Weekly Pickups: Vietnamese sparkling lemonade, cold brew with benefits, and more...
Welcome back to Weekly Pickups!
Please mark your calendars, because we’ve got something special brewing for October 8th! Our very own Nate Rosen from the Express Checkout team will be taking the stage at Highlight’s Showcase 2025
This year’s summit brings together the brightest minds in CPG to share game-changing insights. Join from anywhere to discover:
Consumer insights professionals discussing the power of protein
How to crack the code on baby products parents love and trust
Year-over-year research predicting consumer spending this holiday season
Express Checkout’s Nate Rosen sharing his expertise alongside industry leaders
…and much more! Tune in on Wednesday, October 8 at 1pm ET / 10am PT for an afternoon of in-depth learning sessions for Consumer Insights, R&D, and Brand Marketing professionals across the CPG and retail spaces.
Visit the registration page to learn more and secure your spot.
This week, we attended Walmart’s Aisles of Wellness event in NYC.
We’ve been talking for months about how retailers are leaning into their wellness offerings—Target, Ulta, and others have all made significant investments. But what’s particularly fascinating about Walmart is their unique position to truly democratize wellness. They reach an astounding 95% of American consumers. Even more impressive, they’re within 10 miles of all those consumers. In some ways, Walmart isn’t just a retailer, but essentially public health infrastructure.
At last night’s Aisles of Wellness event, we got access to the company’s wellness strategy. We heard directly from Walmart pharmacists, had conversations with their Chief Medical Officer (what an incredible role!), and explored their expansive offerings across food, fitness, prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, and beauty products.
Say what you will about Walmart, but its evolution as a retailer is pretty impressive. It’s seriously competing with Target and other retailers through their private-label brands like Bettergoods (their largest private brand food launch in 20 years) as well as their curated assortment of trendy wellness products from brands like Lemme and Bloom Nutrition. Walmart is no longer just the “discount store.”.
Alright, now, let’s get into what we’ve been loving this week →
Nate’s Pickups:
Lucky Ox Lemonade Sparklers
So I picked this up at a local grocery store on the Upper East Side, Matter of Health. They have a shocking selection of new and exciting products! These NYC grocers don’t mess around. I actually took a stroll down there to find Ben Stiller’s new soda brand that just launched...but it wasn’t on shelf yet. But they were stocking some Lucky Ox! 2 for $5 which I couldn’t pass up.
Quick Facts: An Asian-American beverage brand based right here in NYC, crafting sparkling drinks inspired by nostalgic, culturally authentic flavors. Their Vietnamese Lemonade Sparkler is a riff on Chanh Muối—traditional Vietnamese salty lemonade made with aged, preserved lemons. They’ve also got Pandan Coconut and Matcha Lemonade flavors that are equally killer.
Reasons to love:
Punchy flavors that don’t overwhelm. I remember the first time I had these at Summer Fancy Food Show 2025, and I knew this would be a drink I’d consume over and over. The flavors are punchy and bold, but not too overpowering. I think the Pandan Coconut is my favorite out of the three flavors.
Glass bottle. I love a glass bottle, I’m not going to lie—there’s something better about the liquid inside. I can’t quite put my finger on it. Coke is better in a glass (both bottle and cup).
Founders you actually want to root for. The founders are nice people and I love supporting founders who are kind and have good energy about them, ready to make changes and pivots when needed but also stick to their guns when the time calls for it.
Where to buy: Online and Select retailers and coffee shops
Jenna’s Pickup:
Throne SPORT COFFEE - Sea Salt Caramel
I have to be so honest: This isn’t something I would’ve necessarily picked up off the shelf myself. I love coffee, but I’m often disappointed by ready-to-drink options and extra disappointed by “functional” coffees that often end up tasting like dirt. 🙃
But, after meeting Michael Fedele, the incredible founder and CEO behind this brand, I knew it was something I needed to try. Michael Fedele is a brilliant beverage guy—AKA former exec at Body Armor—who saw a gap in the functional beverage space and teamed up with Patrick Mahomes (have ya heard of him?) to create one. And I am so glad I tried it, because it’s a new fave.
Quick Facts: Ready-to-drink (in this case, canned) cold brew coffee with added benefits.
Reasons to love:
Not just coffee. Yes, the coffee itself is delicious. But what’s so cool about SPORT COFFEE is that—as the name implies—it’s made for athletes. It has BCAAs (AKA branched chain amino acids), B vitamins, and electrolytes (yay for hydrating while caffeinating). If you’re typically an energy drink fiend, this has similar added benefits + 150mg of caffeine—more than a typical cup of coffee, fewer palpitations than a Monster.
Like a flavored latte, without all the sugar or calories. I’m loving that this is a dairy-free, lower-sugar (8g sugar), canned coffee that actually tastes delicious. The salted caramel flavor is perfectly sweet and somehow creamy sans any dairy or dairy-alts. And at just 50 calories, this is way lower-calorie than a flavored Starbucks RTD.
Where to buy: In-store and online!
Thanks for reading! Anything you think we should try for an upcoming edition of Express Checkout? Email us at nate@expresscheckout.co and jenna@expresscheckout.co
ICYMI: We shared our latest episode of The Curious Consumer! It goes all-in on the world of protein! And why we think it’s not a trend…
