TRUBAR Gets Acquired, Costco sues the government over tariffs and more news
Consumer VC Roundup #145– Latest News in Emerging Consumer Brands, Tech & Commerce Enablement From the Week of December 1st 2025
Brought to you by Glimpse
Glimpse and PRESENCE Marketing announced an official partnership to bring AI deductions management to their brand partners.“We’re constantly looking for innovative partners that drive real results for our clients,” said Andi Hendricks, VP of Professional Services at PRESENCE. “Glimpse’s AI technology directly addresses one of the biggest challenges our brands face, deductions, empowering them to recover revenue faster and focus on growth.”To help brands experience the platform firsthand, Glimpse offers a risk-free trial, including a 12-month audit look-back and dedicated recovery team to ensure success.
Hey friends,
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and BFCM. I’ll be at Nosh over the next couple of days here in Los Angeles. If you’re around, I would love to meet up!
This Week In Consumer
📰 Consumer News📰
Costco has sued the U.S. government to secure a full refund of tariffs paid under President Trump if the Supreme Court upholds lower courts’ rulings that the tariffs were illegal, and seeks to block payments due as early as Dec. 15 until the Court issues its decision. RTP RD
A federal jury found that Beyond Meat infringed Vegadelphia Foods’ trademark by using the slogans “Great Taste, Plant-Based” and “Plant-Based, Great Taste,” which were deemed too similar to Vegadelphia’s protected phrase, “Where Great Taste Is Plant-Based.” The jury awarded Vegadelphia $38.9 million in damages, ruling the similarity could confuse consumers. VG
Black Friday e-commerce sales rose 10.4% year over year, outpacing the 1.7% growth in-store, with apparel—especially luxury and activewear—leading online and offline spending, while overall store traffic declined. RD
Cyber Monday online sales in the U.S. rose 7.1% to $14.25 billion, with buy now, pay later purchases accounting for $1.03 billion, as part of a five-day Thanksgiving-to-Cyber Monday period totaling $44.2 billion in online sales. RD
🧃Consumer Brands👚
💰Fundraises💰
Plant-based protein bar maker TRUBAR will be acquired by Turkish consumer goods company ETİ Gıda in a deal valued at about C$201 million. ETİ will buy all TRUBAR shares for C$1.64 each — a 64% premium over the company’s last closing price. The acquisition, structured as a statutory plan of arrangement, still requires shareholder and court approval and is expected to close in early 2026. VG FB
Chromologics has raised €7 million from several investors, bringing its total funding to nearly €20 million. The Danish biotech will use the capital to complete EFSA and FDA regulatory submissions for its fermentation-derived vegan food color, Natu.Red®, and to support the product’s launch and production scale-up through its contract manufacturing partner. VG
Ripple Foods raised $17 million to expand its plant-based milk lineup and strengthen its retail and foodservice presence. The funding round included new and existing investors, and supports the growth of Ripple’s allergen-free, high-protein milks and shakes, which offer more calcium than dairy and are recommended by pediatricians. FB
🍟Food, Beverage, and Alcohol🍹
Good Kynd has launched the UK’s first ready-to-drink iced chai latte with added prebiotic fibre. The oat-milk drink is vegan, gluten-free, non-carbonated, and contains 4g of fibre with no added sugar, targeting premium and wellness-focused retailers. RM
UK non-alcoholic spirits producer Crossip is entering Australia via a new distribution deal with Paramount Liquor, following earlier attempts that didn’t fully materialize. JD
Oatly has launched two new ready-to-drink iced coffees in the UK—Barista Iced Flat White and Barista Iced Caramel Macchiato. Made with Arabica coffee and Oatly’s oat base, the shelf-stable drinks target the growing grab-and-go market and are now available in 400+ Tesco stores. RM
💸M&A💸
Unilever is selling its healthy snack brand Graze to Katjes International, parent of Candy Kittens, as it shifts focus toward beauty and wellness. The deal, expected in early 2026, follows Graze’s growth from DTC to strong UK retail presence and a successful rebrand under Unilever. FB
Estée Lauder has taken a minority stake in Xinú, a Mexican luxury fragrance brand, marking its first investment in a Latin American beauty company. BND
AriZona Beverages has purchased a California facility from co-packer Manna Beverages, following Manna’s sale of another West Sacramento site to Redwood Beverages Group. JD
Founder Olowo-n’djo Tchala has repurchased Alaffia, returning to lead the fair-trade beauty brand he built over the past two decades to refocus on its mission and growth. BI
FrieslandCampina plans to acquire Wisconsin Whey Protein to expand its whey protein capacity and strengthen its position in the growing global protein market. The US-based producer will be integrated into FrieslandCampina Ingredients, boosting the company’s high-quality protein capabilities and helping extend its leadership into North America. FB
Olvi Group has acquired a 51% stake in Norway- and Sweden-based importer and distributor Brewery International, with an option to buy the remaining shares later, aiming to expand its multi-beverage portfolio and international growth. JD
LVMH Luxury Ventures has taken a minority stake in BDK Parfums, the first external investment for the Paris-based niche fragrance house, to support international expansion while maintaining the brand’s creative independence. BND
Live Nation has taken an equity stake in non-alcoholic functional beverage brand Hiyo and signed a multi-year partnership to feature Hiyo’s “social tonic” at its US venues, following a previous minority investment by Constellation Brands. JD
↪️Rebrands & Relaunches↩️
Skin Laundry has introduced a full rebrand, unveiling a refreshed identity, redesigned clinics, and an expanded treatment menu. The update reflects evolving consumer expectations and advances in aesthetic technology, reinforcing the brand’s position as a leader in accessible, medical-grade rejuvenation treatments. BND
Dr. Marnie Nussbaum is rebranding her skincare line, changing its name from Lines to Dr. Marnie and streamlining the products to better reflect the treatments she offers in her New York dermatology practice. The shift follows the appointment of Jodi Kaplan — formerly at Dr. Barbara Sturm and Augustinus Bader — as CEO, prompting a full reassessment of the brand’s identity and product strategy. BND
🚀Debuts, Distribution & Expansion🚀
Hourglass founder Carisa Janes has launched Outside In, a new beauty brand centered on texture, luminosity, and comfortable, high-performance complexion formulas inspired by nature and light. The launch marks her next chapter in innovation and follows her recent acquisition and relaunch of the bodycare brand Nature of Things. BND
OpenAI has launched a new shopping research feature in ChatGPT that helps users compare products, get personalized recommendations, and receive buyer’s guides, with future plans to enable direct purchases through the platform. RD
Le Petit Saint, sister clinic to Australia’s All Saint Clinic, has opened in Mayfair, London, offering a natural, thoughtful approach to aesthetic treatments. BND
Belk is launching its smaller-format Belk Market stores this month, starting with locations in Wesley Chapel, Florida, and Frisco, Texas, offering curated national and private brands, with more openings planned for 2026. RD
Intimate wellness brand Charli has launched in the UK with a design-led approach, offering glycerin-free lubricants and plant-based massage oils focused on comfort, sensitivity, and minimalism. The brand, MDV’s second own-label launch, aims to bring the same thoughtfulness to intimate products as to beauty staples, with each item priced at £9.95. BND
Influencer Tamara Kalinić has launched Noa, a science-backed wellness supplement brand developed with her family of pharmacists. The brand debuts with Noa Hair and Noa Slim, offering clean, evidence-based formulas suitable for all hair and skin types. BND
🪇Collabs🪇
7-Eleven, in partnership with Swiftly, has launched a nationwide alcohol cashback program across 10,500+ stores, offering state-specific real-time deals and instant payouts via PayPal, Venmo, or prepaid Visa cards when shoppers scan their loyalty card or phone number at checkout. RTP
Amazon has teamed up with British artisan brand Wild & Fruitful to launch To-Matcha Ketchup, a limited-edition condiment blending matcha and tomato flavors. Priced at £3.99, it’s available exclusively on Amazon UK and made with 100% natural ingredients. FB
Amazon and Visa are collaborating to offer tools and connections in Amazon’s web services marketplace, enabling developers to build agentic commerce experiences where AI agents can autonomously transact for consumers, with applications across retail, travel, and B2B sectors. RD
Beauty brand Privé is exploring unconventional marketing by partnering with motorsports, reflecting a growing trend of beauty companies entering the racing space. BI
Imlek CEO Bojan Radun is partnering with AJFH to acquire Serbia’s leading dairy producer, Imlek, from MidEuropa. The deal, pending Q1 2026 regulatory approval, aims to boost Imlek’s regional leadership through investment, operational improvements, and product innovation. FB
🔻Closures, Bankruptcies & Downsizes🔻
Newell Brands will lay off 900 employees and close about 20 Yankee Candle stores in the U.S. and Canada as part of a turnaround plan expected to save $110–130 million annually, with $75–90 million in associated costs. RD
PepsiCo is cutting jobs at its Cork, Ireland operations as part of a business transformation aimed at improving efficiency and growth, though the company did not disclose the number of roles affected. JD
💻Consumer Software💻
🚀Product Launches🚀
UrbanStems and Quince have partnered with Drinks to integrate online alcohol sales into their platforms, starting with Avaline wines for UrbanStems and a premium-to-value selection including Dom Pérignon for Quince, creating a seamless checkout and expanding access to affluent, digitally savvy customers. RTP
Synthflow AI has launched the BELL Framework, an OpenAI-powered lifecycle system that manages testing, routing, latency, handoffs, and compliance to reduce enterprise risks when deploying voice AI, building on its platform that has handled over 65 million calls across 1,000+ enterprise deployments. BW
🛒eCommerce & Retail Tech🛒
🚀Product Launches🚀
Tom Ford Fashion is introducing 3D augmented-reality virtual try-on technology for online eyewear shoppers in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, allowing users to see true-to-scale sunglasses with pupillary distance calibration and a personalized, brand-aligned digital experience. RTP
Scale Social AI raised $1.3 million in pre-seed funding to help brands turn authentic customer content into localized advertising. The platform aims to boost engagement and sales for franchises and multi-location businesses by transforming real customer moments into high-performing local ads, addressing declining ROI from generic corporate campaigns and rising influencer costs. BW
Albertsons has launched an AI shopping assistant on its websites, including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, and Jewel-Osco, to suggest recipes using items in customers’ kitchens, with plans to expand to mobile apps in 2026 featuring aisle guidance, budget help, and voice integration. RTP
Thanks for reading!