Today in the Connected Economy: Pepsi Distributes Alcohol; YouTube TV Marks 5M Subscribers

Today in the connected economy, as food and beverage companies deal with inflation, PepsiCo begins using its distribution network to help sell alcohol from the Boston Beer Co.

Also, YouTube TV celebrates five years and five million subscribers, and Capital One Business launches an accounts payable solution with the help of B2B payments platform Melio.

Pepsi Turns to Hard Stuff to Combat Inflation

Food and beverage giant PepsiCo has been leveraging its distribution network to distribute alcohol from The Boston Beer Co., parent company of Samuel Adams and Truly Hard Seltzer, and other alcoholic beverage brands, under subsidiary Blue Cloud Distribution.

The company, which was formed last year and distributes Hard Mtn Dew, has gained alcohol distribution permits in some U.S. states, including Florida, Iowa and Tennessee.

On an earnings call with analysts Tuesday (July 12), CEO and Chairman Ramon Laguarta discussed goals for the Blue Cloud business.

“We want to leverage our assets for distribution,” he said. “We think, in alcohol, we can bring new brands to the market. We don’t want to be a distributing … many brands, and a very complex set of brands … We’d rather focus on a few large consumer opportunities and put them through what is a very powerful DSD [direct-store delivery] system.”

YouTube TV Marks 5 Years, 5M Subscribers

After five years in business, YouTube TV has amassed five million subscribers, the streaming service announced on its blog.

“When YouTube TV started out, a group of engineers climbed onto the roof of YouTube headquarters while holding an antenna in order to build a prototype,” the blog post said.

“Based on this experience, we almost settled on calling the YouTube TV you know and love today as “YouTube Air.” And within the team that worked on this product, our project codename was ‘Unplugged.’ (Watching TV without a cable box — get it?)”

ERP Firm Acumatica Expands Shopify Partnership

Acumatica has expanded on its relationship with Shopify, the cloud enterprise resource planning (ERP) firm said, using Shopify’s new B2B solution, which enables merchants to employ Shopify to manage B2B and direct-to-consumer (D2C) stores in a single platform.

Acumatica said the Shopify B2B solution will become available to Acumatica customers in two phases, the first coming in September as part of the Shopify’s semiannual product update. The second is set to arrive in the first quarter of 2023.

“Our ongoing partnership with Shopify has allowed us to provide our customers with innovative business management solutions that help them scale their online and in-store retail operations,” said Acumatica Director of Product Management Josh Fischer.

Blackhawk Network, Klarna Partner on Flexible In-Store Payments

Branded payments provider Blackhawk Network and buy now, pay later (BNPL) platform Klarna are working together to bring Klarna’s payments solution to a variety of physical retail stores.

The collaboration will meld BNPL capabilities with Blackhawk’s U.S. network across a range of categories, tapping into Blackhawk’s payments technology integration with major retail partners.

“During a time of strained budgets and increasing costs, our partnership with Klarna is a significant development for retailers and grocers who are focused on meeting the needs of consumers and enabling them to shop how they want, where they want,” said Brett Narlinger, who heads global commerce for Blackhawk.

Yapily, Soldo Team to Help SMBs Manage Payments

Open banking platform Yapily and spend management company Soldo have teamed to help European businesses maintain visibility over their payments and keep tabs on spending.

“Leveraging Yapily Payments, Soldo customers can top up their Soldo account directly from their business bank account,” Yapily announced on its website.

From that point, customers have funds added to their accounts instantly, streamlining account funding and accelerating the process of getting funds into Soldo. Merchants don’t need to leave Soldo’s app when making a top-up transfer, giving businesses a better user experience.

Melio, Capital One Launch Accounts Payable Tool

Capital One Business and B2B payments platform Melio have teamed up to develop an accounts payable solution.

“This strategic partnership will enable Capital One small business cardholders to pay their vendors and suppliers with a card — even if they do not accept credit cards — directly from their Capital One Business account,” the companies said in a news release.

The partnership is designed to let Capital One Business cardholders access more flexible payment options and streamlined workflows, letting them better manage their cash flow while getting rewards and cash back on purchases.