L Catterton Acquires Good Culture, Target Goes Deeper Into Wellness & More
Consumer VC Roundup #149 – Latest News in Emerging Consumer Brands, Tech & Commerce Enablement From the Week of January 5th 2025
Hey everyone,
Hope you had a great week. I’ll be at Fancy Faire in San Diego next week. Sooo stoked to check out new brands and connect with friends. If you’ll be there we’re throwing a morning event prior to the show starting on the Monday. Here’s the link to RSVP.
On to the latest news –
This Week In Consumer
📰 Consumer News📰
Tesla’s global vehicle deliveries fell 9% in 2025 to 1.63 million, marking a second straight annual decline as competition from Chinese automakers—especially BYD, which sold 2.26 million EVs—intensified and the U.S. federal EV tax credit was removed. Fourth-quarter sales dropped 15.6% year over year, hitting Tesla’s stock, while CEO Elon Musk continues pushing the company toward AI and robotics even though most of its revenue still comes from EV sales. TC
The UK’s CMA has fast-tracked its review of AB Foods’ acquisition of Hovis, moving straight to a Phase 2 investigation under the 2024 competition law, aiming to speed up regulatory clearance while ensuring thorough scrutiny. FBM
The White House has delayed planned tariff hikes on kitchen cabinets, vanities, and upholstered furniture for a year, keeping the current 25% rate in place amid ongoing negotiations with trading partners. RD
Kenyan distributor Bia Tosha has asked the High Court to block Diageo’s $2.3 billion sale of East African Breweries (EABL) to Asahi, citing a long-running dispute over alleged anti-competitive practices and contract breaches; the court has set a hearing for 9 January 2026. FBM
U.S. online holiday spending hit $257.8 B, up 6.8% from 2024, with buy-now-pay-later purchases reaching $20 B and generative AI driving a 693% surge in site traffic, according to Adobe Analytics. RD
Saudi Arabia is cautiously easing its alcohol ban, allowing limited access for certain non-Muslim expatriates under strict controls, signaling to global food and beverage companies the potential for a new, regulated market. FBM
Irish food, drink, and horticulture exports hit a record €19 billion in 2025, driven by higher prices in beef, dairy, and prepared foods, despite geopolitical, weather, and market challenges. FBM
Proximo Spirits reshuffles its US distribution, ending partnerships with RNDC in all territories except Georgia and New Mexico. JD
🧃Consumer Brands👚
💸M&A💸
L Catterton has acquired a majority stake in Good Culture, valuing the brand at over $500 million. Good Culture is a category-defining cultured dairy brand best known for its cottage cheese – Private Equity Wire
Unilever Indonesia is selling its tea business, including the SariWangi brand, to Savoria Kreasi Rasa (part of Djarum Group) for $89 million, as part of a portfolio strategy to focus on larger, higher-growth categories. FBM
Oregon’s 2 Towns Ciderhouse has acquired Seattle Cider Co., previously owned by French agri-food co-op Agrial, for an undisclosed sum. JD
AB InBev will reacquire a 49.9% stake in its US metal container operations from Apollo-led investors for $3 billion, gaining full control of seven facilities across six states; the move, expected to close in Q1 2026, aims to boost operational efficiency, supply security, and long-term shareholder value. FBM
↪️Rebrands & Relaunches↩️
Tree Hut has refreshed its branding to better match the viral, indulgent bodycare culture that helped fuel its recent popularity, especially among Gen Z and the “Everything Shower” trend. The update, which rolled out across packaging, digital and social channels on Christmas Day 2025, aims to make the brand as recognizable as its bestselling Shea Sugar Scrub and cult-favourite scents like Vanilla and Jelly Bear. BND
🚀Debuts, Distribution & Expansion🚀
Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty will launch at Ulta Beauty online and in stores on Feb. 1, featuring Ulta-exclusive kits, co-branded gift cards, and a donation campaign supporting the Rare Impact Fund and Ulta Beauty Charitable Foundation. RD
Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin are launching at Space NK from 19 January, with a curated range available in-store and online. The edit includes fan favourites like Eaze Drop Skin Tint, Gloss Bomb Lip Luminizer, Butta Drop Body Cream and the new Fenty Treatz Lip Oil. BND
Tubby Todd Bath Co is moving from DTC to retail, debuting at Target and marking a key step for the premium baby skincare brand after over a decade of online growth. BI
Moroccanoil is stepping into skincare with its first lip product, a $22 Lip Balm, extending its signature argan-oil expertise beyond haircare into nourishing, textured beauty products. BND
Sexual Wellness Group launches as a vertically integrated holding company, bringing together Hello Cake, Wet and Turn On lubricants, and manufacturer Trigg Laboratories. BI
Aveda is refocusing on high-performance skincare with its five-piece Advanced Botanical Kinetics range, using Phytotech Vegan Collagen, a Vegan Peptide Complex and Kinetic Energy Infusion to support hydration, firmness and skin vitality within a vegan, sustainable framework. BND
Pinterest is launching a shoppable DIY lifestyle TV series, Bring My Pinterest to Life, on Roku in March. Across six episodes, creators help real people turn their Pinterest boards into real spaces, while viewers can save ideas and shop products from partners like Wayfair, Eos, and Michaels seamlessly. RTP
Constellation Brands launches Modelo’s first non-alcoholic beer in the US, Modelo Chelada Limón y Sal, joining its existing non-alc Corona offering. JD
Tower 28 is entering bodycare with its first product, the SOS Rescue + Relief Body Wash, designed for sensitive and eczema-prone skin. Inspired by founder Amy Liu’s experience with adult eczema and the dermatologist practice of bleach baths, the wash offers a gentler, more convenient way to help calm and care for irritated skin while cleansing. BND
Nespresso has opened its largest flagship in NYC’s Flatiron, featuring a first-floor boutique, a Hidden Cup Coffee Bar with trend-driven drinks and coffee mixology experiences, and a Nespresso Lounge for testing barista skills and exploring professional machines. RTP
Target is expanding its wellness assortment by 30%, adding thousands of items—many under $10—including protein products, nonalcoholic drinks, and performance apparel, alongside in-store events and an updated online “Wellness Hub.” RD
Ciroa, the Australian bodycare brand founded in 2021 by Alex and Sophie Liddy, has secured its first UK retail partner with a nationwide launch in Boots just four months after entering the market. The brand is bringing its bestselling shower gels, scrubs, and body butters — priced under £10 and available in popular fruity and dessert-inspired scents — as it continues to grow from a viral export into a mainstream beauty player. BND
Amazon return kiosks are rolling out across 140 Save Mart, Lucky, and FoodMaxx stores in California and Western Nevada, letting customers return eligible Amazon items during grocery trips without needing a shipping box or label; full chainwide availability is expected by February 2026. RTP
Sarah Chapman has launched a new Longevity division focused on functional medicine and personalised health optimisation. Led by Dr Miriam Mikicki and Elena Rolt, it targets underlying issues like hormone balance, inflammation and gut health to support healthier ageing and skin performance. BND
Albertsons Media Collective has launched store-level measurement tools that compare ad-exposed stores with control stores to determine which sales were driven by advertising, providing a statistically validated view of true ad impact. RTP
🔻Closures, Bankruptcies & Downsizes🔻
A U.S. judge dismissed plus-size retailer Ashley Stewart’s bankruptcy filing, ruling it lacked proper corporate authority, after a newly reconstituted board had tried to challenge a November 2025 foreclosure sale of the company’s assets. RTP
Ahold Delhaize USA will close six centralized fulfillment centers—five in Pennsylvania and one in Virginia—as it shifts to local, store-based ecommerce fulfillment for Giant Food and The Giant Company; affected employees will be offered other positions, and the closures will incur $50 million in non-cash impairment charges. RTP
GameStop plans to close up to 200 U.S. stores this month, continuing its brick-and-mortar downsizing, while approving a $35 billion performance-based pay package for CEO Ryan Cohen tied to hitting $100 billion market cap and $10 billion cumulative EBITDA. RTP
💻Consumer Software💻
Clicks Technology is launching a $499 BlackBerry-style smartphone called the Communicator, designed as a secondary “work-focused” device with a physical keyboard, limited access to social media, and a customizable Signal Light for message alerts, alongside a new $79 slide-out keyboard accessory for smartphones, both debuting ahead of CES in Las Vegas. TC
Amazon has launched Alexa.com, a dedicated website for its AI-powered Alexa+ assistant, allowing early access users to research, plan, and take actions—like controlling smart home devices or ordering groceries—while syncing seamlessly with their in-home Alexa devices. RD
PepsiCo is using AI-powered digital twins of its U.S. manufacturing and warehouse facilities to simulate and optimize operations before physical changes, boosting throughput by 20%, speeding design cycles, and cutting capital expenses 10–15%, with plans to scale the technology globally. RTP
🛒eCommerce & Retail Tech🛒
Holiday ecommerce sales in 2025 hit $257.8 billion in the U.S., up 6.8% YoY, with mobile driving 56% of transactions. Aggressive discounts pushed margins down, while AI influenced 20% of retail sales, helping generate $262 billion through personalized recommendations and doubling traffic from AI search channels compared to 2024. RTP
E.l.f. Beauty has launched “Glow Up,” a virtual makeup experience on Roblox where players create looks for avatars celebrating women in business, sports, music, and gaming, with new characters added monthly. RD
Thanks for reading!