CPG News: October 12, 2026
This roundup covers six stories reported Friday, October 9. They span beverage launches, retail leadership moves, a corporate reorganization, and new consumer spending data.
Monster Plans Protein Energy Drink for March 2027
Monster will release Monster Protein Energy in March 2027. The drink comes in 12 ounce cans in Chocolate and Vanilla. Each can contains 30 grams of protein and 160 milligrams of caffeine.
Source: BevNET
Olipop Will Rebrand Its Refrigerated Line as Olipop+
Olipop plans to rebrand its original refrigerated line as Olipop+ starting in January. The updated line will contain postbiotics. The company launched shelf stable versions of its prebiotic sodas in 2024. It is now turning attention back to the refrigerated set.
Source: BevNET
Athleta CEO Maggie Gauger Exits for Lululemon
Maggie Gauger left Athleta to become chief product officer at Lululemon. She joined the Gap Inc. brand from Nike about a year ago. Chief marketing officer Erika Everett will lead Athleta on an interim basis and report to Gap Inc. CEO Richard Dickson. Athleta's net sales and comparable sales each fell 12 percent in its most recent quarter.
Source: Retail Dive
Albertsons Moves Media and Marketing Under Merchandising
Albertsons will fold its media and marketing teams into its merchandising organization. Chief marketing officer Emily Turner will oversee the combined group. The change follows the departure of retail media head Brian Monahan. A spokesperson said the Albertsons Media Collective team remains intact and that current partner campaigns continue without interruption.
Source: Grocery Dive
Amazon Prime Big Deal Days Drives $9.86 Billion in US Online Spend
US online sales reached $9.86 billion across Amazon's two day October event, according to Adobe. Last year's event drove $9.09 billion. Mobile accounted for $5.1 billion, or 52 percent of online sales. Buy now, pay later purchases totaled $692.3 million.
Source: Retail Dive
ICSC Projects Holiday Sales Will Top $1.7 Trillion
ICSC projects holiday retail sales will grow 4.3 to 4.9 percent to more than $1.7 trillion. In the group's survey, 49 percent of shoppers said they worry about affording holiday gifts. Seventy eight percent expect to spend the same as or more than last year. ICSC President and CEO Tom McGee said, "Shoppers remain resilient, but they're more discerning and value-conscious."
Source: Retail Dive

