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This Week in CPG 03/09/2026
🛒 Retail Rollouts
🍺 Mash Gang Expands to H-E-B in Texas
Mash Gang, founded by spirits industry innovators under DioniLife, is expanding its retail footprint with a launch at H-E-B, adding a major Texas retailer alongside existing placements at Thrive Market and Whole Foods. The move gives the non-alcoholic beer brand stronger access to a key beverage market and builds on momentum for alcohol-free options, especially as shoppers look for bold craft-style flavors like Chug and Journey Juice.
💧 LEVL Launches in 350+ Target Stores Across the East Coast
LEVL, founded by Matthew Kemper, has expanded into more than 350 Target stores across the East Coast with its full USDA Organic functional hydration lineup. The launch marks a major retail milestone for the brand as it grows beyond direct-to-consumer and brings its clean-label beverage platform to a wider audience with Acai + Berry, Pineapple + Coconut, and Lemon + Lime.
🍵 Morning Made Lands at Target Nationwide
Morning Made, founded by Brad Matthews, is now available at Target stores nationwide with its Strawberry Matcha, Original Matcha, and Mango Matcha lineup. The expansion turns the brand’s viral social traction into broad retail distribution and gives shoppers an accessible at-home alternative to expensive café drinks with lower caffeine, L-theanine, and a wellness-forward positioning.
🚀 New Product Launch
🍓 That’s it. Debuts Fruitola and Fiber Fruit Bars at Expo West
That’s it., founded by Dr. Lior Lewensztain, is expanding its fruit-first snack portfolio with Fruitola Fruit Granola and Fiber Fruit Bars. The new products are designed to help close the fiber gap while staying true to the brand’s minimal ingredient promise, giving consumers more convenient ways to snack with real fruit in formats that go beyond the company’s well-known fruit bars.
🍽️ Kidfresh Introduces Two New Easy Combo Meals
Kidfresh, founded by Matt Cohen, is adding Chicken Strips & White Mac & Cheese and Chicken Meatballs & Buttered Ravioli to its frozen lineup. The launches build on the brand’s hidden-veggie platform and are designed for busy families looking for quick, kid-friendly meals made with more wholesome ingredients and familiar flavors that parents can feel good about serving.
🍬 Joolies Launches Date Sours Ahead of Sprouts Rollout
Joolies, co-founded by David Kohl and Greg Willsey, is bringing a bold new twist to the dried fruit aisle with Date Sours, a sour-forward snack launching at Sprouts in May. With flavors like Blue Raspberry, Peachy, Watermelon, and Cherry Cola, the product is designed to create a crossover between produce and confection while introducing new shoppers to dates in a playful, culturally relevant way.
🤝 Brand Partnerships
🌰 Daily Crunch and Tiesta Tea Team Up on Sweet Chai Sprouted Almonds
Daily Crunch, founded by Laurel Orley, partnered with Tiesta Tea co founded by Dan Klein and Patrick Tannous to create limited-edition Sweet Chai Sprouted Almonds, debuting at Expo West. The collaboration combines Daily Crunch’s patented sprouting process with Tiesta Tea’s signature chai blend, infusing the almonds with black tea, vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger for a product that stands out on flavor while reflecting both brands’ shared focus on clean ingredients and thoughtful sourcing.
💸 Acquisitions and Investments
🥥 Blue Monkey Beverage Acquires Local Weather
Local Weather, co-founded by Jon Alagem, Michael Scott Cohen, and Russell Wilson, has been acquired by Blue Monkey Beverage as the sports drink brand enters a new phase of growth. Known for its coconut water-based formula with electrolytes, adaptogens, and nootropics, Local Weather adds a functional hydration platform to Blue Monkey’s portfolio and now has the opportunity to scale with stronger industry relationships and broader retail support.
🎉 News to Celebrate
🧃 Blue Monkey Beverage Unveils New Packaging as It Prepares for National Expansion
Blue Monkey Beverage, led by Steve Beck, revealed a refreshed packaging design as it gears up for broader national growth. The updated look features bolder shelf presence, stronger real-fruit cues, and a more prominent brand identity, helping support expansion across its sparkling juice, fruit juice, and coconut water portfolio as the company moves beyond its current natural and specialty retail base.
🏆 Expo West Reveals 2026 NEXTY Award Winners
Lexington Bakes (founded by Lex Evan); BEZI (co-founded by Ilay Karateke and Hasan Bahcivan); Mamame (founded by Liz Kang); Actual Veggies (co-founded by Hailey Swartz, Alex Swartz, and Jason Rosenbaum); Fly By Jing (founded by Jing Gao); Papa Mountain (founded by Solomon Cohen); and Keya’s Snacks (founded by Keya Wingfield) were among the founder-led brands recognized in the 2026 NEXTY Awards at Expo West. The annual honors spotlight standout innovation across the natural products industry, and this year’s winners reflect the continued momentum of emerging brands bringing strong storytelling, product quality, and fresh ideas to the category. Read More
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