This Week in CPG 02/23/2026

News from Day Out, Elavi, BUBLUV, Better Together Foods, Uncle Waithleys Beverage Company, simplyFUEL, Chunk Nibbles, Cheeky Cocktails and Loopini.

Stop treating sampling like a grocery-aisle freebie these 5 high-intent placements (from festival lodging to vacation rentals and national parks) show how to get your product used in real life, when people are relaxed, receptive, and most likely to buy again.

Before your product ever hits a cart, retail can quietly charge you $50,000 in MOQs, slotting, free fills, and logistics. If you’ve felt the “invisible toll,” this breaks down where the money actually goes and how founders are learning to beat it.

News from Something & Nothing, Pastazerts, Giesen 0%, Huxley, milkadamia, Clio, SIMPLi, AUTOFOCUS, A-Sha Foods and Bear Maple.

Growing a CPG brand gets messy fast. More SKUs, more people, more tools, more decisions. In this episode, I sit down with Brian, co-founder of Peasy, to talk about why […]

Why fractional accounting is the most efficient model for brands under $50M.

News from Mash Gang, RoRo’s Baking Company, Oval Coffee Roasters, Fly By Jing, Koia, Doughp, Doich, TRUBAR, Magnolia Bakery, Papa Mountain and SkinnyDipped.

In this episode, I talk with John Ferrante from EO Space about how high-growth CPG brands find white space, build emotional differentiation, and use packaging as a true growth lever. […]

News from Chunk Nibbles, Dude Wow Cocktails, Ollin, OoMee, SIMPLi, Creations Foods, REAL Cookies, Dar Baklava, Lazy Food, Banza and Albertsons Innovation Launchpad.

I sit down with Rachel Vigil, Founder of UpClose Marketing, to break down one of the most overlooked sampling channels for emerging CPG brands: vacation rentals and short-term stays. We […]