

• Superieur launched two new flavors of its powdered electrolytes last month: Lala Lemon and Strawberry Lemonade. Trust me, I WILL be ordering these. Most electrolyte powders either have a stevia/monk fruit aftertaste I can’t tolerate or functional ingredients I don’t want. Superieur does what it says it will, and the taste is the best I’ve found so far. Send me more recommendations if you’ve got them - I’m terrible at hydrating.

• Plant-based ready-to-eat meals from Israeli company Anina Culinary Art have hit the US. Debuting in Los Angeles stores including Hanks Organic, Rainbow Acres, and Irvine Ranch Market, a D2C website is in the works as well.

• Smith Teamaker and Levain Cookies have partnered on a new Comfort Cookie Bundle. The D2C offering contains four cookies, a Levain-specific assortment of bagged Smith teas, and the cutest branded blanket.

In My Cart:

There are quite a few brands I love, both for their mission and, frankly, the taste of their products. But in my previous role, I focused on the business of food rather than the flavor (Pro tip: NEVER tell a journalist that what sets your product apart is “the taste.” That’s the answer 99% of brands give).

That said, I thought it might be fun to highlight a few products I’ve picked up recently—maybe they’ll inspire you to try them out! And if there’s something you’ve been loving, drop me a line.

• Ocean’s Halo Coconut Broth: Add a little spice, and this broth become my go-to midday snack. Plus, it’s on promo at Whole Foods right now.

• Heyday Beans: Sauté some kale, add chicken, heat some quinoa, and the Harissa Lemon Chickpeas make for a quick, delicious dinner. (Plus, they too are on promo right now … sense a theme?)

• Uncle Eddie’s Vegan Cookies: I finally tried a sample of these at Mom’s Organic Market, and wow, I was floored by the texture and taste.