Ghost Tequila Grabs $4.5M, Del Real Foods Acquired 🌯

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CPG WIRE
November 05, 2024

Welcome back to This Week in CPG, folks. Here’s what we’re covering this morning:

  • Indie Bay Snacks acquired 🥨

  • Loftie secures funding ⏰

  • Zara expands haircare collection 👀

  • Living Souls launches 🥃

  • BeatBox hits another milestone 📈

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Deals 💰

Mergers & Acquisitions 

  • Corporación Multi Inversiones (CMI) has acquired a majority stake in Del Real Foods, a California-based producer of ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat Hispanic foods. The seller is Palladium Equity Partners, a private equity firm with $3.6B under management. With deals for Del Real Foods, Siete Foods, and Xochitl in 2024, it’s been a big year for Hispanic food companies. Just Food

  • Wisdom Natural Brands, an Arizona-based producer of natural sweeteners, has acquired Drizzle Honey, a Canadian purveyor of sustainably sourced honey products. PR Newswire

  • UK-based Kestrel Brands has acquired pretzel brand Indie Bay Snacks for an undisclosed sum. Nurture Brands acquired Indie Bay Snacks in late 2022, and now they’re divesting it. Kestral Brands owns a number of snack brands — Forest Feast, Just Live a Little, and ACTI-SNACK — and they posted revenue of £23.2M last year. Food Manufacture 

Fundraising

  • Ghost Tequila, a Boston-based purveyor of spicy tequila, secured $4.5M in equity funding from undisclosed investors. Founded in 2016 by Chris Moran, Ghost Tequila last raised funding in 2023 when they secured $9M in a round led by Raptor Group. SEC

  • Loftie, a wellness company that creates stylish, innovative products that help people rest, relax, and recharge, raised $4.3M in fresh equity funding from undisclosed investors. Loftie was founded in 2018. Previous investors include Supermoon Capital and Fine Day Ventures. SEC

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What’s New 🤩

Apparel, Cosmetics, and Wellness

  • Zara teamed up with celebrity hairstylist Guido Palau to expand its collection of haircare products. Zara’s new “Shine” collection was designed to achieve glossy, healthy-looking hair for all hair types and textures. Hypebae

  • Bloom Nutrition expanded into the creatine category with two great-looking SKUs. Instagram

  • Glossier opened the Glossier You Room at its NYC store on Spring Street. It’s a permanent retail experience and a celebration of one its most popular fragrances, You. Instagram

  • Sporty & Rich released a vintage-inspired collaboration with NYC’s iconic Carlyle Hotel. Love the pajamas and letterman jacket. Hypebae

  • Life Time Fitness released an expanded and rebranded line of supplements and wellness products. PR Newswire

  • Wellness brand Aminé launched a new anti-aging product — NMN NAD+ Booster Powder. Their packaging is always impressive. Instagram

Food, Beverage, and Alcohol

  • Omni Design created some stunning packaging for High Bank Coffee Roasters, a specialty coffee roaster from Michigan. Nailed it. The Dieline

  • Tazzy Candy launched a new range of Chocolate Coated Cookies Bites. The packaging is great. Tazzy Candy launched in 2021 and is best known for its better-for-you lollipops. Tazzy

  • Iowa City’s Big Grove Brewing has released a Kernza lager in collaboration with Patagonia Provisions. Craft Brewing Business

  • LesserEvil Snacks unveiled a delicious-sounding new popcorn flavor — White Chocolate Marshmallow. Sign me right up. Instagram

  • There’s a new Scottish spirits brand called Living Souls that was created by three industry veterans — John Torrance, Jamie Williamson, and Calum Leslie. Living Souls is focused on sourcing small batch whiskies and single cask releases. Drinks International

  • Desert Dust, a California-based brand that makes all-purpose seasonings out of dates, launched a new range of taco & guacamole seasonings. Instagram

  • Fort Worth-based La Pulga Tequila is now the official tequila of the 14,000-seat Dickies Arena. Great venue and great tequila. BevNET

Data 🖥️

  • BeatBox continues to hit impressive milestones. After selling 55.2M units last year, BeatBox is now the top selling RTD single in the convenience channel. Wild. Beer Business Daily 

  • Shein’s European entity posted staggering sales growth in 2023. The company’s sales increased 68% to $8.36B. Business of Fashion

Distribution News 🚚

  • Update, a paraxanthine-based energy drink brand, launched at Central Market.

  • Love + Chew is now available storewide at Whole Foods Market.

  • UK-based gum brand Milliways launched in France.

  • Whisked Crispy launched at The Fresh Market in the DMV.

  • Caulipuffs is now available at select Aldi stores.

  • All The Bitter launched at Total Wine & More in Central FL.