Keurig Dr Pepper Buys JDE Peet’s, PepsiCo Doubles Down on Celsius, Violet Grey Buys Detox Market & More

Consumer VC Update #133 – Latest News in Emerging Consumer Brands, Tech & Commerce Enablement From the Week of August 25th

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Hey everyone,

Hope you had a wonderful Labor Day this past weekend. In a couple of weeks, I’ll be heading to Bentonville for the first time for the Embark Summit, where Consumer VC is running the showcase stage. I’m delighted to have Nick Saltarelli from Mid-Day Squares, Yanni Hufnagel from Lemon Perfect, and Chaz Flexman from Starday Foods speak. We would love to see you there! We also have some opportunities for brands to exhibit…for free! Reach out to me if you would be interested.

Tuesday, September 16th 👉 Embark Summit in Bentonville, AR

• Embark Summit is a strategic, one‑day hub for those building tomorrow’s consumer brands—bringing action‑able content, curated experiences, and unrivaled connections in the heart of retail innovation.

Now…on to the news of the week

📰 Consumer News📰

• The Trump administration is considering restrictions on marketing unhealthy foods to children, with a leaked draft policy roadmap suggesting new guidelines on misleading claims and imagery as part of its “Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy.” FD

🧃Consumer Brands👚

💰Fundraises💰

• Painterland Sisters, the female-founded organic skyr yogurt brand, has closed its seed round with backing from The Angel Group, Supernatural Ventures, Spacestation Investments, Scoop Ventures, and high-profile angel investors including Olympic medalists and professional athletes. PRN

• 818 Tequila has launched 818 Minis and secured investment from Grupo Solave, one of Mexico’s largest agave producers, as part of its expansion strategy. FB

💸M&A💸

• Violet Grey has acquired The Detox Market and is pursuing the purchase of Cos Bar, aiming to build a nationwide beauty retail network catering to affluent consumers seeking upscale alternatives to Sephora and Ulta. BI

• McCormick is spending $750M to raise its stake in McCormick de Mexico to 75%, gaining majority control of the joint venture as it expands its condiments business in Latin America, fueled by strong demand for mayonnaise. FD

• Keurig Dr Pepper is acquiring JDE Peet’s for $18B to strengthen its coffee business and will split into two publicly listed companies — one focused on coffee and the other on beverages — undoing its 2018 merger structure. FD

• Post Holdings is selling its recently acquired pasta business to Richardson Holdings for $375M in cash plus $80M in liabilities, while keeping 8th Avenue’s nut butters, fruit and nut products, and granola lines. FD

• PepsiCo is boosting its stake in Celsius to 11% with a $585M deal, while Celsius will acquire Rockstar Energy in the U.S. and Canada and add Alani Nu to PepsiCo’s distribution network. FD

🚀Debuts, Distribution & Expansions🚀

• Mother-daughter duo Cynthia and Lauren Russell, both Ivy League-educated, purchased a 12-acre vineyard in Sonoma in 2022 and launched their brand Dancing, which blends inspirations from winemaking into boundary-pushing fragrances. BI

• Sukoshi, a North American Asian beauty retailer, is set to open its largest store in New York City this September on the Upper East Side, marking its 15th location with plans to exceed 20 by year’s end and 40 more by 2026. GCIM

• Danone will invest millions to expand its Ohio yogurt plant, adding 48,000 square feet, a new production line, and 30 jobs as it rides strong demand for high-protein, nutrient-dense foods. FD

• T. Hasegawa introduced Hasecitrus, a natural citrus flavor technology that extends shelf life in drinks like sports beverages by protecting against oxidation while supporting clean-label formulations. FD

• Gilli Dreams, a luxury leather journal brand inspired by Indian and Italian design and craftmanship, launched at Fortnum & Mason

• Anheuser-Busch will invest $15M in its St. Louis brewery as part of a $300M U.S. expansion plan, funding supply chain upgrades to boost use of domestic ingredients and distribution, aligning with the Trump administration’s push for more U.S.-based manufacturing. FD

• JBS is investing $100M to convert a former Hy-Vee facility in Ankeny, Iowa, into its largest U.S. bacon and sausage plant, set to open by mid-2026, as part of broader efforts to expand its prepared foods and pork production in the U.S. FD

• General Mills is investing $54M to expand its Minnesota innovation hub, adding a 35,000-sq-ft wing to boost R&D and accelerate new product development across key categories. FD

🪇Collabs🪇

• Dollar Tree has partnered with Uber Eats to offer same-day delivery from nearly 9,000 stores, making Uber the delivery partner for all three major value retailers following recent deals with Dollar General and Family Dollar. RTP

• Spain’s Zamora Company has partnered with Monika Alcobev to launch Licor 43 in India, alongside variants and other brands like Martin Miller’s Gin and Villa Massa liqueurs. JD

• FatFace has launched in Germany through Zalando, offering men’s, women’s, and its premium Copper & Black collection, as part of its broader European expansion strategy. RG

• DP World has launched the UK’s first low carbon truck program at its London Gateway and Southampton hubs, offering truck operators Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) as a diesel alternative to cut road freight emissions. RG

• Deliveroo has launched Family Dinneroo, a new offering of family-friendly, shareable meals for up to four people priced at £25 or under, aiming to capture the mid-week dinner market and boost usage during quieter periods. RG

🔻Closures, Bankruptcies & Downsizes🔻

• Levi’s UK has cut over 200 jobs at its Northampton operation despite rising sales and profits, with pre-tax profit up to £9.5m and sales reaching £96.8m for the year to 30 November 2024. RG

• Regional off-price retailer Gabe’s has avoided bankruptcy after an out-of-court restructuring in which a group of lenders converted over 75% of its debt into equity, taking ownership from Warburg Pincus, while vendors and landlords backed the deal to support the company’s future. RD

• Spindrift is discontinuing its Spiked hard seltzer line after four years to refocus on sparkling water, citing high resource demands and waning consumer interest in hard seltzers. FD

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💻Consumer Software💻

💰Fundraises💰

• Indian grocery startup Citymall has raised $47M in Series D funding led by Accel to expand its budget-focused delivery service in tier 2 and tier 3 towns. TC

• BIGC has raised $14M in Series A funding to expand its all-in-one digital venue platform for the global entertainment and live performance market, bringing its total funding to $25.4M. YF

• Vox AI has raised $8.7M in seed funding, led by Headline, to expand globally and advance its multilingual voice AI for quick service restaurant drive-thrus and operations. BW

🛒eCommerce & Retail Tech🛒

💰Fundraises💰

• Loman AI has raised $3.5M in seed funding led by Next Coast Ventures to scale its Voice AI platform that helps restaurants handle orders, reservations, and guest calls while boosting sales and cutting labor costs. VB

• Debut has raised $20M to advance its AI-driven ingredient discovery platform for skin longevity and scale its formulation business in the U.S. and Asia, with backing from investors including L’Oréal’s BOLD fund. CB

🚀Product Launches🚀

• McKernan Packaging Clearing House has launched a new e-commerce platform, giving U.S. customers faster, easier access to its wholesale packaging products like bottles, pumps, sprayers, and jars. GCIM

• Walmart is piloting new in-store initiatives and AI-powered marketplace tools, including QR codes that link shoppers to online assortments, expanded next-day delivery in major cities, and an AI listing tool to help sellers improve efficiency, while also cutting referral fees to 0% for qualifying toys ahead of the holidays. RD

• Sainsbury’s is piloting facial recognition technology in two UK stores as part of an eight-week trial to tackle theft, using Facewatch to identify individuals with a history of criminal or aggressive behavior. RG

🪇Collabs🪇

• Macy’s is piloting Amazon Retail Ads Service ahead of the holiday season, letting advertisers buy and manage Macy’s sponsored product campaigns via the Amazon Ads console and APIs. RD

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Thanks for reading!