Otherland Scooped Up 🕯️

Author

CPG WIRE
June 10, 2023

GM and Happy Saturday, folks. Here’s what we’re covering this morning:

  • Curio Brands acquires Otherland 🕯️

  • Meyer buys Great Jones 🍳

  • Tepache Sazon launches 🍍

  • VINA heads to Sprouts 🌱

  • Two new products from Bubble Skincare 🫧

The Big Story đź“°

Otherland, the buzzy, colorful candle brand that’s popular with younger consumers, was acquired by Curio Brands for an undisclosed sum.

Founded in 2017 by Ralph Lauren alum, Abigail Cook Stone, Otherland has been on a hot streak as of late. In addition to their thriving direct-to-consumer business, Otherland recently launched at a number of esteemed retailers, including Anthropologie, Sephora, and Nordstrom. The brand reportedly exceeded revenue of $10m in 2022.

Curio appears to be an ideal landing spot for Otherland. Mississippi-based Curio is well-versed in the fragrance business — they own Capri Blue, a popular candle brand, and Thymes, a diversified fragrance company that sells dozens of products from candles all the way to dishwashing liquid — and they’re in need of a brand that resonates with younger generations.

Curio is likely one of the best candidates to shepherd Otherland through its next phase of growth. If Curio invests the necessary resources and expands Otherland into new categories like bath, body, and home care, it’s conceivable that Otherland could generate upwards of nine-figures in annual sales.

More on the acquisition from WWD here.

Deals đź’°

Mergers & Acquisitions 

  • Popular cookware brand Great Jones was acquired by global cookware manufacturer Meyer. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. The Spoon

  • TreeHouse Foods, the private label food & beverage manufacturer, paid $100m to acquire a coffee manufacturing facility in Northlake, TX from Farmer Brothers Company. Their direct ship coffee business was also included in the transaction. PR Newswire

Fundraising

  • Antler, a global pre-seed investment firm with considerable exposure to CPG and consumer tech, secured $285m for their next fund. TechCrunch

  • Sweden-based Norrbottens Destilleri raised over $870K in fresh funding. The distillery, which recently transitioned from producing gin to aquavit, will use the funding to scale production and expand their product offering. The Spirits Business

  • Former New York Yankee Derek Jeter invested in plant-based meat brand Meati. VegNews

What’s New 🤩

Apparel, Cosmetics, and Wellness

  • Popular Gen Z skincare brand Bubble launched two new products — Solar Mate and Plus One. Solar Mate is an invisible daily mineral sunscreen, while Plus One is a tinted daily mineral sunscreen. Bubble has been cranking on product development. In April they launched two acne care products, Fade Away and Knock Out. Instagram

  • Rhode, the skincare brand founded by Hailey Bieber, will launch a new product, Glazing Milk, on June 15th. The product boosts barrier function and increases hydration. Rhode

  • Global cosmetics retailer Lush unveiled a pop-up in London that’s inspired by Asteroid City, the latest film from Wes Anderson. The pop-up is located in SoHo and will be open until July 12th. The Industry

  • Fashion label Alice + Olivia officially expanded into swimwear. WWD

  • VĂ–OST, the Australian effervescent wellness brand that P&G acquired in 2021, launched a new line of gummies. Happi

Food, Beverage, and Alcohol

  • Tepache Sazon, a new tepache brand from Nayarit, Mexico, is officially live in the U.S. after landing an import agreement with Back Bar Project. Their branding is gorgeous. A 4-pack will retail for around $24 which is obviously steep. Curious how it performs. Rooting for the brand, though. PR Newswire

  • Singapore-based gin distillery Tanglin launched a fun new product — Singapore Moonshine. Tanglin

  • Animal-free cheese startup New Culture unveiled their first product, animal-free mozzarella, at Nancy Silverton’s Pizzeria Mozza earlier this week. Excited to try this at some point. PR Newswire

  • Popular non-alcoholic aperitif brand Ghia revealed their first billboards. They look good. Instagram

Data 🖥️

  • Pipcorn, the salty snack brand founded in 2012, officially surpassed 25,000 points of distribution. PR Newswire

Distribution News đźšš

  • VINA Prebiotic Soda launched nationwide at Sprouts Farmers Market.

  • Florentine fragrance brand Santa Maria Novella launched at Harrods.

  • New Zealand-based premium diaper & wipes brand Terra is now available in the U.S.