Boston Beer ended 2022 on a positive note with help from easy comps and an extra week of its fiscal year. Shipments finished slightly better than revised guidance (and well ahead of initial BMI estimate), down 3.8% to 8.18 mil bbls (-4.6% to 8.11 mil bbls for comparable 52 wks). Still more than double its volume in 2017, a relatively recent low point after posting 2 yrs in a row of ~6% declines 2016-2017. Net revs also more than doubled to $2.09 bil in that time, including slight 1.6% gain in vs 2021 as net rev per bbl rose 5.6%. Yet after another year of high COGS and operating expenses, including obsolescence, impairment and contract brewing shortfall fees, Boston operating income just $90.8 mil (4% oper margin) and net income at $67.3 mil in 2022. Co made 1/5 less on oper income and 1/3 less on net income than in 2017 with more than 2X volume.

Acceding to its visitors' requests, Stumptown Coffee chain is making oatmilk the default creamer choice at its network of US cafes. "It's undeniably delicious, for starters," it explained in email burst to customers. "It's also the milk most requested by customers. But what really tipped the scale for us is that oatmilk has a lower climate impact on average than cow's milk." Those who prefer dairy milk will continue to be served Neutral brand, which works with farmers to reduce carbon footprint at source, then makes up difference by investing in dairy projects across US. JDE Peet's unit didn't specify from whom it sources its oatmilk . . . Ocean Spray Cranberries growers co-op said it's lured Karen Forney, svp of finance for N Amer at Hain Celestial, to serve as its cfo effective Feb 27. She'll lead financial planning & analysis, corporate controller, corporate development, procurement and transformation teams, reporting to prexy/ceo Tom Hayes. Farmer-owned co noted that Forney hers

Federal Trade Commission has opened up another front in its efforts to protect consumers from predatory marketers, this time pursuing its first enforcement action involving "review hijacking." Target was supplement power The Bountiful Company, which was accused of "abusing a feature of Amazon.com to deceive consumers into thinking that its newly introduced supplements had more product ratings and reviews, higher average ratings, and '#1 Best Seller' and 'Amazon's Choice' badges," agency said. It accomplished feat by merging its new items on Amazon with different well-established products that had more ratings, reviews and badges, FTC contended. The loophole is that ecomm platform allows this for narrow variants - say, a different color - of an existing item. The tactic may be new, said Samuel Levine, dir of agency's Bureau of Consumer Protection, "but is still plain old false advertising." Bountiful Co, which markets familiar brands like Nature's Bounty and Sundown, is paying back $600K for infraction, FTC reported. FTC cited internal memo it had unearthed in which Bountiful execs describe using tactic on newer items "to try and ramp them faster as they were NOT selling and we wanted to give them a little boost."

Even 170-year-old consumer products mfrs can change their game. That's plan at Dole Packaged Foods, which is unveiling functional supplement platform called The Secret Nature of Fruit as "transformative step" as co "transitions into a health and wellness company," per announcement yesterday from privately held player based in Westlake Village, Calif. The push is starting with a line of Fruit-Powered Vitamin Chews this month, followed in late Apr by Probiotic Sodas containing 15% fruit juice and 2 bil live probiotics. Those will debut in Tropical Passionfruit, Spiced Pineapple and Refreshing Peach flavors to be augmented with a fourth later in year, with SRP of $2.69.

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Talk about a happy meal. This week in 1970, INSIGHTS reported McDonald's chain was testing a new lunch that included a hamburger, with a Michelob draft, along with a salad and dessert for about $2.

Constellation Brands appointed Ricardo Dalmas as senior veep of strategy, insights and analytics (SIA), "leveraging data and consumer-centric thinking to inspire what is next for Constellation's brands, innovation, channels, and investment," co announced. Ricardo joined in Jan, according to LinkedIn, and "brings significant consumer and corporate strategy, insights and analytics, and brand and commercial leadership experience to the role." Most recently, Ricardo was with Nestle USA, "where he led the Consumer & Marketplace Insights team" across food & bev divisions. Before that, Ricardo "led strategic initiatives" at real estate investment trust Ventas Inc, and previously held leadership roles at McDonalds and PepsiCo, STZ added. He will be working directly with Mallika Monteiro, exec veep of chief growth, strategy and digital for Constellation Brands, as the SIA team functions as part of the broader growth, strategy & digital org for STZ across the beer, wine and spirits.

Plenty of early yr action in state legislatures as advocates seek to build energy behind various alc bev issues. As expected, bills to expand access of spirits-based RTDs continue to show up across US. This wk, Texas legislators intro'd bill to allow such products to be sold everywhere malt bevs can be sold, expanding retail oppys from estimated 3,200 locations to over 30K, DISCUS shared in release this morn. Bill also supported by TX Food & Fuel Assn, trade org for oil & gas industry in the state, including c-stores, which clearly seek oppy to sell spirits-based RTDs.