SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The Alkaline Water Company Inc. (TSXV and OTCQB: WTER) (the “Company”), with products bottled under the trademark Alkaline88 that are available in over 40,000 retail locations across the U.S., including 39 of the Top 50 Grocers in the U.S., is pleased to announce the formation of A88 Infused Beverage Division, Inc., a wholly owned Nevada corporation (“A88 Infused”). A88 Infused will focus on brand extension and product innovations in the healthful water category.
Products in Development
“We are excited to announce the launch of our new A88 Infused Beverage Division, Inc. Our national success with Alkaline88 and expertise gained in the enhanced water segment makes A88 Infused a logical step in Alkaline88’s brand evolution. We have partnered with industry leaders and experts to develop healthful products using the technology currently used by Alkaline88® as their foundation,” stated Richard A. Wright, President and CEO of The Alkaline Water Company Inc.
“Consumer demand for enhanced and functional beverages is at an all-time high. Over 83% of consumers want some sort of nutritional or functional benefit in their water. A88 Infused is capitalizing on this trend with the planned launch of four new products centered around growing trends in the beverage space. A88 Infused is uniquely positioned to dominate these emerging beverage markets through our already established nationwide footprint of Alkaline88,” said Richard A. Wright, President and CEO of The Alkaline Water Company Inc.
New Products Coming Soon to Market Will Include:
- Hemp-derived CBD infused Alkaline88 water
- Naturally Flavored Alkaline88 water
- Natural Sparkling Alkaline88 water
- Alkaline88 infused with Natural Vitamins and Minerals
“We expect these new products to be all natural and plant derived. Each of the four initial areas were chosen based on our current customer demand, consumer demand, and market potential. Each new product line is already in various stages of development. Management feels the formation of A88 Infused will hasten their speed to market while maintaining our momentum with our lead product, Alkaline88®. On October 17th of this year, CBD will be legal throughout all of Canada and is already legal in the U.S. We feel it is imperative that our hemp-derived CBD infused Alkaline88 water, along with each of the other products planned, be available for purchase throughout Canada and the U.S. We hope to be announcing many milestones over the next few months as we expand our brand offerings. Each product line was chosen based on our belief that consumers will embrace an infused Alkaline88 healthful product line. A brief overview of our current vision is outlined below,” concluded Mr. Wright.
Hemp-Derived Cannabidiol (CBD) 10 mg Infused Alkaline88 Waters
Our hemp-derived CBD infused Alkaline88 water, which will be bottled in the 500 ml size with dosage of 10 mg of hemp-derived CBD per bottle, fits squarely within the growing CBD market trend. Throughout 2018 we have been investigating and analyzing beneficial partnerships in the Hemp based CBD market and have made great progress. The Hemp Business Journal projects that the worldwide CBD market will grow from $202 million last year to $2.1 billion by 2020, and Greenwave Advisors Matt Karnes believes that the worldwide CBD market will reach nearly $3 billion by 2021. Consumer interest in CBD has risen to all-time highs as researchers explore the potential medical benefit of cannabidiol.
Natural Flavored Alkaline88 Waters
Akaline88 has been working for over 12 months with a major flavor house to develop all-natural flavors for a late 2018 or early 2019 launch. Flavored water is considered by many US consumers to be healthier than soft drinks, and contain less calories as compared to carbonated drinks and juices. According to Statista, 5.9 million US households will have flavored water drinks in 2018. In addition, per a Beverage Marketing 2017 report, wholesale dollar sales of flavored water products increased from $10.3 million in 2006 to $58.3 million in 2016. Growth rates have accelerated significantly in the past three years. The essence water segment is expected to double to $118 million in 2021.
Natural Sparkling Alkaline88 Waters
Alkaline88 has made it a company objective to become the first and best tasting natural sparkling alkaline water. From 2011 to 2016, carbonated water grew 70.4 percent by volume and flavored water grew 59.5 percent. During the same time period, still water grew only 29.9 percent, while sweetened beverages, like soda, declined 8 percent by volume. Nearly 574 million gallons of sparkling water — $6.1 billion worth — were sold in the U.S. in 2016, the last full year of data, according to Beverage Marketing. And that figure was expected to reach 790 million gallons and more than $8.5 million in 2017, compared to just 263 million gallons and $2.6 billion in 2011.
Alkaline88 infused with natural vitamins and minerals
Per Statista, consumer preferences in water includes not only flavor and sparkling but also natural and GMO free. Alkaline88 has been exploring various water-soluble plant derived vitamins and minerals as a way to deliver the benefits of vitamins and minerals within a water beverage. Our primary focus so far has been directed towards natural vitamin combinations that support energy and vitamin B-12 infusions. We believe that each of the above categories and certain stand-alone products can be developed with the exciting emerging technologies and will allow us to be leaders in this emerging trend.
The Alkaline Water Company Inc. (TSXV and OTCQB: WTER) has developed an innovative, state-of-the-art, proprietary electrolysis process that produces healthy alkaline water for a balanced lifestyle. The Company is focused on the business of distributing and marketing for retail sale of its cost-effectively packaged Alkaline88 water beverage products. Visit: www.thealkalinewaterco.com.
About Alkaline Water Products
Alkaline88 is a premier 8.8 pH balanced bottled alkaline drinking water enhanced with trace minerals and electrolytes. The product offers consumers the unique opportunity to purchase alkaline water in conveniently packaged 500-milliliter, 700-milliliter, 1-liter, 1.5-liter, 3-liter and 1-gallon sizes. The Alkaline Water Company Inc. is currently in the midst of a national mass-market expansion program, where the product is already available for consumer sales at a growing number of major retail locations across many parts of the United States. Learn more about the science behind alkaline water by visiting www.thealkalinewaterco.com.