"The natural-foods retailer that initially housed the product on grocery shelves and provided a built-in health-and-wellness community for small brands, positioning the drinking vinegar alongside probiotics and kombucha. After its acquisition by Amazon, the chain’s grocery model shifted toward a pay-to-play environment—requiring free product for comps, in-store demos, stocking fees, field teams to check shelving, and distributor management—which made sustained shelf success difficult for small producers without significant sales infrastructure." - Deena Prichep