Jacquemus Opens LA Store, Peter Harf Retires ☕️

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CPG WIRE
April 29, 2025

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

  • Baumann launches new fund 💰

  • Casalú grabs fresh funding 🍹

  • Snif releases another collab 💯

  • Waterloo Gin unveils refresh 🍸

  • Protein Pints lands at H-E-B 🍦

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Deals 💰

Mergers & Acquisitions 

  • Apex Capital acquired a majority stake in Juanita’s Foods, a California-based producer of authentic Mexican food products. The De La Torre family will retain a significant ownership stake and continue their involvement in the business. Juanita’s Foods was founded in 1946 in Wilmington, CA. PR Newswire

  • Actus Nutrition, a manufacturer of nutritional ingredients for the health and wellness industry, acquired a 99,000-square-foot processing facility from Foremost Farms USA. The facility is located in Sparta, Wisconsin and Actus Nutrition is a portfolio company of Butterfly Equity. Business Wire

Fundraising

  • Max Baumann, the founder of retail sales agency Basemakers, launched a venture fund called Back to Back VC that’s using AI to identify breakout brands before they’re big. Prior to launching Basemakers and Back to Back VC, Baumann co-founded a beverage brand called Just Chill. NOSH

  • Casalú, a Miami-based purveyor of canned rum cocktails, raised over $3.5M in equity funding from undisclosed investors on April 11th. The company was founded in 2021 by Gabriel González, Ricardo Sucre, and Gustavo Darquea. Their branding is terrific. I heard the product is pretty good too. SEC

What’s New 🤩

Apparel, Cosmetics, and Wellness

  • Jacquemus opened a gorgeous flagship store in Los Angeles. The almost 2,800-square-foot space is situated on Melrose Ave in West Hollywood and is filled with pieces from David Hockney and Frank Lloyd Wright. Jacquemus opened a two-story store in New York last year and will open one in Miami next. Vogue

  • Fragrance brand Snif released another collaboration with Alex Elle, an author and wellness influencer. The collaborative scent is called Gentle Reminder and features notes of purple ube, lavender, milk froth, black tea, and palo santo. Instagram

  • DUNE Suncare is releasing a glide-on sunscreen product in the near future. The packaging looks great. Instagram

  • Tangle Teezer, the UK-based hairbrush brand that BIC recently acquired for $210M, just announced a partnership with the American Cancer Society. Tangle Teezer will donate $100K to the charitable organization in addition to other year-round efforts. WWD

  • Aussie suncare brand Naked Sundays is opening a pop-up at Sephora Westfield London as the brand looks to catalyze growth in the UK. Naked Sundays founder Samantha Brett will be in attendance at the pop-up. The Industry

Food, Beverage, and Alcohol

  • High Noon launched an uncarbonated spinoff called Lucky One Lemonade. The 4.5% ABV beverage is made with vodka and real lemonade. Four flavors are currently available: Peach, Original, Blueberry, and Raspberry. Dave Portnoy and his dog Miss Peaches are the face of the spinoff. Uncarbonated canned cocktails are having a moment right (Surfside, for example, is the fastest-growing spirits brand in the world). Twitter

  • Even baked goods brand Thomas is getting in on the protein craze with a new line of High Protein Bagels. Two flavors are available — Plain and Everything — and each bagel contains 20g of protein. The protein source is a blend of soy protein isolate, pea protein isolate, and fava bean protein. The new line will debut in the Northeast and a 4-pack will retail for $5.99. Food Manufacturing

  • Waterloo Gin just revealed a luxurious new look. The upgraded bottle and label are a much better fit for the premium spirits brand. John Paul DeJoria acquired Waterloo Gin last year and plans to scale it into a nationwide player. BevNET

  • Legendary investor Peter Harf is retiring from JAB Holding after doing more than $50B in deals over the past 40 years. Harf took an obscure German chemicals company to new heights by purchasing large stakes in Keurig Dr Pepper, JDE Peet’s, Krispy Kreme, and many other consumer businesses. Financial Times

  • UK-based El Rayo Tequila is expanding into the RTD category with a canned tequila tonic line. A 12-pack will retail for £39. The Spirits Business

  • Non-alc agave cocktails brand Parch launched a great-looking variety pack exclusively at Sprouts. Instagram

  • Sunday Supper, a purveyor of plant-based, ready-to-bake Italian meals, has hired Spencer Oberg as its next CEO. Oberg previously served as COO of Good Planet Foods. Sunday Supper also plans on raising $2.5M in order to expand its retail footprint. NOSH 

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Data 🖥️

  • Celsius Holdings reported that Alani Nu surpassed $1B in retail sales. Celsius acquired Alani Nu in February for $1.8B due to flagging sales of its flagship brand. With Alani Nu sales up more than 72% year-over-year, it was a prescient bet for Celsius. Celsius

  • Spanish beauty firm Puig had a solid quarter with net sales increasing 7.5% to €1.2B. The gains were largely driven by fragrance (Byredo, Rabanne, and Carolina Herrera) as well as skincare (Dr. Barbara Sturm and Charlotte Tilbury). Puig has lower expectations for the remainder of 2025 due to softened consumer confidence. Vogue Business

Distribution News 🚚