Uber to acquire Drizly for $1.1 billion in stock, cash

San Francisco-based Uber Technologies Inc. and Drizly, Boston, announced that they have reached an agreement for Uber to acquire Drizly for approximately $1.1 billion in stock and cash.
Drizly is the leading on-demand alcohol marketplace in the United States, available and designed to be fully compliant with local regulations in more than 1,400 cities across a majority of U.S. states, the company says. Drizly works with thousands of local merchants to provide consumers with a wide selection of beer, wine and spirits with competitive, transparent pricing.
After the completion of the transaction, Drizly will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Uber. Drizly’s marketplace will eventually be integrated with the Uber Eats app; a separate Drizly app will be maintained.
Drizly plans to innovate and expand independently in its fast-growing and competitive sector, while also gaining access to the advanced mobile marketplace technologies of the world’s largest food delivery and ridesharing platform. Merchants on Drizly will be able to benefit from Uber’s routing technology and consumer base, it says. Uber delivery drivers also will have even more ways to earn, while Uber’s rewards and subscription programs are designed to deliver even greater value to consumers with new benefits and perks on Drizly.
“Drizly has spent the last eight years building the infrastructure, technology, and partnerships to bring the consumer a shopping experience they deserve,” said Drizly co-founder and chief executive officer Cory Rellas in a statement. “It’s a proud day for the Drizly team as we recognize what we’ve accomplished to date but also with the humility that much remains to be done to fulfill our vision. With this in mind, we are thrilled to join a world-class Uber team whose platform will accelerate Drizly on its mission to be there when it matters — committed to life’s moments and the people who create them.” BI

San Diego-based JuneShine announced that Todd Karnig will join its team as chief commercial officer. Karnig will join the brand’s leadership team and oversee all sales, certain marketing initiatives and commercial strategy efforts. “We’ve reached a scale and pace that demands a veteran commercial leader, someone who has walked this path before, and can help lead us as we continue growing our business, both in a commercial capacity and as a leader in general,” said Greg Serrao, co-founder and chief executive officer of JuneShine, in a statement. “I am confident Todd will do that. He has the experience, and is no stranger to our company – he’s a longtime San Diegan whose been an early fan of our business, and someone I’ve had the pleasure to get to know over the last couple of years.”

American Beverage announces new brand
name to reflect its distinct identity

American Beverage, formerly the American Beverage Association (ABA), Washington, D.C., announced a new look and name that speaks to who the association is — a strong, united, forward-thinking industry driving solutions together on issues of importance to the communities, families and customers we serve, it said in a statement.

The ABA, which celebrated its 100-year anniversary in 1919, notes that as it moves into the next 100 years as a solutions-oriented industry, it will be known as “American Beverage,” because at its core, that is who we are, the company says. American Beverage captures the strength and unity of our industry as it moves ahead together. A new tagline, “Driving Solutions Together,” speaks to the collaborative nature of our membership and the organizations the industry works with to achieve positive results, it adds.

“This is an exciting moment for our industry,” said Katherine Lugar, president and chief executive officer of American Beverage, in a statement. “We have a lot to be proud of due to the leadership our members have shown in reducing our plastic footprint, lessening our impact on the environment and innovating with beverage choices to support families’ efforts to reduce sugar in their diet. Our new look reflects our inherent drive toward innovative solutions.”

The core strength of the beverage industry is its spirit of innovation, particularly as America’s leading beverage companies look for ways to work with community partners, government and advocacy groups on meaningful solutions that make a difference, the association says. BI

American Beverage, Washington, D.C., announced that Franklin Davis has been promoted to vice president of federal government relations, helping to lead the non-alcohol beverage industry’s federal legislative agenda and driving advocacy efforts before Congress and the Biden administration. “I’m honored for the opportunity to lead our efforts to advance American Beverage’s government affairs initiatives,” he stated. “I will work with my colleagues to further dialogue with policymakers on the important efforts being undertaken by America’s leading beverage companies, including The Coca-Cola Company, Keurig Dr Pepper and PepsiCo, and support our customers and communities across the country.”

Uncle Matt’s Organic launches new eCommerce site

Uncle Matt’s Organic, Clermont, Fla., announced that it is making its organic juices and functional beverages accessible to even more consumers through its new eCommerce site. The direct-to-consumer (DTC) platform also will offer an array of mixed product bundles and exclusive online offers, like new products, that will create a convenient and exploratory way to experience the Uncle Matt's Organic brand, it says.

The company reports that shipping currently is available to most of the East Coast, with plans to expand nationwide. The online store brings organic orange juice, lemonade and functional beverage bundles directly to consumers' doors in one to two days through FedEx.

The launch of the eCommerce site complements Uncle Matt's Organic's expansive retail presence nationwide ― the products can now be found in top retail locations nationwide including Whole Foods, Kroger, Target, Publix, Wegmans, Harris Teeter and Ingles.

"Orange juice has seen a steady increase in sales since March, as consumers turn to what they associate with immune health: a good measure of OJ," said Matt McLean, Uncle Matt's Organic founder and chief executive officer, in a statement. "Consumers have made their choice for organic orange juice clear, so we wanted to widen our product availability with the launch of our new direct-to-consumer platform. Also, consumer shopping habits have changed due to the pandemic, so we believe this is a relevant time to offer our consumers another destination to purchase and engage with Uncle Matt's Organic.” BI

Los Angeles-based GT’s Living Foods announced the formation of its new Science Advisory Board amid increased consumer needs during COVID-19 for natural products that support immunity and reduce inflammation. The inaugural board consists of five medical doctors with expertise in science, nutrition and the gut microbiome. In addition to driving and advocating for science-based research for all of GT’s products, the board will serve as a conduit to connect the greater research community and consumers to the scientifically proven healing properties of fermented foods for better gut health and digestion, the company says.