As efforts accelerate worldwide to provide relief from the ravages of COVID-19, Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo Inc. and The PepsiCo Foundation announced a more than $45 million initiative focused on helping people and communities most affected by this virus.

As the COVID-19 outbreak accelerates in Europe and the United States, governments, businesses and consumers are rapidly changing behaviors. In its March 26 report titled “COVID-19 Impact: Consumer Spending Tracker for MULOC Retailers – US, UK, France, Italy, NZ,” Chicago-based Information Resources Inc. (IRI) collaborated with its partners at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) to analyze the latest consumer purchases in these respective countries.

The Coca-Cola Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Atlanta-based The Coca-Cola Co., announced it is awarding a total of $13.5 million in grants to five nonprofit organizations that are working on the front lines of the U.S. and Canadian humanitarian response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Perfect Hydration, an ultra-purified 9.5-pH alkaline water with electrolytes, recently launched three new sizes to its product lineup: a 1.5-liter, one-liter six-pack, and one-gallon bottle.

Since the acceleration of the COVID-19 outbreak across the world, governments, businesses and consumers are changing behaviors rapidly. To keep abreast of these shifts, Chicago-based Information Resources Inc. (IRI) collaborated with its partners at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) to analyze the latest consumer purchases in Italy, France, the United Kingdom and the United States in the report March 19 report “COVID-19 Impact: Consumer Spending Tracker.”

Perfect Hydration, an ultra-purified alkaline water with electrolytes, signed professional skateboarders David Loy and Dan Mancina as brand partners. In these roles, Loy and Mancina will promote Perfect Hydration’s mission to bring better hydration to the masses through its premium ionized, electrolyzed, 9.5+ pH water.

In its 2019 Retail and Sustainability Survey, New York-based CGS, a global provider of business applications, enterprise learning and outsourcing services, noted that more than two-thirds of the 1,000 Americans surveyed consider sustainability when purchasing products.

Los Angeles-based Icelandic Glacial announced a multifaceted sustainability initiative that includes plastic reduction and new packaging innovation. By 2021, Icelandic Glacial plans to use 50 percent post-consumer recycled plastic (rPET) in its PET packaging and offer its still and sparkling varieties in aluminum cans. The company also will introduce a new 3-liter packaging option for the refrigerator or counter along with a 20-liter packaging option for foodservice.

PATHWATER, Fremont, Calif., is introducing new Sparkling and Alkaline water innovations in functionally designed refillable bottles.

Victor, N.Y.-based Constellation Brands and Pittsford, N.Y.-based Karma Wellness Water, Constellation Ventures’ first minority investment in a non-alcohol brand, have collaborated to launch a new marketing campaign to optimize the potential of the Karma beverage brand and its patented cap technology.