Nutrabolt Ups Stake in Bloom Energy, Unemployment Rises, and Ulta Enters Mexico
Consumer VC Roundup #134 – Latest News in Emerging Consumer Brands, Tech & Commerce Enablement From the Week of September 1st
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Hey friends,
Next week I’m going to be heading to the Embark Summit in Bentonville, AR. I’m delighted that Consumer VC is going to be running the programming for the Showcase Stage. I’m excited to be joined by Yanni Hufnagel, Nick Saltarelli, and Chaz Flexman from Lemon Perfect, Mid-Day Squares, and Starday Foods, respectively. Come join us!
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.
📰 Consumer News📰
The Trump administration unveiled its Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy, outlining 120 initiatives on food labelling, nutrition, and ingredients. Critics, however, said the report lacked specifics and wasn’t tough enough on industry. JD
Temu operator Whaleco will pay a $2M fine to settle FTC charges of violating the INFORM Consumers Act. Regulators said the platform failed to give shoppers tools to avoid or report counterfeit and unsafe goods. RTP
Nearly 40 retail CEOs exited their roles in the first seven months of the year, double the number from a year ago. Departures included leaders from Target and L.L. Bean, part of a broader rise in CEO exits across industries. RD
US unemployment rose to 4.3 percent in August, the highest in nearly four years, as layoffs accelerate and hiring slows. Retailers have been hit hard, with job cuts up 240 percent year over year amid bankruptcies and closures. RD
The future of Serena Williams’ makeup brand Wyn Beauty is uncertain following the July collapse of its strategic partner, The Good Glamm Group. BI
🧃Consumer Brands👚
💰Fundraises💰
Nutrabolt has made a new significant investment in Bloom Nutrition, deepening its partnership with the California-based supplements brand it first backed in 2023. While the stake wasn’t disclosed, the move highlights Nutrabolt’s push into the fast-growing wellness market. JD
💸M&A💸
Barnes & Noble plans to acquire bankrupt 174-year-old Books Inc. for $3.25M. The deal would preserve its nine Bay Area stores, including two at San Francisco Airport, which will continue operating under the Books Inc. name. RTP
Dick’s Sporting Goods has closed its $2.4B acquisition of Foot Locker and named new leadership. Executive Chairman Ed Stack will oversee the brand with two presidents, including 26-year Nike veteran Ann Freeman as president of North America. RD
Home Depot has completed its $5.5 billion acquisition of GMS, a specialty building products supplier. The deal expands Home Depot’s pro offerings with more fulfillment and service options. RD
Sycamore Partners has completed its $10 billion acquisition of Walgreens, splitting the company into five standalone businesses. Retail veteran Mike Motz has been appointed CEO, replacing Tim Wentworth. RD
Finnish drinks group Olvi is acquiring Bosnia and Herzegovina brewery Banjalucka Pivara from Altima UK Value Partners. The deal, pending regulatory approval, is expected to close by early 2026. JD
🚀Debuts, Distribution & Expansions🚀
Ulta Beauty has entered Mexico with partner Grupo Axo, opening its first two stores in Mexico City and Metepec. Several more store openings are planned for later this year. RTP
Skechers has opened its first U.S. performance store at Miami’s Dolphin Mall. Spanning 26,000 square feet, it’s the brand’s largest factory mall location and offers its full range of performance footwear, apparel and accessories. RD
Sliabh Liag Distillers plans to expand global distribution of its Ardara Irish single malt whiskey across Europe and the US. JD
DSW has launched a new brand platform, “Let Us Surprise You,” highlighting the fun of in-store shopping. The campaign aims to create a more emotional connection with customers as 70% of sales happen in person. RD
NeueHouse veteran has opened Lore Bathing Club, a luxury members-only contrast therapy studio in Manhattan’s NoHo featuring saunas, a cold plunge pool, and heated clay benches, with plans to expand to NYC. BI
Ulta Beauty has launched a new birthday party program for tweens and teens, offering in-store celebrations with skincare demos, makeup tutorials, games, and product giveaways. BI
🪇Collabs🪇
Macy’s is marking 40 years of its I.N.C. brand with a fall collection curated by designer Christian Siriano, who joins as Creative Director. The collaboration highlights the retailer’s focus on fashion-forward private labels. RTP
Staples is partnering with Now Optics to pilot Stanton Optical centers in five Philadelphia-area stores, offering eye exams, prescription lenses and same-day glasses starting later this year. RD
Swedish scalp and skincare brand Under Your Skin has partnered with the Research Institutes of Sweden to conduct toxicological assessments ensuring its beauty products are free from endocrine disruptors and safe for hormone health. BI
Hertz Car Sales is joining Amazon Autos as the first fleet dealer, offering shoppers the ability to browse, finance, and buy pre-owned vehicles online. The service launches in Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, and Seattle, with nationwide expansion planned. RTP
↪️Rebrands & Relaunches↩️
Caldera + Lab has rebranded following its $6M Series A raise as it prepares to launch at Ulta Beauty’s upcoming marketplace. BI
Non Gender Specific has rebranded as NGS Beauty, marking a new chapter for the eight-year-old brand after its gender-neutral concept was often misunderstood. BI
🔻Closures, Bankruptcies & Downsizes🔻
Claire’s has cut planned store closures to 291, down from 700, after receiving a $140 million buyout offer from private equity firm Ames Watson. The retailer, which filed for bankruptcy in August, had previously considered liquidating its entire 1,500-store fleet. RD
Nike is cutting less than 1% of its corporate staff as part of CEO Elliott Hill’s restructuring strategy, which shifts the company’s focus to organizing teams around key sports instead of categories like men’s, women’s and kids. RD
💻Consumer Software💻
💰Fundraises💰
StubHub Holdings is reviving its IPO, aiming to raise up to $851M by offering 34M shares at $22–$25 each, potentially valuing the company at over $9B. Lnkdn
Dublin-based startup Tipple has raised €4M in Seed funding to modernize the global alcohol trade with digital infrastructure, reducing inefficiencies in the €1.3T industry. EU
Swiss biotech CUTISS has raised €57.9M in Series C funding to advance its personalized skin graft therapy, denovoSkin, aimed at transforming treatment for burn victims TEU
Berlin-based AI gaming startup Born has raised $15M in Series A funding to expand its social AI companion app, Pengu, which lets users co-parent virtual pets to strengthen real-world bonds. Investors include Accel, Tencent, and Laton Ventures. TC
PixVerse, an AI video platform with over 100M users, has raised $60M in Series B funding led by Alibaba with participation from Antler. The funds will accelerate global adoption of its AI video creation tools. PRN
Astrus, an AI startup developing a physics-aware foundation model for microchip design, has raised $8M led by Khosla Ventures with support from Pradeep Sindhu, 1517 Fund, Drive Capital, and others. The funding will fuel team growth and AI tool development for semiconductor companies. BW
🪇Collabs🪇
Walmart is partnering with OpenAI to launch a customized AI certification program for U.S. employees in 2026. The initiative is part of Walmart’s nearly $1 billion investment in skills training and builds on current AI-related courses offered through its Live Better U program. RD
🚀Product Launches🚀
Williams-Sonoma has expanded its AI customer service assistant across all its brands and is preparing to launch an AI-powered “culinary companion” to help with product discovery and entertaining advice. RD
Caplight has launched Caplight 2.0, an AI platform that helps VCs discover and evaluate private companies. Expanding coverage to over 20,000 VC-backed firms, it streamlines sourcing and qualification to save investors significant time. PRN
🛒eCommerce & Retail Tech🛒
🚀Product Launches🚀
Amazon launched Lens Live, an AI visual search tool in its shopping app that lets users scan items, view matches in a swipeable carousel, and add products to their cart. Integrated with Rufus, Amazon’s AI assistant, it suggests questions and product highlights. It’s available to millions of U.S. iOS users, with wider rollout coming soon. RD
Thanks for reading!
Checking out Glimpse! Thank you 🙏🏻