Stack 'Em, the double-can insulated beverage holder developed through InventHelp, is expanding its brick-and-mortar footprint with a placement at The Paper Store, a specialty gift and lifestyle retail chain. The addition follows existing distribution through Scheels, Amazon, and the brand's own direct-to-consumer site at StackEm.net — a channel mix that mirrors how many emerging beverage accessories brands are building retail density today.
The product itself is straightforward: a spring-loaded, insulated sleeve that holds two standard cans, sized to fit car cup holders and offered in multiple colors. A 16 oz Double model for slim cans rounds out the line. The concept originated with inventor Andy Beier, who wanted a hands-free way to keep a second cold drink within reach while floating on a lake in Duluth, Minnesota — a consumer insight that travels well into tailgate, boating, and outdoor-hospitality contexts.
Why Specialty Retail Matters
For operators and buyers tracking beverage accessory trends, the The Paper Store placement is instructive. The chain occupies a distinct retail lane — gift-forward, lifestyle-driven, skewing toward impulse and occasion purchases — that is increasingly attractive to beverage and kitchenware brands looking to move beyond mass-market channels. Stack 'Em's recognition as a 2026 International Housewares Association Global Innovation Award finalist in Kitchenware, and its acceptance into the IHA New Product Showcase at The Inspired Home Show 2026, gave the brand third-party credibility that likely supported the retail conversation.
This distribution pattern — DTC plus specialty sporting goods (Scheels) plus marketplace (Amazon) plus lifestyle gift retail (The Paper Store) — reflects a deliberate multi-channel build that avoids early dependence on a single mass retailer. For brand launch teams and distribution strategists, it's a useful case study in sequencing retail doors to build velocity data before approaching a Walmart or Target conversation.
What Operators and Vendors Should Watch
Beverage accessory demand is being shaped by the broader premiumization of the at-home and on-the-go drinking occasion. Insulated drinkware and carry systems have moved from commodity to style statement, and products that solve a specific situational problem — keeping a second drink cold and within arm's reach — tend to perform well in gift-retail environments where the buyer is solving for someone else's experience.
For hospitality operators running pool decks, marina bars, or outdoor event programming, double-can formats also point toward a consumer expectation: back-to-back drink service built into the product rather than dependent on staff. That is a subtle but relevant signal for beverage program design and merchandise planning.
Suppliers and co-manufacturers in the insulated drinkware category should note that slim-can compatibility is increasingly table stakes, not a premium SKU feature, as hard seltzers and functional beverages continue to dominate the 12 oz slim format.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
