This week saw meaningful movement across beauty, non-alcoholic beverages, snacking, and beverage M&A. Companies announced platform expansions, funding developments, retail momentum, and strategic shifts that will influence how brands plan for 2026. Below is a breakdown of the key stories.
Oddity, parent to Il Makiage and SpoiledChild, has launched MethodIQ, a telehealth-driven skincare service that provides assessments, algorithmic analysis, and access to licensed medical providers for prescription-grade treatments. The platform expands Oddity’s existing data-and-diagnostics model into the medical skincare segment and deepens its focus on personalization and long-term customer value.
Aplós has secured $5 million in funding to accelerate growth in the modern non-alcoholic category. The brand plans to invest in distribution, new product development, and operations as retailers and on-premise accounts continue expanding their non-alcoholic assortments.
Freestyle Snacks has secured a deal on Shark Tank for its pickle-based snacking products. The brand expects to expand retail distribution and invest in scaling production to meet demand for convenient, flavor-forward snacking formats.
Suja Life has submitted a confidential draft registration statement, signaling potential exploration of a future public offering. The company has diversified beyond cold-pressed juice into functional beverages and built manufacturing and category capabilities that support potential entry into the public markets.
Anheuser-Busch InBev is nearing a deal to acquire BeatBox in a transaction reportedly valued at roughly $700 million. BeatBox has grown significantly in flavored alcohol through convenience channels, event marketing, and brand partnerships, making it an attractive target for portfolio expansion.
Taken together, these stories show how quickly the definition of “CPG” is expanding. Beauty companies are moving into clinical care, beverage brands are using new capital to build distribution scale, and snacking startups are using national exposure to accelerate retail adoption. At the same time, strategics are reshaping their portfolios with acquisitions that pull high-growth, culturally relevant brands into their ecosystems.
The connective thread is that platforms—whether technological, operational, or portfolio-based, are becoming more valuable than standalone products. Brands that offer deeper experiences, stronger differentiation, or clearer consumer outcomes are finding themselves better positioned for investment, acquisition, or expansion. For teams across CPG, this means the bar for talent continues to rise. Companies need leaders who can navigate category convergence, manage rapid scaling, and build organizations capable of operating in faster, more fluid environments.
As we head toward the end of the year, these stories signal the momentum that will shape early 2026. Innovation is widening, capital is returning to focused categories, and both emerging and established brands are rethinking how they grow. We’ll continue tracking the shifts, the new entrants, and the leaders defining where CPG goes next.