The Kelces get saucy đśď¸
+ Instacart's $60M settlement, THC soda, and our 2025 year in review
Happy Holidays from all of us at Express Checkout (AKA, Nate and Jenna âĄĚ).
2025 has been a transformative year for us: Nate officially went full-time, leaning fulling into his moniker as the CPG Guy. We brought Jenna fully into the fold, instantly making the newsletter sharper, funnier, and more nuanced. We doubled down on short-form video/our IG presence.
We launched a podcast, The Curious Consumer, andâthough Jenna is still embarrassed to admit she co-hosts a podcastâpeople are not only listening, but seriously enjoying and learning from it. And somehow, we found ourselves hosting events where people actually showed up and walked away with new, meaningful connections.
What started as a side project is now a real media company. Together, weâve built something weâre really dang proud of. And though we failed to whip up our own version of Spotify Wrapped (unlike every app, even Uber), we do have a few exciting stats to share đ:
89 newsletters sent (including this one) with ~700,000 total views on our Substack content
Doubled our average monthly growth since switching to Substack in April
66% year-over-year subscriber growth
3,000 podcast downloads since launching our show in September 2025 (P.S. If anyone has tips on viewing listens, not just downloads, please let us know!!)
14 events hosted, with over 1,000 attendees across them
3k to 22,000 Instagram followers in the past 3 months alone (pinch us?!)
7 million views on our Instagram content
4.2M TikTok views, 300K likes, and 41K sharesâturns out people really love CPG
So⌠whatâs next for Express Checkout? In 2026, weâre going bigger. Weâre expanding the podcast with guests and new series. Weâre finally launching a YouTube channel. Weâre hosting more in-person events, and getting seriously crafty with them (email us at hello@expresscheckout.co if you want to partner!).
And weâre dedicating even more time + resources to help you do your job better. As a reminder, we currently offer all of content for free. But in 2026, weâre going to be offering even more to our lovely paid subscribers!! Weâll be relaunching our Checkout Chat interview series with some of the coolest folks in consumer, and offering reports and long-form content exclusively for our paid subscribers.
Itâs only $65/year or $6/monthâless than an NYC latteâand can very likely be expensed (hereâs a template of the email you can send your manager to request that, inspired by Rachel Karten ). As we ramp up our content output, weâll adjust pricing, soâŚ.
Regardless of if youâre a paid or free subscriber, we want to hear from you: what you want more of, less of, and what we havenât thought of yet. Take our 2-minute audience survey here.
Thank you for reading, showing up, and making this year as incredible as it was. Weâll see you in 2026!
âNate & Jenna
News From the Week
CPG & Consumer Goods
The energy drink wars: Alix vs Alex. Mega-influencer (and DWTS star) Alix Earle is joining GORGIE Energyâa female-founded and -focused energy drink brandâas a strategic investor. The brand was founded in 2023 by Michelle Cordeiro Grant, a serial entrepreneur known for previously founding the successful lingerie brand LIVELY. Itâs quickly become the fastest-growing energy drink brand in natural channels, and has raised nearly $40 million in funding since launch.
If this sounds like news from last week⌠close one! But youâre actually thinking of Alex Cooper launching Unwell Energy. And yes, the timing isâŚnotable. Both Al(i)exsâwho, as the chronically-online already know, apparently have some beefâare playing in the fast-growing energy drink space, particularly those targeting female consumers. We talked about this subcategoryâs explosive growth in last weeks newsletter here!
Every athlete needs a beverage brand. And thatâs exactly why Bengalsâ star JaâMarr Chase is joining Flerish Hydration as an owner, representing the shift of celeb-backed brands from endorsements to equity.
Flerish is apparently a lot more than an electrolyte drink, boasting ânext-level hydrationâ with ingredients like l-theanine, B and E vitamins, and zinc + magnesium. Itâs sweetened with watermelon juice and cane sugar instead of artificial sweetenersâa trend weâre closely watching in 2026.
Itâs also incredibly tasty! I got to try it about a year ago pre-launch. The liquid is SOLID - Nate
Same, but different. Stateside Brands, the company behind Surfsideâone of the fastest-growing alcohol brands in the USâis launching Super Lyte, a vodka + ade line with flavors like Fruit Punch and Lemon Lime. At 4.5% ABV, itâs sugar-free, 90-calories, and uncarbonated (which I predict is going to be another 2026 trend⌠- J). The spring release targets the Northeast and Southeast markets.
Does Super Lyte sound like Surfside? Yes, yes it does. But it seems like theyâre differentiating on lower calories (well, 10 cal lower), no sugar (vs 2-3g), and more⌠letâs say⌠âdiet-friendlyâ branding (though what we want to say is that itâs honestly quite sterile-looking and no fun).
Just when we thought there were too many supplements⌠Rae returns. After a two-year hiatus, women-focused supplement brand Rae Wellness is relaunching. Its 2023 pause, which came after a highly successful 2019 DTC launch and expansion into Target, Whole Foods, and Walmartâwas apparently due to retail challenges and investor misalignment. After thousands of customer requests, Founder Angie Tebbe reacquired the company, and is rebuilding it with eight core products focused on womenâs wellness. It will be available direct-to-consumer initially.
Itâs tallow time for menâs skincare. Online creator Sahil Bloom launched Wild Roman, a natural menâs skincare brand inspired by his Indian grandmotherâs coconut oil remedy and made with grass-fed tallow (of course), cold-pressed oils, and âwild-harvested botanicalsâ (fancy).
For those unfamiliar, Sahil Bloom is an author, entrepreneur, and investor known for his frameworks on personal growth, productivity, and wealth. He reaches millions of people weekly⌠but not because heâs a skincare guru.
Mass marketâor even âmasstigeâ (mass + prestige)âmenâs skincare is a tough nut to crack. There isnât the same breadth of brands and products targeting men as women (even if the products are identical). Sure, there are winning brands like Dr. Squatch and Harryâs, plus newer entrants like Jack Fir, Huron, and Geologie, but theyâre still few and far between.
With Sahilâs following, this may help tip the scaleâbut will beef tallow be enough to get men to swap from Walgreens private-label Cerave dupes to coughing up $42 for face moisturizer?
Now thatâs what we call functional soda! Uncle Arnieâs, one of the fastest-growing THC beverage brands in the U.S., launched SodaPop, a THC-infused soda line in Strawberry, Orange, and Grape flavors.
As functional soda brands rise in the ranks, it was only a matter of time until something more functional came along đ. Of course, Uncle Arnieâs isnât the only THC soda brandâCantrip and Flowerboy (the sub-brand of Summer Houseâs own Loverboy) both have THC-infused sodas, and there are plenty of THC sparkling bevs, like Cann.
eCommerce
The only thing better than a Christmas check from Grandma? A TikTok Shop gift card. TikTok Shop launched digital gift cards, likely to compete with Amazon.
Apparently, this launch will also include an âinteractive unboxing that captures [the recipientâs] reaction in real-time,â which is low key creepy but probably makes for good marketing material. đ¤ˇââď¸
TikTok is seriously doubling down on commerce, especially following its insane success over Black Friday/Cyber Mondayâwhen the app recorded more than $500 million of sales in the U.S.
Instacartâs in hot water⌠again. Instacart settled with the FTC for $60 million over allegations of deceptive practices, including false âfree deliveryâ claims, misleading satisfaction guarantees, and unclear subscription terms (charging customers after their free trial of Instacart+)
Unfortunately for Instacart, this case is separate from the deceptive pricing allegations we discussed last week, which the company has apparently since ended in response to (a lot of) backlash.
The Honest Company hits reset. Jessica Albaâs baby and beauty brand, The Honest Company, is stopping direct-to-consumer sales and shutting its mobile app by December 28, shifting to retail partnerships with Walmart and Target to focus on profitability and streamline operations amid a 6.7% revenue decline.
Temu teams up with Shopify. Temu launched an app for Shopify merchants, which will enable US businesses to list products on its marketplace. The idea is to help boost local inventories and delivery speeds amid rising import costs and regulatory scrutiny with the appâs mostly Chinese brands.
This will be an interesting one to watch. Existing Temu shoppers are used to (very) low prices, and competing with Chinese merchants on this app may prove difficult for US brands. Iâm curious to see how Temu will market US merchantsâif theyâll be tagged/categorized, where theyâll land on search results, etc. - J
Retail
Compost in-store. Amazon is teaming up with Mill, the at-home compost machine, to deploy commercial food waste technology at Whole Foods Market, converting in-store scraps into chicken feed. Mill also received investment from Amazonâs Climate Pledge Fund.
While this may seem overdue, itâs encouraging to see a major grocery retailer tackle food waste at the store level. Food waste is a significant problem in the US: ~30% of food in grocery stores gets thrown away, and US retail stores generate roughly 16 billion pounds of food waste annually.
While retail waste is significant, home composting presents an even larger opportunity. American households generate 43% of all food wasteânearly 40 million tons annually, representing ~30% of the entire US food supply. Weâre optimistic that this investment could help Mill expand awareness of home composting solutions.
Collab szn incoming. Starbucks hired Neiv Toledano from E.l.f. Cosmetics as its first âsenior marketing manager of fashion and beauty.â If youâre double-taking right now, yes, we are talking about the same Starbucks. This move doesnât mean that Starbucks locations will have beauty bars anytime soon, but it is signaling a bold move into cultural collaborations that could boost brand engagement amid stagnant sales.
Funding
From media partner to equity partner. Foodbeast Ventures, the new venture arm of Foodbeast Mediaâa food-focused media company and influencer network with 2M followers on IGâmade its first investment in Habiza Hummus, a Gen Z-founded hummus brand that became Erewhonâs top seller and has recently launched in Target.
Itâs a smart setup for both sides: Habiza avoids the overhead of building an in-house content team, while Foodbeast does what it does bestâstorytelling, audience building, and creating content that moves product. As Jonathan Srour, the now 23-year-old founder of Habiza, told us:
âPart of this investment is Foodbeastâs amazing infrastructure becoming Habizaâs full time marketing team with [Foodbeastâs founder] Elie being the Chief Content Officer. This allows us to grow the organizations marketing output while still being a lean team amidst rapid growth."
The hummus aisle is pretty competitive right now, with some great new-age players on the scene (including Little Sesame, Ithaca, and of course, Habiza). This post from Entrepreneurâs Jason Feiferâand its subsequent comments from Ithacaâs Chris Kirbyâgave us a lot to chew on re: standing out in the crowded hummus aisle.
$15M for science-backed beauty. Molly Simsâs skincare brand YSE Beautyâwhich targets women over 35âjust closed a $15M Series A funding round to boost its growth at Sephora and expand e-commerce. With 120% revenue growth in 2025, theyâre on track for nearly $30M next year.
This funding comes as weâve been seeing a major rise in clinically backed and science-driven skincare. Weâre seeing brands reject the âclean beautyâ fear-mongering in favor of proven synthetic actives like urea, hypochlorous acid, and glycerin. Brands like dermatologist-founded Prequel are leaning heavily into this through their accessible and educational marketing and their mass market pricing and distribution. Skincare brand BYOMA has generated over $500 million in retail sales since its 2022 launch, driven by its focus on affordable, science-backed skin barrier repair. Following rapid growth, the brand was acquired by the Bansk Group in September 2025. This all reflects growing consumer demand for transparent, and more importantly efficacy-driven products backed by testing.
The Kelces are heating things up. Winnie Capital, the private family office of NFL and podcast star Jason Kelce and equally-famed podcast star Kylie Kelce, made a strategic equity investment (for an undisclosed amount) in Hank Sauce, a New Jersey-based hot sauce maker.
Hank was made by two college roommates who didnât like hot sauce, and sought out to create a more flavor-forward (not just heat-forward) optionâclaiming theyâre âthe hot sauce for people who donât like hot sauce.â The brand has grown exclusively through markets, word-of-mouth, and local restaurants (including their own).
I actually discovered Hank Sauce at a farmers market on the Jersey Shore this summer, and proceeded to chat with their team for a half hour, nerding out on all things CPG (as one does). I love their sauce, but I also love their story, and itâs so cool to see Philly icons Jason and Kylie invest in a brand made in their backyard. - J
Laird Superfood makes a big bet on superfoods. The creamer, coffee, and snack brand just acquired Navitasâan organic brand offering plant-based superfood powders, berries, seeds, blendsâfor $38.5 million (in cash?!).
Laird was able to fund this acquisition through the sale of $50 million of Series A convertible preferred stock to affiliates of private equity firm Nexus Capital Management.
Starface eyes strategic opportunities. Starface, the skincare brand known for its star-shaped pimple patchesâhired investment bank Baird to explore deal options, with a potential exit in 2027 as it aims to diversify beyond pimple patches, which make up 70% of sales. The brandâs estimated net sales exceed $100 million.
Itâs getting saucy in here! Pasta sauce brand Hoboken Farms raised $4 million, a majority of which came direct from their own customer base.
Hoboken Farms isnât one of those new-age fancy brandsâtheyâve been around since 1992 (like Raoâs) when musician Brad Finkel started it as a side-hustle. The brand earned its cult following through New Jersey farmers markets, and in 2023, successfully transitioned to supermarket shelf. Itâs now available at retailers like Whole Foods, Wegmans, and Stop & Shop.
The pasta sauce category has been heating up. Just last week, Campbellâs invested $286M for a 49% stake in La Regina, the manufacturer of Raoâsâjust one year after acquiring Raoâs parent company Sovos Brands for $2.7B. We dove into this saucy category in a recent newsletter.
Shoot your shot. Hot Box Pretzels, a direct-to-consumer pretzel brand featured on Gordon Ramsayâs Food Stars, has received a minority investment from Founders Rowâafter the founder, a then 20-year-old college dropout with a pretzel food truck, cold DMâd the creator of Founders Row (and founder of Sweathouz), Jamie Weeks.
Hot Box Pretzels ships fresh not frozen, but I could see the brand pushing into the frozen aisle to simplify logistics as they head to retail. And I hope they get their pretzels everywhere because I fucking love a soft pretzel more than anything. - N
NextFoods secures its NextDollar. The brand behind GoodBelly and Cheribundi raised $10 million in funding led by ECP Growth.
This could be the start of the next massive functional CPG brand. NextFoods was started by industry veterans Steve Demos (who founded Silk Soymilk) and Todd Beckman in 2006. That same year, they launched GoodBelly, a line of probiotic juice drinks and shots, and later acquired Cheribundi, a tart cherry juice, in 2023.
Check out our recent episode of The Curious Consumer! We covered everything from zero-sugar Oreos to Alex Cooperâs (aforementioned) energy drink and the business of beauty brands launching lip care.
Why every brand has a lip balm now
This week, weâre chatting about the sneaky strategy behind lip balms, the future of female-focused energy drinks, Raoâs rise to success, why Oreo and Instacart are getting heat, and so much more.
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Congrats on the success of Express Checkout in 2025. Worth all the hard work. Hereâs to 2026 and even more success!