Behind many CPG giants’ headline-making acquisitions of consumer brands are the equity firms that not only cut those fledging brands a check, but also provided strategic guidance to help them grow.

With two noteworthy strategic exits in five years, growth equity firm Aria Growth Partners—which invests $10 million–$30 million for minority stakes in companies across food and beverage, beauty, personal care, supplements, and household products—has proven to have a keen eye for brands with the potential to make it big.

The firm’s first investment was pimple patch maker Hero Cosmetics in 2021, which Church & Dwight acquired for $630 million in 2022. In 2023, Aria invested in organic popcorn brand LesserEvil, which Hershey bought earlier this year for $750 million.

Now it’s gearing up for a fresh swath of investments, as the firm earlier this summer announced it had raised $152 million for its second fund. Jackie Dunklau—who founded Aria Growth alongside Trevor Nelson, co-founder of OUAI and Shake Shack investor Alliance Consumer Growth—broke down what sets Aria apart and made its first investments successful, and the types of brands it’s looking for now.

Keep reading here.—EC

It’s never too early to start selling giant skeletons. Starting today, Home Depot’s 2025 Halloween collection is available for purchase on its app. This includes its famous 12-foot giant skeleton, Skelly, as well as an expanded pantheon of giant-sized creatures. The phenomenon, known to some as “Summerween,” is spreading among retailers looking to get a jump on the spooky season.

Here’s what else is going on in retail:

In exhibitions: If you’re looking to find new products, you’ve got multiple options this week. NY Now’s Summer Market began on Sunday at the Javits Center and will run through Tuesday, featuring a mix of products ranging from toys to jewelry. Meanwhile, in Las Vegas from August 3–6, ASD Market Week is showcasing new consumer merchandise available for wholesale buying. The event features more than 1,800 vendors and more than 1 million products.

Keep reading here.—AV

Coca-Cola announced that in the fall it will introduce a version of Coke that’s sweetened with cane sugar as an alternative to its version sweetened with corn syrup.

You tell us: Do you think the new cane-sugar version of Coke will increase the company’s cola sales overall, or will it be a wash because some fans who drink the corn-syrup version will just switch? Cast your vote here.

Circling back: Last time, we told you about Lululemon’s lawsuit alleging that some of Costco’s Kirkland private-label products are dupes of popular Lululemon designs, and that as a result, Costco has “unlawfully traded” on Lululemon’s IP. We asked if you thought, as Lululemon argued, that Costco should stop making the products alleged to be dupes.

Most of you seemed to think that Lululemon’s claim was like what many wear its clothing for: a stretch. More than 8 out of 10 (81.6%) of respondents said Costco should keep making what Lululemon claims are dupes, while 18.4% said Costco should knock it off when it comes to knock-offs.—AAN