Target Is Leaning Into Food And Beverage, Giving Emerging Brands A Retail Platform Like Never Before

FROZEN

SNACKS

GoNanas Mini Muffins

GoNanas has a longstanding relationship with Target that is now expanding from the baking aisle to the snack aisle. Its Blueberry, Cinnamon Roll and Chocolate Chip pre-made mini muffins are a mass retail Target exclusive through early 2027, at which point more flavors will roll out into Target. GoNanas considers Target its innovation partner, so between its baking mixes and mini muffins, many new exclusive flavors will continue to roll out into Target stores across the country.

The banana bread-centered baking brand now enters the snacking category with its fresh take on nostalgic mini muffins that are allergen-free, school-safe and an all-around satisfying bite first thing in the morning or as an afternoon snack, bringing to life its core baking mixes without the oven.

“Target has seen the vision and leaned in with us,” cofounder Morgan Friedman tells me. “They worked with us to bring cutting edge innovation to the set and meet the Target consumer where they are. It’s allowed us to grow immensely as a brand and bring better-for-you baked goods to the mass channel.”

Fancypants Cookies

Pepperidge Farm premiumized the cookie category, then Tate’s continued that momentum. Fancypants is today’s next chapter of that story. The flaky, bite-sized cookies that sit on the shelf in its fancy red pouches make every day of the year feel like a holiday party, and Target is invited. Fancypants has an elaborate line of cookie flavors, but Target carries its Chocolate Chip, Salted Caramel and S’mores cookies in about a third of its stores across the country. Fancypants Mint Chocolate and Ginger Snap cookies will be ringing in the holiday season this year at nearly every Target location, as nothing is more festive during the holidays than the perfect conversation-starter cookie.

“We’ve built a wonderful business in some powerful and specialty retailers, but Target, as a national mass retailer, lends a different kind of legitimacy to our products and brand,” founder Maura Duggan tells me. “It gives us major national recognition and an opportunity to become known by a lot more shoppers.”

Duggan is a former neuroscientist who started a specialty fresh cookie business about 20 years ago, then launched Fancypants as consumer packaged cookies only about two years ago, scaling the business efficiently, while demonstrating that consumers still want snacks like cookies to be made with high-quality ingredients without over-functionality.

“For the last five to ten years, much of the cookie category has been about restrictions or what cookies don’t have–allergen specific products or cookies making dietary claims. Our cookies are about the core of the cookie category: indulgence. We have more butter, more chocolate and more flavor than our competitors. We only use pantry ingredients, and you can truly taste the difference.”

Mosh Protein Bars

After former First Lady of California Maria Shriver lost her father to Alzheimer’s, she and her son, Patrick Schwarzenegger, decided to use their platform to bring more awareness to brain health. The result is MOSH. MOSH bars are the first and only bars to exclusively feature Cognizin’s proprietary Citicoline, the brain-health nutrient, as part of its signature ‘brain blend,’ which also includes lion’s mane, ashwagandha, and omega-3s. Most recently, MOSH launched a protein version of its bars, including 20-grams of protein in addition to its brain blend, and creatine. They just launched 4-packs exclusively in all Target stores in Peanut Butter Cup, Chocolate Sea Salt and Oatmeal Chocolate Chip flavors, and single serve bars in about half of Target

“Roughly eight in ten shoppers who bought MOSH at Target had never bought MOSH before. Through Target, we are introducing brain health nutrition to more people,” Schwarzenegger says.

Shriver had a previous relationship with Target through other work, and always wanted to have Target as her primary retailer. “Target is where families shop, and it is where women make the decisions for their households,” Schwarzenegger adds. “Two out of three Alzheimer’s patients are women. If you want to reach the caregivers, you go where the caregivers already are.”

Every MOSH bar sold benefits the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement at Cleveland Clinic. “Brain health used to live in the supplement aisle, in clinical packaging, behind language most people could not easily understand. What is new at Target is that it now lives in the lunchbox aisle, next to the granola bars, in a format people already reach for every day,” Schwarzenegger says. “The bigger we get at Target, the more research gets funded. The two are inseparable by design.”

REFRIGERATED

Sunnie Lunch Packs

Lunchables finally has a real competitor. Sunnie Snacks is about to launch its ‘lunch packs’ at most Target stores across the country, including its Taco Pack, Jam Pack (exclusive to Target), and Pizza Pack, which will roll out in late 2026. Each Lunch Pack includes Sunnie’s classic dippers plus a variety of other snacks like granola bars, meat sticks or a block of cheese.

It’s a full circle moment for Sunnie, the health-forward kids snacking brand that has cleaned up legacy staples to make parents satisfied with convenient options. When cofounders Katy Tucker and Lisette Howard started the company several years ago, the initial goal was to create a full lunchbox that makes parents’ lives easier, but quickly realized it would take longer to succeed at the venture, pivoting to a more simple dippable snack format, which have been on many Target shelves since 2023. Now, they are ready to bring their original concept to shelves.

“Target has been a dream partner as we’ve scaled Sunnie,” Tucker tells me. “Not only are the buyers in HQ extremely supportive, but so are many other ends of the business–whether it be their inventory planners working with us on forecasting or their marketing teams boosting ads with our content. They truly have leaned in and care about the success of an emerging brand like Sunnie.”

Sunnie’s lunch packs are the perfect example of Target’s focus on platforming healthier versions of legacy brands. “Target originally wanted to launch in 2027, but quickly saw that this will be a great fit with Target’s wellness strategy so fast-tracked it for September of 2026,” Tucker says. “With a partner like Target we can finally reach the corners of America where families are asking for a product like Sunnie.”

Petit Pot French Puddings

Petit Pot’s single-serve line of delicious French custardy desserts have been in many Target stores for several years, but this Fall, Target will expand its offerings to include Petit Pot’s Chocolate Pudding with Protein with 10g of protein per cup. You’d never know the indulgent puddings made with whole milk and real chocolate have added protein in them.

“Petit Pot has traditionally been the little treat at the end of the day. Protein gives us permission to show up at 3pm too,” CEO Eric Lallart tells me. “While people may put protein in the “better-for-you” bucket, we try not to think about food that way. We prefer ‘better-made,’ real ingredients, sensible portions and something genuinely worth eating.”

Petit Pot is in a strong growth phase at the moment, and heading to Target shelves in a more convenient format, standard pudding cups rather than its signature glass cups, makes the product more kid-friendly, accessible overall and provides more options to consumers.

“Petit Pot is built around a simple French idea–small is enough when it is truly satisfying,” Lallart says. “The Protein range is just another expression of that philosophy–nourishment without turning food into a calculation.”

Painterland Sisters Skyr Yogurt

In just a couple of years, Painterland Sisters has become one of the defining yogurt brands in America with its nutrient-dense skyr yogurt that has a captivating consistency. Target has taken notice too and is now bringing the yogurt to more than 500 of its stores in Vanilla Bean, Meadow Berry and Savannah’s Peach flavors.

Painterland Sisters is a farmer-owned brand rooted in founders Hayley and Stephanie Painter’s family dairy farm in Northern Pennsylvania. Through their regenerative organic yogurt brand, the sisters are showing the importance of supporting small family farms. They saved their own family farm from being sold by figuring out how to create a mainstream product that’s now beloved by Americans across the country and sold at Target.

“Launching at Target is an incredible opportunity to introduce Painterland Sisters to more families and make nourishing food more accessible. It will also allow us to meet consumers where they already shop while bringing the story and impact of family farming to more communities,” Hayley Painter tells me. “It connects more consumers to the direct source of their food, the American farmer. Beyond what’s inside the cup, every purchase creates a ripple supporting family farms, strengthening rural communities, and helping preserve a way of life for generations to come.”

Mooski Overnight Oat Bites

Target has enabled Mooski to expand its offerings of refrigerated overnight oat products, recently launching its chilled, creamy, chocolate-coated overnight oat bites in several hundred stores. With a successful rollout, Mooski Cookie Dough and Peanut Butter bites are about to expand to nearly 400 Target stores in nearly every major region.

“Launching in Target has provided us with even more credibility with other retailers, investors and consumers, and has helped us grow our revenue,” founder Robert Broome tells me. “We received feedback that a lower-calorie, portion-controlled product would really resonate with consumers given the growing adoption of GLP1s and an overall trend towards more intentional snacking, so we developed the individually-wrapped bites [compared to full-size bars].”

Target took a chance on an emerging brand like Mooski–which is now the only overnight oat bite product on the market. The refrigerated aspect of Mooski makes it particularly unique, adding a refreshing element and no need for artificial preservatives. “Our overnight oat bites offer Target shoppers a truly unique indulgence and texture experience, that is also low in sugar, calories and made with clean ingredients.”

Conlin adds: “We’re seeing a refrigerated snacking trend in general. We have a legacy with Once Upon a Farm who brought in some of the refrigerated products with even cleaner ingredients and a bit more of a fresh-forward approach–the perfect blend of a better-for-you trend meets something that’s fun and indulgent.”

BREAKFAST

BEVERAGE

Houseplant THC Sparkling Water

Target is taking risks, most notably shown by permitting THC beverages on its shelves. Founded by Mikey Mohr, Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, Houseplant is a low-dose hemp-derived THC sparkling water in Citrus, Black Cherry, Pineapple and Blackberry flavors–an expansion of Rogen’s Houseplant brand stemmed in premium cannabis accoutrement. Houseplant is currently sold at Target stores in states that permit THC beverages–Texas, Florida and Illinois, with Minnesota launching shortly–nearly 400 stores.

Although there are looming regulations set to go into effect in late 2026, Target has been working with Houseplant to navigate the waters and was still willing to bring the brand into its stores. “Target has made our products more accessible to a broader audience,” Mohr tells me. “Rather than requiring consumers to visit a specialty retailer, we gain exposure to general shoppers who can now discover and purchase our beverages while making their regular Target run. That convenience has helped introduce the brand to new consumers who may not have otherwise encountered us.”

The low-dose (3mg) THC beverage category provides an easy pathway into consuming these types of beverages for consumers who may have some initial hesitancy, showing them that it is quite a mild feeling. “Ahead of our launch, the Target THC set did not have 3mg beverages…We were one of the first companies to ever launch a low-dose THC beverage,” Mohr says. “We strongly believe that the low-dose consumer is the fastest growing segment of the market.”

Daizy’s Social Soda

Another THC Beverage, Daizy’s markets itself as a social soda, providing an alternative to alcoholic beverages but for those who still want to feel a buzz, and Target is giving a rare retail platform to the growing business, selling six different flavors and a variety pack in Texas, Illinois Florida and Minnesota stores.

“When we entered the category, the zero-sugar, zero-calorie options were there but consumers had limited options for a true soda experience without excess sugar,” founding partner Jill Johnson tells me. “Daizy’s sits in that happy medium.”

Providing shelf space to not just an emerging brand, but an emerging category like THC beverages is a risk that Target does not need to take, but sees the strong and growing opportunity. Minnesota, where Target is headquartered, is, after all, a leading state in advancing the normalization of cannabis. “Target has been a strong advocate for hemp-derived THC beverages,” cofounder Josh Miller tells me. “As an emerging brand, it’s an amazing feeling to have the support of such an influential retailer. It helps raise awareness about the category and provides Daizy’s with the opportunity to share our brand with their shoppers.”

Conlin adds: “Some of this is tied to the wellness and better-for-you trends that are happening–shifts away, for some guests, from alcohol consumption, and something approachable for newcomers into the category.”

Leisure Hydration

As the hydration beverage market becomes an increasingly crowded category, Leisure Hydration continues to enable its growth by launching permanently in Target this Fall. Its Lemonade, Wild Blueberry and Tropical Mango flavors launched nationwide after a three-month seasonal test proved to Target buyers in just a few weeks that the product could succeed on shelves with a stronger commitment.

“The Target launch helps us reach millions of customers that currently shop us on Amazon or see us on social media but haven’t yet tried us in person,” cofounder Steve Michaelsen tells me.

Founded by two former Division 1 athletes, Leisure provides the electrolytes and hydration that the Michaelsen brothers always felt quenched with while they were athletes, but felt deprived of when they entered the business world. “We’re truly a lifestyle hydration drink, not a sports drink of the past or a boring vitamin water in a plastic sports bottle,” Michaelsen says. “Leisure is positioned as something you can have all day, everyday, to feel your best.

Wild Orchard Black Matcha

As matcha becomes a mainstay, Wild Orchard is providing the latest innovation in the category. Instead of powderizing green tea to make green matcha, the Regenerative Organic Certified company based on Jeju Island, South Korea is powderizing black tea, offering a richer, chocolatier taste than what matcha is typically known for. Target is the product’s exclusive retail partner and views this product as its premium matcha option.

A premium product like this rolling out at Target before natural retailers is a signal that Target can be a go-to for optionality. “Target took the category on before anyone else would, which says something about how they think about innovation and wellness,” cofounder Michael Ham tells me. “We are a single-origin farm brand with a product most people had never heard of, and they gave it a shelf first.”

Wild Orchard applied to be in Target three times before getting the green light. At Expo West 2025, Ham got the opportunity to meet with the Target buying team, got invited to its Minneapolis headquarters, where Ham was expecting to simply start a relationship with its tea buyers and have them sample the black matcha. He was told on the spot that Target would bring on Wild Orchard in 2026. “I was taken aback. The best part was watching people who told me flatly that they ‘don’t like matcha’ try it and change their minds,” Ham says. “They are not waiting for a trend to be proven elsewhere before putting it in front of their shoppers. With a customer base that size, Target is in a position to drive the healthy- lifestyle conversation rather than follow it.”

Conlin adds: “Our guests respond really well to matcha and warm beverages, so the category trends are very strong at Target. Organic is something that we feel has still a lot of relevance with our guests and the regenerative side of that is another step forward.”