- CPG Weekly News
This Week in CPG 06/29/2026
🛒 Retail Rollouts
🍫 Target Takes on Collagen Bars
Stars + Honey founded by Daniel Rainey is expanding into Target stores nationwide with four collagen protein bar flavors and becomes the first retailer to offer the brand’s individual bars and five-packs, following a $24 million growth equity investment and 300% growth. The Target launch marks a major brick-and-mortar milestone for the dessert-forward protein bar brand, which offers bars with 15g of protein, collagen peptides, 190 calories, and 4g of sugar. Target will carry Dark Chocolate Coconut, Cacao Salt Caramel Peanut, Cherry Chocolate Waffle Cone, and Espresso Vanilla Cinnamon as the brand builds on strong growth and recent investment momentum.
🍬 Häppy Candy Hits Whole Foods
Häppy Candy founded by Maxi Heidenblut has landed in Whole Foods Market’s East and South Pacific regions, with refreshed Pulp & Wire-designed packaging rolling out this summer. The regional Whole Foods launch expands the two-woman candy brand’s retail presence while setting the stage for a refreshed look across shelves. The new packaging, created with Pulp & Wire, will roll out this summer as the brand continues building visibility in natural and specialty retail.
🍪 Cookie Mix Gains Major Retail Momentum
My Better Batch founded by CEO Lindsay Hancock added more than 3,000 new points of distribution in Q1 2026 through retailers including Kroger, Albertsons, H-E-B, Giant Food, Hy-Vee, and Harris Teeter, putting the bootstrapped premium cookie mix brand on track to reach 6,000 distribution points while posting 400%+ year-over-year growth. The premium cookie mix brand has expanded across both new and existing retail partners, including Target, Thrive Market, The Fresh Market, Lowes Foods, and Earth Fare. Built around clean-label, from-scratch-tasting mixes made with non-GMO ingredients and no artificial colors or preservatives, the brand’s growth is especially notable because it has scaled without venture capital or institutional funding.
🍜 Lo Mein Lands at Whole Foods
Laoban co-founded by J. Patrick Coyne and Chef Tim Ma has launched frozen Lo Mein noodle bowls nationwide exclusively at Whole Foods Market, introducing Chicken Lo Mein and Beef Lo Mein varieties designed for quick microwave preparation. The new frozen noodle bowls bring a familiar takeout-style meal into a convenient retail format, with springy lo mein noodles, sliced vegetables like carrots and Napa cabbage, and a flavorful lo mein sauce. The Whole Foods-exclusive rollout adds a new product platform for the brand beyond its existing frozen offerings.
🚀 New Product Launch
🥬 Fermented Snacks Go Grab-and-Go
Small Town Cultures founded by Cori Deans is launching new single-serve fermented food pouches alongside its refreshed “Feel Human Again” brand direction, debuting the grab-and-go format at the Summer Fancy Food Show. The new snackable pouches are designed to make fermented foods easier to enjoy on the go while supporting simple daily habits around health and wellness. The launch pairs product innovation with a broader brand refresh centered on helping consumers “Feel Human Again.”
🤝 Brand Partnerships
🍪 Doich Teams Up for Brunch-Inspired Dough
Doich teamed up with Angela Simmons, TV personality, wellness advocate, and founder of Angela’s Cakes, to launch a limited-time Cinnamon Brunch Crunch snacking dough flavor available exclusively online beginning June 24. The collaboration brings Simmons’ focus on clean, intentional food into a nostalgic cinnamon-forward snacking dough inspired by weekend brunch. The limited-time launch comes as Doich builds momentum following recognition in the Good Housekeeping 2026 Snack Awards and continued retail growth.
🎉 News to Celebrate
🥕 Kid-Friendly Snacks Earn National Recognition
Lil’ Gourmets was named one of Good Housekeeping’s Best Snacks for Kids & Babies in the 2026 Snack Awards, recognizing its nutritious, vegetable-forward foods for young children. The award highlights Lil’ Gourmets’ ability to deliver healthier, vegetable-forward options that appeal to both parents and children. Selected by nutrition experts and tested by families, the recognition reinforces the brand’s position as a kid-focused snack option designed for picky young eaters.
🌶️ Marimix Wins Three Years Running
Marimix founded by Mari Fassett earned its third consecutive Good Housekeeping Snack Award with its Hatch Chile Lime Crunch-Baked Snackmix, marking three wins across three different flavors since the brand’s 2023 better-for-you relaunch. This year’s winning Hatch Chile Lime flavor combines mild Hatch green chile, savory onion, and tangy lime across rice pillows, puffed whole corn, crispy quinoa, and cassava-based pretzels. The recognition arrives ahead of peak Hatch Chile harvest season and underscores the brand’s continued focus on plant-based, gluten-free, whole grain snacks made with zero artificial ingredients.
🍪 Seed Oil-Free Cookie Wins Award
Cooper Street Snacks founded by Max, Sam, and Elaine Surnow earned the 2026 Cookies Product of the Year honor from the Mindful Awards for It’s Just a Cookie!, a seed oil-free cookie made with avocado oil. The award recognizes the brand’s effort to combine better-for-you ingredients with strong taste in a classic cookie format. It’s Just a Cookie! was developed without seed oils and uses avocado oil alongside recognizable ingredients, reflecting the company’s ongoing commitment to improving its products.
🍽️ Kidfresh Honored for Toddler Meals
Kidfresh founded by Matt Cohen was named “Toddler Food Product of the Year” in the 2026 Baby Innovation Awards, recognizing its frozen kids’ meals made with hidden vegetables and no artificial flavors, preservatives, synthetic colors, bioengineered ingredients, or proteins raised with antibiotics. The award highlights Kidfresh’s role in making toddler mealtime easier with fully prepared frozen meals designed around kids’ favorite foods and balanced nutrition. The brand’s meals are made with hidden vegetables and better-for-you ingredients, offering parents a convenient option without compromising on quality.
☀️ Sunbear Heads to Target HQ
Sunbear co-founded by Danielle Krueger was selected to participate in Target’s Food & Beverage Brand Discovery Day at Target HQ, giving the brand an opportunity to present directly to the retailer’s team. The selection marks a meaningful milestone for the emerging brand as it prepares to meet with Target’s food and beverage team in Minneapolis. While not a retail launch, the opportunity gives Sunbear a direct path to share what it has been building with one of the country’s major retailers.
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