Crystal Light is getting boozy with new lower-calorie Vodka Refreshers
Crystal Light is getting boozy with new lower-calorie Vodka Refreshers
Show Caption
Hide Caption
Shoppers in U.S. increasingly turning to smaller food brands
Industry consultants say Unilever, Kraft Heinz and Nestle are all facing smaller, fast-growing independent brands.
Powdered drink brand Crystal Light is launching a ready-to-drink cocktail in a can that will be available in some stores this month.
The new Crystal Light Vodka Refreshers are a lower-calorie alternative to the hard seltzers on the market, parent company Kraft Heinz said in a press release. The drinks will also be lower in alcohol content, coming in at 3.8% ABV.
Nearly 20% of Crystal Light fans already used the product as an alcohol mixer, according to the press release.
'With tens of millions of social media videos showcasing creative ways to mix Crystal Light into cocktails, creating a delicious lower-calorie vodka refresher was a natural step for us,' said Jeremy Kross, Director of Beverage Mixes at Kraft Heinz said in the release.
More: Krispy Kreme unveils new doughnut collection in honor of St. Patrick's Day
New Crystal Light Vodka Refreshers coming in two flavors
The new Refreshers, made in collaboration with Barrel One Collective, will be on shelves at select retailers in the U.S.'s Northeast region in March.
The initial release comes in the flavors Wild Strawberry and Lemonade, Crystal Light signature flavors, with triple-filtered vodka and some carbonation. More flavors and expanded availability are expected to occur in 2026.
The four-packs will sell for $9.99.
Kinsey Crowley is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at kcrowley@gannett.com, and follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
This Top Warren Buffett Dividend Stock Is Trading at a 5-Year Low. Time to Buy?
Kraft Heinz's dividend is usually more attractive than it is right now, assuming it can continue to reward shareholders at the current level. The company is struggling with sales, and profits are modestly pressured. The stock isn't for everyone, but the business is far from falling apart. 10 stocks we like better than Kraft Heinz › As arguably the greatest investor of all time, Warren Buffett has made relatively few mistakes in his decades of investing. But Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ: KHC) was one of them. According to Buffett, Heinz overpaid for Kraft in 2015, which was a deal that Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A)(NYSE: BRK.B) was involved with and mistakenly promoted. Kraft Heinz stock has lost two-thirds of its value over the last decade and now sits at five-year lows. However, Berkshire Hathaway continues to own about 27% of the company. This equates to about 3% of the value of Berkshire's stock portfolio, meaning it's still a top Buffett stock in spite of its poor performance. Buffett wishes he had paid a more attractive price for his stake in Kraft Heinz. But that's not the same as saying he wishes he had never invested in it. In other words, he doesn't necessarily regret owning a stake in the business, as evidenced by the fact that Berkshire continues to hold. The interesting thing here is that Warren Buffett loves dividend-paying stocks, and the dividend for Kraft Heinz looks particularly attractive today. This is measured with the dividend yield, a metric that refers to how much an investor is paid per the value of their investment. An average dividend yield is somewhere around 2%. In comparison, Kraft Heinz has a much higher dividend yield of about 6%. As the chart shows, Kraft Heinz usually has a high-yield dividend, but the payout is also currently elevated compared to its 10-year average. Investors who buy today could consequently be rewarded with good dividend income. And if the company raises its dividend in coming years, it would only get better. That said, when a dividend yield gets as high as Kraft Heinz's, it usually means that investors believe its dividend isn't safe. That's the question for investors today: Is Kraft Heinz's dividend safe, making its yield attractive today? Or is its currently attractive yield merely luring investors into a trap? Kraft Heinz owns a portfolio of well-known consumer brands, including eight billion-dollar brands such as Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, Heinz Tomato Ketchup, Velveeta, and Lunchables. Unfortunately, many of its brands have declining sales, particularly in key North American markets. This is the beginning of its problems. One might argue that Kraft Heinz is caught in the middle. Among brand names, social media influencers hold more sway than ever, and many are launching their own branded packaged-goods products that have an immediate fan base. And people who are more price-conscious are willing to trade down to cheaper unbranded products. With heightened competition in the branded space, sales for Kraft Heinz's products are challenged. So the company is trying to compete better on price. But this means that profits are falling by a larger amount. Take its latest quarter as an example. For the first quarter of 2025, Kraft Heinz's organic net sales fell by nearly 5% year over year. But its operating income fell by 8%. When thinking about the safety of the dividend, this is a problematic trend if it continues. Kraft Heinz is looking to make "strategic transactions," which could include selling off something in its portfolio or buying another business. That said, I think shareholders should tap the brakes before getting too excited. The company has incredibly large debt load of nearly $21 billion. This potentially limits how big a buyout it could pursue. Moreover, Kraft Heinz would need to sell a big, important brand to make a dent in its debt. But it would ideally keep the best brands for itself. Apart from strategic transactions, I believe that Kraft Heinz's shareholders should hope for stability. The business likely won't grow much -- people only eat so much food. But maintaining would still be good, because it usually has a stellar operating margin of around 20%. Kraft Heinz can further improve its business by reducing some operating expenses. Management believes it can reduce costs by about $1 billion between now and the end of 2027, which would be helpful in sustaining the dividend. For investors looking for top-line growth or even dividend growth, Kraft Heinz stock might not be the best option right now. Moreover, some trends in the business are negative and could affect the dividend if they continue, which is something to keep in mind. That said, my outlook for Kraft Heinz is much more hopeful. Sales have only dropped modestly, and the business is still strong, as evidenced by its profit margins. Therefore, I'm inclined to say that the dividend is safe and could be attractive for investors who are purely looking for income. Before you buy stock in Kraft Heinz, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Kraft Heinz wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $669,517!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $868,615!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 792% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 171% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 2, 2025 Jon Quast has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Berkshire Hathaway. The Motley Fool recommends Kraft Heinz. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This Top Warren Buffett Dividend Stock Is Trading at a 5-Year Low. Time to Buy? was originally published by The Motley Fool
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Shrinkflation may be returning for 2025
(WHTM) — After months of rising costs, you may notice some grocery store prices holding steady. But, we may still be paying more. Remember shrinkflation, that trending term a few years ago when it seemed every grocery product was getting smaller? Well, for 2025, it's back. Just when it seemed manufacturers had taken a breather from shrinking their products, it seems they have found some new ways to give us less. The site Consumer World shared photos of the latest items to downsize, including Simply Orange, which it claims recently shrunk from 52 to 46 ounces. Others include: Crystal Light: from six packets to four; Bounty Paper Towels: Consumer World says their triple rolls have shrunk from 135 sheets to 123; Ruffles Potato Chips: Consumer World says they were nine ounces but are now eight and a half, though the site says the amount of air inside the bag looks to be the same. And, from the 'Doesn't That Stink' file, the fact that manufacturers continue to find new ways to shrink products that have already been downsized, according to Consumer World's Ed Dworsky. 'There's almost no product category, except eggs maybe, that hasn't been downsized over the past few years,' Dworsky said. Despite the run up in egg prices the past year, he points out that you still get a dozen in a carton, but shrinking to ten eggs is always a possibility. Download the abc27 News+ app on your Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick, and Apple TV devices The good news is that we have been seeing less shrinkflation this year, possibly because so many items are already so small. Find more stories on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Procter & Gamble slashing up to 7,000 jobs amid restructuring effort
Procter & Gamble on Thursday said that it will cut up to 7,000 jobs, or 15% of its non-manufacturing workforce, over the next two years as part of a broader restructuring effort. "As always, employee separations will be managed with support and respect, and in line with our principles and values and local laws," P&G said. "Specific impacts by region or site are not available at this time." The two-year restructuring plan comes as consumer goods giants P&G and Unilever brace for muted demand in 2025, stemming from growing uncertainty due to U.S. tariffs. P&G's restructuring is not a reaction to a specific part of the external operational environment, which includes tariffs and other global headwinds. Disney Cuts Hundreds Of Tv And Film Jobs Amid Streaming Expansion "This is not a new approach, rather an intentional acceleration of the current strategy… to win in the increasingly challenging environment in which we compete," P&G executives said at a Deutsche Bank Consumer Conference in Paris on Thursday. With the organizational changes, P&G said it is seeking to make "roles broader, teams smaller, work more fulfilling and more efficient, including leveraging digitalization and automation." Read On The Fox Business App Under the restructuring, it is also looking to adjust its portfolio. That could include exiting some categories, brands and products in certain markets, as well as some possible brand divestitures. Chevron To Lay Off Approximately 200 Employees In Texas In 2025 Its portfolio changes will help "drive various benefits, including efficiencies, faster innovation, and cost reduction" within its supply chain as well, according to the company. "Looking ahead, consumers face greater uncertainty. Competition is fierce. The geopolitical environment is unpredictable. And technology is rapidly transforming nearly every aspect of daily life," P&G said. "At the same time, we can unlock significant growth by better meeting the needs of currently unserved and under-served consumers, expanding into new segments, and growing markets to best-in-class levels." The company said "disciplined execution of our integrated growth strategy and even more disciplined resource allocation" would help the company pursue "growth opportunities" and deal with "increasing near-term challenges." The maker of Tide detergent and Pampers diapers had about 108,000 employees as of June 2024. Microsoft Will Lay Off Nearly 6,000 Employees In Push For Efficiency P&G expects to record charges of $1 billion to $1.6 billion before tax over the two-year period, with a quarter of the charges expected to be non-cash. Reuters contributed to this article source: Procter & Gamble slashing up to 7,000 jobs amid restructuring effort
