January 11, 2023:

This week in tabs: Here's what's new in commerce and culture

Happy New Year Thingtesters!

Yellowbird Foods, the habanero hot sauce brand, has started to sell refill bags for $63. There's a subscription service too...but I don't know anyone who would go through that much hot sauce in a month. Refill bags are not a novel concept. Public Goods hand soap, Cyklar body cream, and Homecourt surface cleaner all have their own versions of sustainable refill products, but this is the first time I've ever seen a refill bag of HOT SAUCE.

Acid League is closing its online shop on January 31st and moving strictly to retail. So far, they've released 3 Instagram posts explaining more about the closure and responding to outrage from customers. Along with the online shop closure, the brand is discontinuing 22 products, including hot sauce, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil. Sad day for Acid League enthusiasts. I'm interested to see how their company transforms as they start prioritizing in-store locations.

Krispy Kreme has brought back their Biscoff-flavored donuts in 3 different flavors: Cookie Butter, Cheesecake, and Chocolate Iced Cookie Butter Crunch. The only time I've ever eaten a Biscoff cookie is when I've been offered them on flights, but these donuts sound tempting. I'm excited to see what new partnerships Krisy Kreme will release in 2024.

Thingtesting's very own Emma Chozick has become a TikTok star. Here's Emma reporting on Thingtesting's new Try Things program, and here's one of my favorite videos about Flamingo Estate. If you need furniture inspiration, new DTC brands to follow, or just want to spice up your TikTok "for you" page, go follow Emma.