Cpgconnect // Vol. 31: Retail Moats, Pickle Drops, and the Transparency Era
This week’s edition spans both ends of the spectrum. We’ve got checkout-lane expansions and national Sprouts launches. Celebrity-backed wine plays and pickle-flavored protein popcorn timed to Galentine’s. A baby food brand completing the feeding funnel and another ringing the bell on the NYSE. Functional THC beverages pulling institutional capital. Clean-label brands scaling globally.
But before we dive in, take a quick second to fill out this form. It helps me give back to the CPG community we’re building, connect the right people, and surface new opportunities for brands looking to grow.
Tech Shoutout: RetailPath
One area most CPG teams quietly bleed money is compliance deductions, shortages, and unpaid invoices.
Everyone knows it’s happening. Almost no one has the time or headcount to fully chase it down.
Barebells did.
They worked with RetailPath to automate how compliance deductions, shortages, and unpaid invoices are handled across retail partners like Target, Walmart, CVS, Ulta, and Walgreens. No portal juggling. No manual disputes. No pulling ops into a daily game of whack a mole.
The outcome: over $150K in recovered revenue that would have otherwise been written off.
Even better, the model is entirely success based. Brands only pay on dollars actually recovered.
If deductions, shortages, or chargebacks are something you’re dealing with or want to get ahead of, happy to share more context or connect you with the right people. RetailPath is even offering the first $10K recovered on the house to get started through Cpgconnect.
Book time with → Maysam the founder of RetailPath to learn more.
Brand Shoutout: eatmajama.com
Majama is a functional food brand focused on upgrading everyday comfort staples with high-protein, clean ingredients. Best known for its protein-packed pancake and baking mixes, the brand blends nostalgia with better-for-you nutrition, making it easy for families to swap in higher-protein options without changing how they cook.
Events:
RSVP - Cpg supper club 2/12 (Nyc)
RSVP - CPG Pickleball Party 2/12 (Nyc)
RSVP - Shopify Brand Dinner 2/16 (Nyc)
RSVP - CPG FROM CART TO SHELF 2/18 (Nyc)
RSVP - Women in Ecom Dinner 2/19 (Slc)
RSVP - eTail Desert Ranch Party 2/24 (Palm Springs)
RSVP - RESET: A Wellness Experience for Female Founders 2/25 (Nyc)
Expo West Events:
RSVP - Pre-Expo West Espresso & eCommerce 3/3 (Anaheim)
RSVP - Flexpo West by Man Cereal 3/4 (Anaheim)
RSVP - Rise, Roast & Meet CPG 3/5 (Anaheim)
RSVP - ANTI-EXPO 3/5 (Anaheim)
RSVP - cpg houseparty 3/5 (Anaheim)
Unwrapped w/ Clara from Loonen
Clara Sieg didn’t plan to start a water company. After nearly 15 years as a General Partner at Revolution, she had a front-row seat to how hard being a founder really is.
Loonen was born from something personal.
After struggling with fertility and going through IVF, Clara became hyper-aware of everything she was putting in and on her body. She swapped out cookware, beauty products, food storage. Every category had a “clean” option.
Except water.
When she realized baby formula’s largest ingredient is water, it clicked. People optimize their entire wellness routine, yet the most foundational input is overlooked.
She reached out to David Kimmel, former Spindrift operator and longtime trusted contact. What began as a few conversations turned into conviction, and eventually, co-founding Loonen.
From the start, the focus was purity and transparency. Loonen spring-sources from the Palomar Mountains, transports in stainless steel, filters without chemicals, and remineralizes using lab-tested ingredients. It’s bottled exclusively in custom-molded glass, with finished goods tested across 350+ contaminants. Every report is accessible via QR code.
In a category that moved toward plastic-lined materials for cost and convenience, Loonen chose the harder route. Water sits on hot trucks and shelves for long periods. Heat, light, and time degrade plastic. Clara couldn’t ignore that.
The name comes from the loon, a bird that only returns to clean lakes and serves as a bioindicator for water quality. A fitting symbol for a brand built around purity.
Loonen launched a month ago in the Bay Area, opening 100 retail doors, landing in SFO, select restaurants, and on Amazon for national access. The strategy is focused: build depth in California, prove velocity, then expand regionally.
Clara’s advice to early founders: things take longer than you think. Their custom glass mold alone took nine months. Partners are betting on your vision before you have traction. And don’t start a company just to be a founder.
She didn’t set out to build a brand. She just couldn’t unsee the problem once she found it.
News:
Khloud Launches Dill Pickle Flavor for Galentine’s
Khloud is debuting Dill Pickle Protein Popcorn on 2/12 across Gopuff, KhloudFoods.com, and in-store at Albertsons.
The launch is backed by a cheeky 80s late-night TV–inspired campaign featuring Khloé Kardashian and the tagline “Get Yourself a Better Pickle.”
With 7g of protein per serving and no seed oils, the drop blends functional snacking with cultural timing, leaning into the continued momentum of pickle-flavored everything
Ashley Graham Launches Lucci Sparkling Red
Ashley Graham is entering the wine category with Lucci, a $19.99 Italian sparkling red crafted in Emilia-Romagna, the home of Lambrusco. The brand officially launches February 11 and will be available via ReserveBar.
Lucci is positioned as vibrant, food-friendly, and celebratory, aiming to revive a category long overlooked in the U.S. While Lambrusco once struggled with perception issues, higher-quality expressions have been quietly regaining traction.
At an accessible premium price point, Lucci blends Italian authenticity with modern lifestyle positioning.
The real question: can sparkling red earn a meaningful second act in the U.S., or does it remain a niche revival story?
Willie’s Remedy+ Raises $15M Series A
Fast-growing THC beverage brand Willie’s Remedy+ closed a $15M Series A led by Left Lane Capital, with participation from Second Sight Ventures.
The raise underscores growing institutional confidence in hemp-derived THC beverages, a category positioned as a low-calorie, hangover-free alternative to alcohol.
As younger consumers moderate drinking, THC beverages are gaining traction across specialty retail and emerging mainstream channels. The capital will likely fuel distribution, brand expansion, and regulatory infrastructure.
The signal is clear: functional THC drinks are shifting from fringe experiment to funded growth category.
Once Upon a Farm Debuts on NYSE
Once Upon a Farm begins trading today on the NYSE under the ticker OFRM after raising $198M in its IPO.
The organic baby food brand, backed by Jennifer Garner, has built strong retail distribution across chains like Target and Walmart with its refrigerated, clean-label positioning.
The IPO signals continued public market interest in scaled, premium early-life nutrition brands.
Final Boss Sour Expands to 2,000 Walmart Checkout Lanes
Final Boss Sour is now available in the checkout aisle at 2,000 Walmart stores nationwide.
Landing checkout placement is not just incremental distribution. It is premium real estate. Checkout is impulse territory, where velocity, packaging, and brand recognition matter more than shelf storytelling.
For a sour candy brand, this signals strong retail performance and buyer confidence. Walmart does not expand checkout sets lightly. That space is reserved for high-turn, high-margin SKUs that convert fast.
The move positions Final Boss Sour squarely in grab-and-go culture, competing directly for last-second wallet share.
The takeaway: this is not just distribution growth. It is proof of velocity.
Mocktail Club Launches Jalisco Passionfruit at Sprouts Farmers Market
Mocktail Club has debuted its newest flavor, Jalisco Passionfruit, now available nationwide exclusively at Sprouts.
The launch strengthens the brand’s premium non-alcoholic positioning, pairing global cocktail inspiration with better-for-you ingredients.
Retail exclusives like this drive discovery and give Sprouts differentiated shelf appeal as non-alc innovation continues to accelerate.
Satya Reflects on Sprouts Farmers Market Launch
Satya shared early lessons from its launch at Sprouts Farmers Market, calling the experience “equal parts exhilarating and humbling.”
The highs are clear. National shelf placement. In-store demos. Real-time customer feedback. DMs from shoppers cooking with the spices the same night they discovered them.
But retail expansion is never just a celebration moment. Sprouts is a discovery-driven retailer with velocity expectations and regional nuance. For emerging brands, the real work begins after shelf placement: demo execution, sell-through, repeat purchase, and tight inventory management.
The takeaway: getting into Sprouts is a milestone. Staying there is the test.
Huxley Launches Nationwide at Sprouts Farmers Market
Huxley has officially launched nationwide in the Sprouts energy set, marking the brand’s first national retail expansion.
Landing in Sprouts’ energy aisle is a meaningful milestone. The retailer over-indexes with health-conscious, ingredient-aware shoppers, making it a strong proving ground for emerging functional beverage brands.
For Huxley, this move signals transition from early-stage growth to scaled retail execution. Nationwide placement brings awareness and velocity expectations in equal measure.
The milestone is big. Now the focus shifts to sell-through, repeat purchase, and proving long-term staying power in a competitive energy category.
The Whole Truth Foods Raises ~$51M
Clean-label food startup The Whole Truth Foods has raised approximately $51M in a funding round led by Sofina and Sauce.vc, with participation from Peak XV Partners, Rainmatter Health, AYRA Ventures, and early backer Z47.
Founded in India, The Whole Truth has built its brand around radical ingredient transparency, avoiding additives, artificial sweeteners, and hidden sugars across its portfolio of protein bars, spreads, and packaged snacks.
The raise signals continued investor appetite for clean-label, digitally native food brands in emerging markets. With fresh capital, the company is expected to expand distribution, scale operations, and deepen its product portfolio.
The broader takeaway: transparency-led brands are not just a Western trend. The clean-label movement is scaling globally.
![Funding alert] The Whole Truth raises $6M Series A round led by Sequoia Capital | YourStory](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!h_Yw!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa7718775-6b55-4f15-8b7e-705b18f131dd_1920x960.webp "Funding alert] The Whole Truth raises $6M Series A round led by Sequoia Capital | YourStory")
Grüns Drops Mango Sorbet Gummies
Grüns has launched Mango Sorbet, the latest limited-edition flavor in its functional gummy lineup.
The brand has built momentum by pairing supplement functionality with candy-like formats and rotating seasonal drops. Limited flavors create urgency, drive repeat engagement, and keep the assortment feeling fresh without permanently expanding the SKU count.
In a crowded gummy category, cadence matters. Flavor drops give brands a reason to show up in inboxes and social feeds beyond core product education.
The play: turn wellness into something collectible, not just consumable.
Whether you’re launching your first SKU, pushing into retail, or just trying to stay ahead of where CPG is headed, that’s what Cpgconnect is here for. This community exists to connect the right people, surface real opportunities, and share what’s actually working as brands scale.
If you haven’t yet, take a minute to fill out the form so I can keep tailoring this to what’s most useful for you. And for daily updates, brand finds, and behind-the-scenes CPG moments, make sure to follow along on Instagram.
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Catch you next week ✌️
- Zach
P.S. If this was helpful, pass it along to a founder or teammate who’d get value out of it. And as always, hit reply anytime. I read every message.
Thank you for the conversation! We love the cpgconnect fam. If you’re curious for more, loonen.com/clara
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