NOOMA Goes National With Whole Foods
NOOMA, a USDA Certified Organic line of coconut water-based sports drinks, has secured national distribution at Whole Foods, rolling out to nearly 400 locations in September.
The Cleveland, Ohio-based brand also recently partnered with Life Time Fitness, a health club chain with over 100 locations in 25 states, to supply all its locations directly.
Jarred Smith, co-founder of NOOMA, told BevNET the expansion into Whole Foods and Life Time Fitness fit with the brand’s goal of appealing towards fitness enthusiasts and consumers seeking natural hydration with organic ingredients.
“Whole Foods and Life Time represent where we live, which is both in the fitness world, but also in healthy eating, natural world,” he said. “We see them both as big opportunities to grow our brand.”
Starting next month, Whole Foods will begin carrying three of NOOMA’s four SKUs: Chocolate Mint, Mango and Watermelon Lime, with Blueberry Peach being the exception. Each variety will be sold individually in a 16.9 oz. Tetra Pak with a suggested retail price of $2.49. NOOMA’s 12-packs will not be added to shelves at Whole Foods.
According to Smith, the new placements bring NOOMA’s total retail footprint to around 1,000 locations, with a further 500 to follow by the end of the year. NOOMA is currently available at retailers in the Midwest and East Coast, including Earth Fare, Heinen’s, Giant Eagle’s Market District stores and select Ahold stores, including Stop-N-Shop, Martin’s Food Markets and Giant.
Kroger Expands Functional Set With Detoxwater, SOS Organic
Detoxwater announced this month that it will expand distribution to 1,500 new retailers this fall. According to a company press release, 750 of the added stores will be under the brand’s national partnership with Kroger, which includes Ralph’s, King Soopers and four divisions of the Kroger banner.
The company, which markets a line of bioactive aloe waters with some functional benefits, will support the distribution gains with the launch of two additional flavors: Appleberry (Apple & Raspberry) and Peachberry (Peach & Blueberry). The new SKUs are available now at select retailers in Los Angeles and New York, and will begin rolling out nationally starting in September.
“We’ve been eagerly awaiting this expansion and the debut of the new delicious flavors as a way to get detoxwater in front of more consumers,” said detoxwater founder Kenneth Park in the press release. “Customers are looking for refreshing, health-conscious options, and with these new partnerships we can now share detoxwater’s healing hydration with more people than ever.”
The retailer will be further expanding its functional beverage offerings this fall with the launch of a new organic version of the oral rehydration product SOS. In a press release, the company announced the new organic SOS will be rolling out nationally to Kroger stores starting in October.
Mother Beverage Makes Gains in South
Dallas-based Mother Beverage, the maker of a line of apple cider vinegar-infused sparkling beverages, has secured distribution for 165 locations of conventional grocery chain Albertsons, including stores that operate under the Tom Thumb banner, the company told BevNET via e-mail. According to Mother co-founder Allison Ellsworth, the expansion covers all of the retailer’s locations in Texas and Louisiana.
In addition, Ellsworth said the brands was recently accepted into 12 Lassens stores in Southern California.
La Colombe Teases Trader Joe’s Placement?
Based on a revealing Instagram post from La Colombe co-founder and CEO Todd Carmichael, consumers may begin seeing at least one of the super-premium coffee company’s Draft Latte products at Trader Joe’s in the near future.
On August 16, Carmichael posted a picture of someone inside a warehouse standing next to several pallets of La Colombe Triple Draft Latte cans ready to be shipped out to stores. The caption reads: “A rockstar in a refrigerator and 144,000 cans of triple Draft Latte (not all in the shot) – en route to Trader Joe’s. The rockstar stays with us.”
La Colombe confirmed to BevNET that the Draft Latte is now available at Trader Joe’s, but was not able to confirm which SKUs were being stocked or at how many locations.