MARKETING

Instagram/ThinkJerky

Some brands pay big bucks for a Hollywood cameo. Think Jerky got Elizabeth Holmes, a prison vending machine, and a very confused internet.

But for founder Ricky Hirsch, that’s been quite the marketing package.

The snack brand appears in the closing sequence of You Can See Everything, Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s buzzy new documentary about the disgraced Theranos founder. Released on October 16, the film begins with Holmes inviting a camera crew into her life 34 days before she heads to prison. Eventually, of course, turkey jerky enters the picture.

Without spoiling the ending, the sequence involves Holmes requesting turkey jerky during a prison visit, a vending machine purchase, and a closing glimpse of Holmes and her partner, Billy Evans, with the snack. For Hirsch, whose Sriracha Honey Turkey Jerky gets the screen time, the business implications are considerably less mysterious than the film’s key subject.

Over the 10 days preceding his interview with Retail Brew, sales of that flavor increased 345% on Think Jerky’s website and 93% on Amazon, per figures Hirsch provided.

“I think I got 12 minutes left of my 15 minutes of fame,” he said.

Keep reading here.—JS

      

Sponsored By Roku Ads Manager

Shoppers keep ditching those long Black Friday lines for the comfort of their own couch. Roku wants to help you turn that streaming time into shopping time.

Roku makes it easy for viewers to shop your brand, thanks to Roku Action Ads, which let viewers use their remote to shop, ask for more info, or get a text or email reminder. With Roku Ads Manager, you can:

• Launch an entire campaign yourself: Set a goal, choose an audience, upload your creative, and publish.
• Integrate directly with Shopify for an easy checkout process.
• Offer a discount where it counts: 47% of Roku holiday shoppers say they’re more likely to buy when a discount appears right on the screen.

Turn couch time into checkout time.

E-COMMERCE

Shopify

Shopify last week announced that AI agents including Claude Duet, Grok Bot, Instinct, and Muse can use Shop Pay to checkout and buy items people are searching for on these AI platforms. Merchants don’t have to have Shopify powered stores, and retailers have one more agentic integration to keep track of ahead of the holiday season.

It means shoppers can discover and search for items on Muse or Instinct and then complete that transaction on Shop Pay—Shopify’s digital wallet that lets people save their payment details and is used by 400 million users globally, according to the company—regardless of whether that brand has a Shopify storefront or not.

“How do we enable buyers to use Shop Pay to buy anywhere on the Internet using these agents, irrespective of whether that end merchant is a Shopify merchant or not a Shopify merchant?” Rohit Mishra, VP of product, payments, tax and cross-border at Shopify, told Retail Brew.

Keep reading here.—VC

      

RETAIL

Illustration: Morning Brew Inc., Photos: DoorDash, Instacart

DoorDash and Instacart have struck an acquisition deal for roughly $17 billion. What does it mean for retailers and merchants who rely on these platforms to get items to customers, and could the deal turn into a game-changer for home delivery in the US?

Zoom out: The rival delivery platforms announced their deal on Thursday. The acquisition gives DoorDash a major grocery partner on top of its restaurant and retail delivery business, which already includes Kroger, Costco, Macy’s, CVS, and Target.

“Grocery is one of the hardest things to get right online,” Tony Xu, CEO and co-founder of DoorDash, wrote in a statement. “Someone has to pick a ripe avocado, find a substitute you’d choose yourself, and get the ice cream to you before it melts.”

Keep reading here.—VC

      

swapping skus

Today’s top retail reads.

Breaking the ice: Freezers in supermarkets across Europe were hit by what appears to be a cyberattack. (CNBC)

Fizzle and pop: Keurig Dr Pepper reported a 71% jump in net sales, as it works to separate its coffee and soda refreshments divisions into separate companies. (the Wall Street Journal)

A chip on their shoulder: Apple anticipates a robust holiday season, but rising chip costs are putting pressure on margins. (Reuters)

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