LifeAid Beverage, juggling mix of targeted brands like FitAid, GolferAid, FocusAid and PartyAid as well as broader LifeAid line, is adding to infrastructure as it broadens range from CrossFit gyms and natural/specialty retailers to conventional grocers and, heading into 2018, c-store and drug chains.

Its hair-raising relocation from Charlottesville, Va, birthplace to Philadelphia now completed, juice maker Lumi is eyeing capital raise in Q1, seeking refrigerated DSD distribution in key Northeast metros and tinkering to see whether it can get one of its 2-oz shots to shelf-stable status.

Like Starbucks not so many years back, Chobani yogurt co seems to maintain hold on minds of biz journalists out of proportion to its still-modest size, about $2 bil in sales. So media was all over it when co unveiled rebranding intended to broaden reach beyond Greek yogurt into broader health & wellness realm. New look drops "Greek Yogurt" from beneath Chobani brand name and adopts more muted off-white tone than bright white of current look. Ingredients that are currently portrayed via photos now move to more folksy art treatment often used by marketers to connote craft and authenticity these days. New brand statement declares Chobani to be "Fighting for Happily Ever After." Expect lotsa activation around "building communities" when co celebrates 10th anniversary in Feb, it promised. "What this new identity enables us to do is start to seed, if you will, us going into other areas beyond yogurt," its chief marketing & commercial officer, Peter McGuinness, told AP yesterday. Elsewhere he spoke of Chobani becoming a "food-focused wellness company." But he wouldn't say what new foods or products it might make, or when it would happen, AP noted. That said, recall that co has built biz around drinkable yogurts and last spring brought on as new coo the longtime Nestle Waters vet Tim Brown (BBI, Mar 7). And, in connection that may or may not prove relevant down line, Chobani founder Hamdi Ulukaya has become key investor in La Colombe, Philadelphia-based roaster and cold-brewed coffee marketer. Our efforts to reach out to Brown weren't successful.

Looks like we went a bit around the Bend in our coverage of intriguing new cold-brew launch in Oregon yesterday: tho Riff Cold Brewed Coffee production facility is located in Redmond, just north of Bend, as we reported, its future taproom will be situated right in town, not at facility, cofounder Paul Evers politely pointed out. (He was by no means Bent out of shape about mistake but we still apologize.)

We'd noticed things had gone quieter with Whynatte Latte, and spotted some plaintive consumer social media threads asking about whereabouts of coffee/energy mixer brand as this past summer progressed. Tho we haven't gotten response yet to call we placed Mon, it's looking like founder Jesse Altman may have suspended Atlanta-based brand and segued into new phase of career as mktg commns and brand dir at local architecture firm TVS Design, whose projects include massive expansions of Jacob Javits Center in NY and Las Vegas Convention Center (meaning Jesse now is working to make your future Fancy Food and NACS show-going experiences more pleasant). At least, that's what we've gleaned from his LinkedIn page.

In move that might be viewed as symbolic of seismic shifts echoing thru food/bev biz, Dean Foods may be poised to become 3d major company to exit powerful lobbying group Grocery Mfrs Assn, tho why isn't yet clear. Pending move was reported by Politico, which suggested other mfrs including Mars may be eyeing exit too. (No comment from Dean or Mars to Politico report.) Recall that, after spinning WhiteWave plant-based nutrition co to shareholders a few years ago, Dean has been scrambling to rebuild major presence in healthier-bev space, acquiring Uncle Matt's organic OJ co, investing in Good Karma Foods and setting joint venture with organic-dairy co-op Organic Valley.

CSD volume declined 5.2% last 4 wks thru Nov 18 in Nielsen all-outlet data reported by Morgan Stanley's Dara Mohsenian. That's compared to 4% decline for 12 wks while CSD pricing relatively unchanged at -1.5% for 4 and 12 wks. Coca-Cola volume off 3.9% last 4 wks (vs -1.8% for 12 wks) as avg prices edged higher to +2.7%. Unusually, Coca-Cola's diet CSDs actually down less (-3.5% vs -4%) than full-calorie brands last 4 wks. PepsiCo CSDs fell further, off 7.8% last 4 wks on avg price increase of 0.6%. Dr Pepper Snapple decline of 2.9% for 4 wks was generally in line with 12-wk trend. Avg price increases for DPS down a bit to avg of +1.7%. Private-label volume was down 5.8% last 4 and 12 wks. Avg prices were cut further to -2.8% for last 4 wks.

Broadening its explorations of how consumers might employ their countertop sparkling water makers, resurgent SodaStream has unveiled alcoholic concentrate that's claimed to resemble a Riesling wine when added to home-made sparkling water. Limited-time offering keyed to holidays is dubbed Sparkling Gold, yielding 10% ABV drink when mixed in recommended ratio of 5 parts water to 1 part concentrate. It's offered in 200-ml gold-tinted glass bottle that supports 12 glasses of the heady stuff . . . Reed's Inc said it tapped Maxim Group as dealer/mgr for rights offering that's intended to raise $10.5 mil to $14 mil, including related backstop offering.