The long weekend marks the unofficial end of summer, and retailers know shoppers are stocking up for road trips, cookouts, and back-to-routine resets. Based on Cohere Commerce reviews, these brands are resonating with customers right now for their balance of function, flavor, and convenience:
Humm Kombucha
Tropical flavors with gut-friendly benefits—refreshing for summer and easy for new kombucha drinkers.
Retail Performance Overview:
Humm Kombucha shows steady sales in Sprouts, with some stores calling it a top performer. Retailers highlight its bright packaging, flavor mix, and can format as clear shelf strengths. Promotions drive spikes, but loyal repeat buyers keep it moving between deals. While GT’s and Health-Ade often lead, Humm competes with approachable pricing and its Nitro line. Retailers see growth potential with stronger marketing and clearer brand storytelling.
Retail Snapshot
⭐ Best Sellers: Tropical flavors, Nitro line
💡 Strengths: Eye-catching packaging, flavor variety, can format
🔧 Areas to Improve: Marketing support, visibility, brand differentiation
Stellar Snacks
Bold, crunchy pretzels made with organic flour. A versatile pick for parties, lunchboxes, or road trips.
Retail Performance Overview:
Stellar is a steady but mixed mover. Many independents call Maui Monk, Simply Stellar, and Bold & Herby repeat favorites with strong taste and packaging appeal. Smaller bags (1.5–5 oz.) move fastest, while larger packs see slower turns. Some stores flag pricing pressure and competition in the pretzel set, but demos and displays consistently lift sales.
Retail Snapshot
⭐ Best Sellers: Maui Monk, Simply Stellar, Bold & Herby
💡 Strengths: Packaging, flavor, vegan appeal
📉 Challenges: Price sensitivity, slower turns in some regions
🔧 Growth Levers: Focus on small bags, demos, new flavors
Liquid I.V.
Retailers see strong demand in hot weather and travel season—fast, functional hydration that sells.
Retail Performance Overview:
Liquid I.V. sees steady awareness but slower turns in some GNC stores. Customers like the flavors, but sugar content and pricing push some toward competitors or sugar-free alternatives. Zero-sugar SKUs and seasonal launches help keep the brand relevant, though GNC’s own line and Ghost compete heavily.
Retail Snapshot
⭐ Best Sellers: Hydration Multiplier, Sugar-Free SKUs
💡 Strengths: Strong brand recognition, flavor variety
📉 Challenges: Sugar content, price sensitivity, heavy competition
🔧 Growth Levers: Push zero-sugar options, highlight value vs RTDs, seasonal flavor drops
Send Bars
Clean-ingredient snack bars with strong repeat buys. Perfect for checkout lanes or grab-and-go shoppers.
Retail Performance Overview:
Send Bars are carving out a niche in gyms, climbing shops, and outdoor-focused retailers. Performance is steadily improving, with Lemon Cherry and Peanut Cacao Crunch leading sales. Retailers note curiosity-driven trial and strong community alignment, but also cite price sensitivity, stock gaps, and mixed flavor reception. Sampling has helped unlock momentum, and consistent inventory could accelerate growth.
Retail Snapshot
⭐ Best Sellers: Lemon Cherry, Peanut Cacao Crunch
💡 Strengths: Clean ingredients, climbing/outdoor credibility, improving sell-through with sampling
📉 Challenges: Price concerns, stock-outs (notably August), Banana Bread reception mixed, unpredictable velocity
🔧 Growth Levers: Nut-free/sugar-free SKUs, consistent supply, continued gym/outdoor sampling, smaller packs + lower MOQs
Banza
Protein-packed mac & cheese that balances comfort and nutrition—popular with families and health-minded shoppers.
Retail Performance Overview:
Banza shows steady sales across natural and specialty stores, with pasta and Mac & Cheese as core movers. Packaging and in-stock consistency stand out, while pricing vs. wheat pasta and limited trial without demos remain barriers. Retailers note products sell well even without heavy marketing, but promos and endcaps boost velocity.
Retail Snapshot
⭐ Best Sellers: Pasta cuts, Mac & Cheese
💡 Strengths: Bold packaging, reliable supply, strong gluten-free appeal
📉 Challenges: Premium pricing, slower conventional sales, low trial
🔧 Growth Levers: Promos, demos, endcaps, broader comfort SKUs
Labor Day is a peak moment for functional snacks, hydration, and better-for-you comfort foods. Cohere Commerce reviews show that these brands not only fit the season but also continue to deliver repeat sales well into the fall.
🚀 At Cohere Commerce, we bring retailers closer to what’s really happening on shelves. From seasonal shifts to everyday staples, our platform helps you see how brands perform across different stores—so your next pick isn’t a guess, it’s an insight.
