partiful & phia - new waves in gen z consumer tech

+ the latest in consumer

hi friends, i feel like every time i’m finished wrapping up a blog piece, there are 10 new pieces of CPG articles that I’d love to capture here, one being that Chobani just acquired Daily Harvest, a great portfolio addition. With Greek yogurt on a (sustainable) high, Chobani also gets to be part of new eating occasions with its core customers, as Daily Harvest can be a meal replacement or offer better nutritional benefits relative to yogurt, depending on a customer’s needs.

i’m a long-time consumer of Chobani, circa 2012 when i was eating Chobani vanilla yogurt with sliced almonds every day as a mid-day snack (yes, i was a healthy queen while doing long division!). Safe to say that i’m excited about the direction Chobani is headed towards.

happy reading!

💡what’s up with gen z:

1. group buying is officially here

Instacart just launched Fizz, an app where customers over 21 can place a group order for one address. Even better, the app can link to your Partiful account so guests can select and pay for their snacks and drinks to bring to the event.

Instacart’s Fizz app lets customers ages 21 and older place a consolidated order for one address. The launch boosts Instacart’s presence in the party-planning space as the grocery technology company continues to find ways to reach digitally engaged shoppers.

This partnership is perfect, as Partiful is the go-to app for Gen Z to share edgy and fun party invites. Despite starting during the pandemic, Partiful has added 2 million new users in 2025 and is competing with large incumbent players, such as Eventbrite and Evite.

But I see no problem in Partiful making its way as the top event platform for young consumers. Especially with Fizz coming right in to help making the “split the bill” conversation a lot easier to have😄

2. sustainable fashion app incoming…enter Phia

Bill Gates’ daughter and her Stanford roommate, Sophia Kianni (look her up - she is queen of climate sustainability!), recently co-founded Phia, an AI-powered fashion app to help consumers make smarter and more sustainable fashion choices. The app tracks pricing data across 40,000 online retailers and promotes lower-cost alternatives. It also pulls in options from second-hand platforms, such as The RealReal and Poshmark.

There are a couple tailwind effects that I believe will help Phia thrive:

1. more consumers are renting clothes - Nuuly, in particular, has seen explosive growth and is turning a profit this year. In Q3 of 2024, they were growing almost 50% YoY, totaling $97M. I hear about Nuuly at work all the time - it is an incredible way to have a rotating work wardrobe at only $98/month. In pursuing this channel, consumers are already thinking about sustainability in their fashion choices, making them a target group for Phia.

2. easy conversion from Pinterest - Pinterest is at a record high of 570M monthly active users, growing at 10% YoY (super impressive for a company this old!). Phia closely resembles Pinterest, which offers a set of options and links to items that align with what you search or pin in your profile. However, Phia is moving with the AI curve, where Pinterest is currently lacking, so I can see consumers that are “active Pinteresters” start using Phia for their shopping.

3. two brands loved by teens, according to Piper Sandler’s 40th Semi-Annual survey

This semi-annual survey is super helpful in doubling down on which brands young consumers are still loyal to despite the increasing fragmentation in each of these markets. Here’s a quick summary:

• Clothing & footwear: Nike

  • Not surprised, but I’m BORED of seeing Nike!! I haven’t seen any striking innovation from them the past few years so I honestly hope consumers are more choosy on what occasions they should lean back on Nike vs. explore brands that have investing $$ into large marketing campaigns

• Beauty: E.L.F

  • I love seeing a drugstore brand dominate this category. In my 2025 predictions in the consumer piece, I talk about how E.L.F. hit $1B for the first time and continues to see steep growth. A brand with a broad presence that also leans into its position of being a “dupe” brand is successfully winning over Gen Z and Alpha consumers.

📰the latest in consumer:

food & beverage:

• Fruitist, known for its jumbo blueberries, is worth $1B

• Sprite overtakes Pepsi as the third-highest selling soda

• Verde Valle Foods acquires A Dozen Cousins, a brand specializing in rice, beans, and seasoning sauces inspired by Latin American and Caribbean cuisine

• Minneapolis-based Fit Butters reaches $5M in five years

• Habiza Hummus, founded by a 22-year-old, launches in Target

health & wellness:

• Touchland gets acquired for $880M

  • who would’ve thought that hand sanitizer would have its moment with Gen Z

• Allure just released their 2025 Allure Readers’ Choice Award Winners

• Drunk Elephant sales plummeted 65% in the first quarter of the year

  • I mean that’s what happens when you build a target audience of 12-year old girls that have no income and no sense of brand loyalty. The girls have moved on, and Drunk Elephant is facing the consequences.

• Laneige just launched limited-edition matcha and taro flavor lip products

  • these would be SUCH good gifts

beauty & fashion:

eBay just released a 2025 trend report to share data on shopper behavior in fashion - a few highlights:

• Birkenstock rose as the fastest-growing brand selling pre-loved items, beating out luxury brands like Goyard and Tiffany & Co. This is clear evidence that consumers are not only purchasing luxury items on eBay but also items positioned as everyday lifestyle.

• 5 apparel trends based on eBay searches globally:

  • workwear staples with a “western” twist

  • pastel colors, such as pistachio and butter yellow

  • power outfits with unique touches, such as sculpting material and defined waists

  • modern bohemia with suede, chiffon, fringe, florals

  • denim in new forms, weaving in cultural touch and versatile styles

retail:

• Target launches 10,000 new items for the summer

• Megan Thee Stallion launches a size-inclusive swim line at Walmart

• Texas Roadhouse launches 3 new dips at Walmart

  • This is not healthy for my condiments obsession…

• Dick’s Sporting Goods plans to acquire Foot Locker in $2.4B deal, allowing Dick’s Sporting Goods to gain international exposure as Foot Locker spans 20 countries

🛍️things i’ve been loving:

• i never feel full from a bar - protein bar, granola bar, anything in bar form - but Hershey’s ONE Reese’s peanut butter protein bars are to die for

• it’s AAPI month, so my office is stocked up with Asian snacks. these honey butter chips are amazing

• LiquidIV golden cherry flavor with cut-up strawberries OVER ice

• it’s so close to summer, so i had to snag some red Mary Jane shoes that are perfect for warm weather office attire

thanks for reading,

Sanjana