Customers might love natural and specialty retailers, but lately it looks like their creditors don’t. In the past month, three long-time natural/specialty retailers, Lucky’s Market, Fairway and Earth Fare, declared bankruptcies. Meanwhile, big box retailers increasingly feature emerging brands, and e-commerce and direct-to-consumer are gaining prominence in brands’ strategies. NOSH spoke to analysts from Mintel, IHL Group, and The Hartman Group to weigh in on the state of specialty — and what it means for brands.

In the latest distribution news, Costco adds Beyond Burger and Atlantic Natural, Walmart takes on Keen One and Everipe and Veggies Made Great expands its offerings at four retailers.

Gluten-free breakfast brand Love Grown wants to wake up the tired cereal aisle. The brand, which first launched its better-for-you take on the breakfast staple in 2008, sees a bright future fueled by beans and other novel, nutritionally-dense bases and is launching new packaging — a key move as it prepares to expand into Walmart early next year.

IQ Bar is allocating some of its brainpower to the retail shelf. Though the Boston-based brand has so far garnered half its business from e-commerce, it recently entered 1,000 Kroger stores, increasing its retail footprint to about 6,000 doors.

For Mike’s Mighty Good, the goal has always been simple: consumers deserve instant soup options that are closer to restaurant quality. Inspired by the uptick in ramen restaurants, Mike’s set out to bring a similar experience and taste profile to busy consumers. Since launching in 2017, shoppers seem to have spoken (or slurped): the brand is in over 9,000 stores, including a recent entry into 3,000 CVS locations.

As part of a sprawling branding update, PeaTos this week debuted new packaging, a bolder design and new Crunchy Rings as it prepares to expand its distribution in the coming months.

Biscuits are well-loved — and not only in the South. Ayeshah Abuelhiga, founder and CEO of frozen better-for-you biscuit company Mason Dixie Biscuits, is globalizing the gospel of better biscuits, most recently doubling the brand’s reach into 4,200 stores throughout the U.S.

FBOMB has seen exponential growth as of late thanks to a rising interest in keto-friendly products and a majority stake investment made last year by Disruptive Enterprises.

Iwon organics, a high protein chip brand targeted at athletes and health conscious consumers, announced this week that it’s bringing a new protein puff line to more than 4,500 GNC stores in October.