Daily Industry Digest — Saturday, October 11, 2026
The premium-water brand, now topping $100M in annual sales, is declining to renew its roughly two-decade U.S.
Icelandic Glacial to split with Anheuser-Busch as it revamps distribution
The premium-water brand, now topping $100M in annual sales, is declining to renew its roughly two-decade U.S.
Foley Family Wines & Spirits launches a "Total Beverage" unit and adds DrinkAde
FFWS created the new unit to house RTDs and non-alcoholic products, adding the DrinkAde pre-/post-alcohol wellness shot ($5 per 3.4 oz, three flavors) alongside its Sabé and Tequio canned cocktails; Sabé grew 27% to…
Żubrówka names Miami-based Brand Collective as new U.S. importer and marketer
The Maspex-owned vodka — ranked #4 globally by volume per Impact Databank — tapped Brand Collective to rebuild its U.S. presence, leading with Bison Grass flavored vodka and unflavored Żubrówka Biala.
Johnson Brothers hires Taylor Blades as VP of Supplier Performance
The major distributor brought on Blades, most recently Diageo's performance director for South Carolina, in a supplier-facing leadership role.
Redner's opens its first "Fresh Market 2.0" store in Wilmington, DE
The regional mid-Atlantic grocer debuted a ~52,000-sq-ft foodservice-forward format (hiring ~200) at a former Acme site on Oct.
Aldi unveils a £900M UK expansion with 40 new stores in 2027
The discounter named its first 10 2027 sites and said it will keep opening ~30 stores in the final months of 2026, pushing from ~1,095 current UK stores toward a 1,500 target, with a stated focus on underserved…
Whole Foods CEO frames grocery as turning Amazon into the "everyday store."
In a Fortune interview, Jason Buechel positioned grocery as the engine shifting Amazon from the "everything store" to an everyday destination, noting Amazon's grocery business generated $150B+ in sales last year.
Private label pushes past value to rival national brands
A FoodNavigator analysis details how store brands are moving beyond entry-price value into mid-tier and premium positioning, directly challenging national CPG brands on quality and innovation rather than just price.
Weekly beverage launch slate skews to flavor, function and at-home café occasions
A BeverageDaily roundup led with Rude Health's organic coconut barista drink — sold in Tesco, Waitrose and Amazon and riding a range up 17% year-on-year — alongside several spirits releases.
Athletic Brewing named an official non-alcoholic beer of the NHL in Canada
The multiyear deal makes Athletic the league's first dedicated NA-beer partner in Canada, with activation slated around the Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic in Winnipeg later this month.
Sly. takes its doctor-founded functional beverage nationwide at Sprouts
The functional drink brand secured nationwide availability at Sprouts Farmers Market, using the natural channel as its national launchpad.
MuscleTech previews a Creatine + Hydration SKU with a transparent electrolyte blend
The upcoming product pairs 5g creatine with a ~991mg "MuscleLyte" electrolyte system (potassium bicarbonate, pink salt, magnesium bisglycinate, sodium chloride) in two sugar-free flavors, priced below the brand's $24.99…
Legit Supplements introduces "Xplode Pump," a stimulant-free pre-workout
The caffeine-free formula leads with 10g citrulline, 3g betaine nitrate and 3g HydroPrime glycerol plus non-stim focus support.
Mercurius Media Capital makes a $1M strategic investment in Jaca
The media-for-equity deal is aimed at accelerating consumer awareness of allulose, Jaca's sugar-alternative platform.
Valuation signal — Reuters Breakingviews calls the protein pivot "a puny remedy" for consumer giants
The column argues protein-fortified SKUs from the likes of PepsiCo and Kraft Heinz are too small to reverse volume declines, pegging the high-protein food category at ~$56bn and noting Kraft Heinz shares are down roughly…
Quiet in-window
After Advertising Week New York (Oct. 5–6) and Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days (Oct.
Arena (LMArena) raises a $200M Series B at a $3.1B valuation
Lightspeed and Khosla led the round for the AI model-evaluation platform, with Salesforce Ventures, a16z, Dell Technologies Capital and others participating; the valuation nearly doubled from a $1.7B mark in January, and…
- KDP's squeeze-out of remaining JDE Peet's shareholders: voluntary-transfer deadline Oct. 16, with payment of €31.85/share plus statutory interest set for Oct. 19.
- UNFI's Northeast Philadelphia distribution center is slated to close Oct. 16 (WARN notice, ~48 workers) as it reworks its DC network.
- Albertsons reports fiscal Q2 2026 results around Oct. 13 — a near-term read on grocery volumes, loyalty and media.
- Best Buy's TikTok Shop storefront (nearly 10,000 SKUs, Best Buy-fulfilled) is expected to go live in late October.
- Athletic Brewing's NHL-Canada partnership activates around the Oct. 25 Heritage Classic in Winnipeg.
- Molson Coors is expected to report Q3 2026 results Nov. 4–5.
Icelandic Glacial to Split with AB as it Revamps Distribution StrategyBevNET
Exclusive: Foley Creates Total Beverage Unit, Adds DrinkAde Wellness ShotShanken News Daily
Redner's to Open a New Delaware Grocery Store ThursdaySupermarket News
Aldi Reveals First Locations for New Stores in its £900m ExpansionTalking Retail
Aldi to Focus on Overlooked Communities in £900M Expansion SchemeFood Manufacture
Whole Foods CEO on How Grocery Makes Amazon the "Everyday Store"Fortune
Private Label Moves Beyond Value to Rival National BrandsFoodNavigator
New Beverage Launches: Rude Health, Three Whiskey Releases and MoreBeverageDaily
Athletic Brewing Company Named an Official Non-Alcoholic Beer of the NHL in CanadaBrewbound
MuscleTech Creatine + HydrationStack3d
Mercurius Media Capital Makes $1 Million Strategic Investment in JacaNOSH
Proteinmaxxing Is Puny Remedy for Consumer GiantsReuters Breakingviews
Walmart Connect Takes Streaming Ads Beyond Its Supplier BaseInvidis
Popular AI Leaderboard Arena Nearly Doubles Valuation to $3.1B After $200M Series BTechCrunch