- CPG Weekly News
This Week in CPG 01/26/26
🛒 Retail Rollouts
🥃 Blind Tiger Expands Whole Foods Presence with 400-Store Pilot
Blind Tiger, founded by Rebecca Styn, is expanding its spirit-free cocktail line to 400 Whole Foods Market stores nationwide following a successful pilot, with four SKUs hitting shelves through February.
Following a well-received November pilot in 100 stores, Blind Tiger Spirit-Free Cocktails is launching a national retail expansion into 400 Whole Foods Markets from January 26 through the end of February. Led by founder Rebecca Styn, the brand’s elevated, non-alcoholic cocktails—including Lavender French 75, Southside Mojito, Bee’s Knees, and a Sidecar Mimosa Variety Pack—are designed to meet consumers where they are post–Dry January, offering sophisticated, clean-label options for intentional socializing. The expanded assortment delivers cocktail complexity without the alcohol and is now available nationwide at participating Whole Foods locations.
🍿 FitJoy Lands National Target Rollout with Nine SKUs
FitJoy, founded by Norman Taliaferro, is launching nine new snack products in a national Target rollout, underscoring a strategic retail expansion built on values-driven partnership.
Norman Taliaferro’s FitJoy is entering a major retail chapter with the national rollout of nine SKUs into Target stores across the country. The expansion reflects FitJoy’s long-standing philosophy of growing with the right partners and maintaining a patient, values-led approach to distribution. Taliaferro credits Target’s alignment with FitJoy’s mission to bring clean, real-food snacks to millions of families, praising the collaboration with retailer leads like Stephen Munafo and internal advisors such as Kelly Lundberg for guiding the brand’s intentional growth trajectory.
🥕 Lil’ Gourmets Grows Whole Foods Footprint with Nationwide Expansion
Lil’ Gourmets, founded by Shibani Baluja, is rolling out its veggie-forward refrigerated baby food pouches to nearly 300 Whole Foods stores, including a Middle Eastern-inspired flavor exclusive to the retailer.
Lil’ Gourmets is scaling its fresh, globally inspired baby meals to nearly 300 Whole Foods Markets nationwide, building on the momentum of a successful 45-store pilot. Founder Shibani Baluja is introducing an exclusive Middle Eastern-inspired White Bean, Pumpkin & Spinach flavor alongside four existing SKUs. The brand’s cold-pressure process preserves nutrients and flavor, providing 100% of a baby’s daily veggie needs with no added salt or sugar. This rollout aligns with Whole Foods’ debut of in-aisle baby coolers and follows Lil’ Gourmets’ recent expansion into 1,300 Walmart stores—positioning the company at the forefront of the fresh baby food movement.
🚀 New Product Launch
🍫 DEFI Snacks Debuts Protein-Packed Chocolate Bites
DEFI Snacks, founded by Tatyana Jones, is shaking up the functional indulgence category with superfood-infused, protein-packed chocolate bites made from sprouted buckwheat and dual-source protein.
DEFI Snacks, the female-founded brand by Tatyana Jones, is introducing a fresh perspective to snacking with its indulgent yet functional chocolate bites.
Designed for fitness-minded consumers who prioritize clean ingredients, each bite blends sprouted organic buckwheat with fast-digesting whey protein crisps and slow-absorbing European casein for layered energy and satiety. The combination creates a “time-lapsed” nutritional profile that satisfies sweet cravings while fueling the body—bridging the gap between treat and performance snack. Rooted in global tradition and purpose, DEFI delivers on indulgence without compromise.
🥣 Sababa Foods Launches 24oz Saturday Sauce Jars
Sababa Foods, founded by Amy Dell, has introduced 24oz jars of its popular Saturday Sauce in Mild and Slightly Spicy varieties, expanding its clean-label Middle Eastern-inspired line for home cooks and pros alike.
Sababa Foods, founded by Amy Dell, is rolling out larger 24oz jars of its best-selling Saturday Sauce in two flavor profiles: Mild and Slightly Spicy. Inspired by Dell’s family traditions and culinary heritage, the new format is designed for both family-style meals and professional kitchens, complementing the brand’s 16oz jars and foodservice sizes. Kosher and Non-GMO Project certified, the versatile sauce has already appeared in collaborative dishes at regional restaurants and delis, including a shakshuka bagel at Bagel Boss and lamb pizza at Brick & Dough. Saturday Sauce is available via Amazon and select national retailers.
🥄 She’s The Sauce Enters Condiment Aisle with Protein-Boosted Sauces
She’s The Sauce, founded by Nicole Glabman, has debuted with a bold new take on condiments—protein- and fiber-enhanced ranch and honey mustard that deliver on both flavor and function.
Nicole Glabman’s She’s The Sauce is giving traditional condiments a nutrient-dense makeover with the launch of Creamy Ranch and Honey Mustard sauces that are as functional as they are flavorful. Each serving includes 4g of protein, 2g of fiber, and under 2g of sugar—transforming the typical dip or drizzle into a better-for-you pantry staple. With rich, crave-worthy flavor profiles like buttermilk-herby ranch and zingy honey mustard, the brand is positioned to disrupt the sauce aisle by merging indulgence with wellness in a format consumers can use every day.
🤝 Brand Partnerships
👟 SIMPLi Partners with Strava to Celebrate Motherhood Movement
👟 SIMPLi, founded by Sarela Herrada, has partnered with Strava to launch Moved by Motherhood, a three-week stroller-tagged challenge that celebrates the everyday movement of moms across CA, FL, and NY.
Kicking off January 26, this innovative campaign makes SIMPLi the first brand to activate Strava’s new stroller tag, reframing stroller walks and jogs as valid and valuable movement. Open to Strava users in California, Florida, and New York, the Moved by Motherhood challenge invites participants to log 30 minutes of stroller-tagged activity each day—totaling 11 hours over three weeks.
The initiative is part of SIMPLi’s Nourish Like a Mother platform, which honors the consistency, care, and effort of motherhood over unattainable perfection. Participants who complete the challenge will receive a free SIMPLi grocery item, and one winner will take home a Thule Urban Glide 3 stroller plus a year’s supply of SIMPLi products. By connecting everyday movement with nutrient-dense, regenerative pantry staples, SIMPLi is redefining wellness to better reflect the realities of modern parenting.
🎉 News to Celebrate
🧪 Mitra9 Highlights Key Functional Beverage Trends for 2026
Mitra9, co-founded by Dallas & Anthony Vasquez, is spotlighting the top functional beverage trends for 2026, emphasizing a shift toward balance, formulation transparency, and lifestyle-driven routines.
As the functional beverage space matures, Dallas and Anthony Vasquez of Mitra9 are outlining the biggest trends set to shape 2026—from calm and daily balance to ingredient clarity and consumer education. The Florida-based brand, known for its kratom- and kava-based drinks, emphasizes that beverages are evolving from “occasion-based” use to integral parts of daily rituals like morning resets and evening wind-downs. Mitra9 sees a market moving away from extremes toward consistent, transparent, science-backed formulations. With distribution in 30,000+ retail locations, the company is helping lead the charge toward a more informed, integrated functional drinks category.
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