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GORGIE’s Target Takeover, AI Shopping Is Here, and the Wellness Brand Making Hydration Human

GORGIE’s Target Takeover, AI Shopping Is Here, and the Wellness Brand Making Hydration Human

Every once in a while, you can feel the market shift in real-time — this was one of those weeks.

On one hand, you’ve got a new wave of wellness brands going mainstream without sacrificing mission. On the other, AI is reshaping the entire e-commerce playbook right under our feet.

In this week’s breakdown: – The rise of GORGIE and what it says about modern brand building – Why ChatGPT’s new shopping features are a massive warning sign for SEO – How one founder is rethinking hydration with community, not clout

Let’s get into it.

Tech of the Week: Dash.fi

Ad spend = one of your largest line items. Dash.Fi gives brands 3%+ cashback via a charge card + software that collects refunds from Meta and Google for invalid (bot) traffic.

For high-volume spenders, this is one of the easiest ROI wins you’re probably not using yet.

Book a Call → Dash.fi

🚨 GORGIE Raises $24.5M Series A, Expands to 1,900+ Target Stores

Breakout wellness energy brand GORGIE just closed a $24.5M Series A led by Notable Capital — bringing total funding to $37M.

Founded by Michelle Cordeiro Grant (ex-LIVELY), GORGIE is taking on the $20B+ energy category with a clean-label, creator-powered playbook. The momentum is real:

  • 5x YoY growth in 2024
  • #1 fastest-growing energy drink in the U.S. natural channel
  • Reorders every 8 days on average
  • 1.6B+ organic impressions across social
  • Launching in 1,900+ Target stores this summer (with a Pink Lemonade exclusive)

Backed by early investors in Airbnb, TikTok, and Peloton — GORGIE is proving that wellness + hype + velocity isn’t just possible… it’s happening.

More: getgorgie.com

🧠 ChatGPT Is Coming for Google’s Lunch — and It’s Bringing a Shopping Cart

OpenAI just dropped native shopping functionality inside ChatGPT, and it’s a big one.

Here’s what’s rolling out:

✅ Ask for product recs → get real items with buy buttons✅ No ads. No sponsored links. Just AI-powered curation✅ Click-to-buy → straight to retailer

It’s like Google Shopping—but smarter, faster, and frictionless.

Why this matters:

  • Search is changing. People won’t read 3,000-word reviews — they’ll just ask AI and buy.
  • Ad models are vulnerable. Google stands to lose real e-comm dollars if this scales.
  • Affiliate, SEO, and review-based models need a serious rethink.

OpenAI’s targeting $125B in revenue by 2029 — and AI-powered shopping could be a massive piece of that puzzle.

A Founder’s Story

Brand: SULT

Henry Porpora & Milly Goldsmith

SULT is the hydration brand for people who move — but aren’t trying to be athletes. Founded in the UK, they’re cutting through the noise of performance-obsessed wellness brands with a product that feels more human, more fun, and a lot more relatable. Think real ingredients, thoughtful packaging, and a brand that actually gets it.

What inspired you to start this brand, and what were the first steps you took to bring it to life?

I started this brand because I saw a gap between performance-driven health brands and the everyday person who just wants to live a little healthier without feeling like they need to be an ultra-athlete. I’ve always been into fitness — probably more than most people in my circle — but even I felt like a lot of brands weren’t speaking to me in a relatable way. I wanted to create something that simplified hydration for normal people who move, who care about feeling good, but who also aren't trying to be professional athletes.

The first steps were a lot of ideation around the brand’s purpose, audience, and voice — then building product samples, obsessing over packaging and touchpoints, and making sure we had a brand mission that we could authentically live ourselves. Millie and I sat down in September to map things out seriously, and from there it’s just been non-stop momentum.

What sets your product apart in a crowded market?

We’re not trying to sell a dream of being elite — we're normalizing movement and making hydration a part of everyday life. Our brand isn’t intimidating, it’s welcoming. It’s about feeling better, not feeling pressure. From a product standpoint, we obsessed over the details — everything from the way the box feels in your hand, to the tiny elements like hiding salt grains in the barcode. It's all about creating a brand people actually want to interact with every day, not just when they’re chasing a marathon PR.

What’s been the biggest challenge so far, and how did you overcome it?

Honestly, just the sheer volume of things to do with such a small team. It’s been mainly me and Millie (and Alex), and juggling operations, customer service, retail conversations, content creation, and brand building — all in the same day — can be overwhelming. I’m not naturally the most organized person, so it’s been about learning to prioritize, trusting the process, and leaning on the team when things feel like too much. Keeping the momentum going even on the days where it feels hard — that’s been key.

How are you approaching growth in these early stages—what channels or strategies are most important to you?

Organic content has been everything for us. LinkedIn unexpectedly became one of our highest-performing sales channels after we decided to treat it more like Instagram and TikTok — making content that’s native, fun, and engaging instead of overly corporate. It's proof that if you make great content, you can stand out anywhere.

Outside of that, it's been about building strong brand touchpoints — from the packaging to how we show up at events. We’re not pouring money into paid ads right now; it’s all about community and authenticity.

One year from now, what does success look like for you and the brand?

In one year, I want us to be sustainably growing — not chasing unrealistic hockey-stick growth curves, but building steadily and making a real impact. I want the brand to be properly established in the UK hydration space, known for making hydration approachable, not intimidating.

Longer term — five years from now — I’d love for us to be across the pond, too. I want someone walking into a store in the US and seeing our brand on the shelf. That’s the big dream: build something meaningful here, then scale it globally without losing the heart and mission that started it.

Watch Full Convo Here →

Events Worth Bookmarking

These are on our radar — RSVP while you can:

Brand of the Week: Jacked Granny

The cleanest protein bar you’ve ever seen.

Jacked Granny is keeping it simple:

  • 16g of protein
  • ~180 calories
  • Just a few real ingredients
  • No junk, no filler, no BS

It’s protein without the weird stuff — and it's starting to pop up everywhere.

→ jacked-granny.com

That’s the Word for This Week

If there’s one takeaway: Build something that feels real.

AI might reshape how we shop, but community still wins. And as this week shows — breakout brands are scaling by staying human in a fast-moving space.

Thanks again for reading.

If you’ve got something launching, hit reply — we’re always looking to spotlight what’s next.

—Zach

P.S. If you found value in this breakdown, consider sharing it with a friend or colleague who's interested in brand building, consumer trends, or the future of retail. And as always, hit reply with any thoughts — I read every message.