ROAR Organic Expands in 7-Eleven
ROAR Organic, the maker of a line of organic sports drinks, has expanded nationwide into over 6,300 7-Eleven locations, the company announced this week.
The announcement marks a leap into the convenience channel for ROAR, which to date has primarily targeted natural channel and grocery accounts. But according to president Alexandra Galindez, the company is not immediately planning to focus on expanding in c-stores beyond the 7-Eleven partnership. Instead, ROAR will focus on driving sales in the chain and growing consumer awareness through in-store and digital marketing before seeking to add more accounts.
“Normally for natural brand convenience is a little further along that path,” Galindez said. “But I think the reason why you this is so attractive for ROAR is because it’s in the cold box and there’s a timeliness of people needing an elevated hydration product that also, by the way, has all of these benefits people looking for as they’re trying to keep themselves healthier than ever.”
In addition to 7-Eleven, ROAR is available in retail chains such as Wegmans, Albertson-Safeway, The Fresh Market, Fresh Thyme, King’s, Gelson’s, Bristol Farms and Mother’s Market.
The expansion will be accompanied by a health-focused marketing campaign that will promote the product’s ingredients — including electrolytes and antioxidants — as contributing to consumers’ overall wellness. Galindez noted that as the pandemic has prompted consumers to think more about their health, ROAR’s take rate has increased and marketing efforts will tie the brand to general health and safety tips encouraging shoppers to get flu shots and wear masks. In addition to in-store signage, the campaign will include a social and digital component driven by influencers and brand ambassadors.
The expansion comes as 7-Eleven continues to diversify its beverage offerings with better-for-you and natural drinks to attract new customers.
“By bringing a product like ROAR where we do tend to skew female, we’re just bringing in a different kind of customer to 7-Eleven,” she said. “So the partnership is a real win-win, I think, for both parties.”
Harmless Harvest Launches Ecommerce
Premium coconut water maker Harmless Harvest is going online for the first time, launching its flagship SKU direct-to-consumer and on Amazon.
The brand’s original coconut water product is available for $48 per 12-pack of 12 oz. bottles. Additional SKUs are expected to launch online in the coming months.
As all its products are refrigerated, Harmless Harvest has long focused on scaling market share in retail. However, as the brand finds its ACV in natural surpassing 90% and in MULO over 50%, CEO Ben Mand said the company has turned to ecommerce.
“Historically, always winning at shelf was critical, and that is still important,” Mand said. “But what is very obvious to us now is winning the couch. And that is not only in the sense of ecommerce, DTC and whatnot, but it’s also the things like Instacart, or Prime Now, Amazon Fresh and all those other platforms where you’re having food delivered.”
The launch comes 10 months after the announcement of a brand refresh, which was unveiled at Winter Fancy Food Show 2020 in January. The revamped portfolio saw the addition of several new products, including coconut-based yogurts and protein shakes, as well as new label designs on its core products. In March, Harmless Harvest debuted a line of flavored coconut waters, including Cucumber Mint, Strawberry Rose and Watermelon flavors.
According to Mand, the company struggled to launch the new products in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that many retailers had frozen category resets and consumers were not browsing or seeking out new products, and were instead focused on getting in and out of stores as quickly as possible. More recently, however, Harmless Harvest has ramped up its efforts to grow the new products’ presence in existing retail partners.
To adapt, Harmless Harvest has shifted its marketing strategy by ceasing field activations and partnering with third party merchandisers. The company will work with Amazon to promote the products as well as utilizing social and digital channels to attract new and existing customers.
“There will be dedicated marketing dollars,” Mand said. “And what we like about that is the way we look at it, it’s not only supporting those individual businesses and driving growth on those platforms, but there’s a media impact and halo to the overall business.”
Jèn Collagen + Aloe Vera Drinks Grows Footprint
SPI West Port, the parent company of ALO Drink announced this week that its Jèn Collagen + Aloe Vera line has added several new grocery channel partners nationwide, including Sprouts Farmers Market, Fresh Thyme and Stop & Shop.
The line, which launched at Winter Fancy Food Show 2020 in January, contains 2500 mg of marine collagen tripeptides per 12 oz. bottle and is available in Blood Orange & Lemon, Apple & Lychee, and Peach & Plum varieties.
According to SPI West Port VP of Sales Mike O’Conner, the line is currently available in over 1,500 doors nationwide. Since March, the brand has added chains nationwide such as Jewel-Osco, Kowalski’s, HyVee, Central Market, Gelsons, Nuggets and the Southern division of Albertsons.
O’Conner noted that the roll out for the line has been slower than anticipated due to the pandemic, with many of the brand’s accounts having agreed to carry the Jen line early in the year but delaying the roll out. He said the company is now aiming to re-engage its field marketing efforts to drive product trial and is hoping to add mainstream retailers such as Target, Walmart and Rite Aid next year.
“We’ve been talking about enhanced water with Kroger and some of the big guys for awhile [about new innovations] and ALO had really started getting a good position,” O’Conner said. “But it matured. So I think this gives us an opportunity to have another play in the plant-based water category and it really adds some innovation.”
Lemon Perfect Enters Wegmans
Lemon Perfect announced this week it has added over 100 Wegmans stores in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions. In an email to BevNET, the lemon water maker said the retailer will carry its Just Lemon, Blueberry Acai, Dragon Fruit Mango and Peach Raspberry flavors.
“We are excited to be available in Wegmans because of their innovative spirit and plan for growth within the retail community,” said SVP of sales Mike Sharman in a statement.
Tractor Beverage Company Adds B.GOOD Locations
Tractor Beverage Company announced in press release today that it will roll out its organic lemonades into B.GOOD fast casual restaurants this month,
“Adding Tractor’s products to our menu is an exciting evolution of the lemonades we first introduced to our customers 17 years ago,” said B.GOOD CMO Hadrien Delande in the release. “Now our guests can enjoy delicious, entirely natural drinks made with real ingredients paired with their favorite burger, sandwich, bowl or salad.”
B.GOOD will carry Tractor’s Organic Lemonade, Organic Blackberry Mint Lemonade and Organic Stone Fruit Lemonade varieties. The products are made with natural sugarcane and feature additional ingredients such as turmeric and apple cider vinegar.