GTI Next Step in National Push for Cann
Carrying the banner for cannabis-based alcohol alternatives, Cann continued its nationwide expansion this week by partnering with Chicago-based Green Thumb Industries for manufacturing and distribution in Illinois.
Venice, California-based Cann, a former New Beverage Showdown champion, markets a line of THC and CBD-infused “social elixirs” in 8 oz. cans. The brand’s focus on positioning the drink as a better-for-you substitute to alcohol has helped attract investors like Goop guru Gwenyth Paltrow and former NBA star Baron Davis.
Last January, Illinois became the 11th state in the U.S. to legalize recreational cannabis for adult-use. Greenthumb plans to take Cann into additional legal markets, the next being New Jersey.
Describing the current market climate as an “unique time,” Greenthumb founder and CEO Ben Kovler noted that momentum for expanding the legal cannabis industry was growing among state governors and individual consumers.
“The consumer is guiding us towards more cannabis products; people under 35 aren’t reaching for beer, they want alternatives,” he said. “Governor Wolf in Pennsylvania, Governor Lamont in Connecticut — they want this. It’s too many jobs and too much tax revenue.”
RUBY Debuts at Whole Foods Northeast
Whole Foods shoppers in the Northeast can expect to see a new product in store coolers next week: Ruby, a new line of organic hibiscus water.
The New York-based brand was created by Noah Wunsch, a former Paris Review executive and ex-Sotheby’s Global Head of eCommerce, who told BevNET he became “obsessed” with hibiscus while on the hunt for a natural way to tame his sugar cravings.
“I realized there was an interesting opportunity with hibiscus as a hero ingredient in beverage — there aren’t many plant-based water alternatives on the market that have 0 sugar, 0 calories, no additives, are organic and still have big bold flavor,” he said in an email.
Starting this month, shoppers can find Ruby in Whole Foods Market stores in the Northeast, where it will be available in unsweetened and lightly sweetened (4 grams of sugar) varieties in 10 oz. bottles ($3.99) and 12-packs ($45.00).
Wunsch’s background in art and design are echoed in Ruby’s bright and playful branding, dubbed the “Rubyverse.” The company has been building pre-launch awareness via a weekly newsletter dispatch “focused on cultural curation,” he said, which features content ranging from videos to profiles to shared playlists. Ruby’s Instagram page — which has highlighted the work of illustrator Sharmila Banerjee — and its forthcoming website, launching March 15, are set to continue building on that aesthetic.
“We feel strongly that it’s important to be a value-add brand for our customers,” Wunsch said. “We’re grateful for their support, and we want to be able to give them deeper insight into what inspired Ruby and the Rubyverse (and hopefully have some fun along the way).”
Canadian Convenience Update: Morning Recovery Debuts, Guru Expands
This week was particularly abuzz with news from up north, as both More Labs and GURU sought to grow their respective presence at c-store retailers.
For San Francisco-based More Labs, the company behind anti-hangover shot Morning Recovery, Canada marks its first international expansion for its flagship product. The drink will be entering all 640 7-Eleven locations nationwide starting in May.
In partnership with distributor Coldhaus Direct, the brand aims to grow to more than 5,000 points of distribution in Canada this year, according to a press release.
The move represents a homecoming of sorts for More Labs founder Sisun Lee, who grew up in Toronto, and other members of the team.
“We are already selling online through morelabs.com and Amazon in Canada,” said co-founder Lee in a press release. “Since our founding team and our first set of investors are all Canadians, we can’t wait to bring our products to our friends and family back home.”
The company’s U.S. retail partners include 7-Eleven, Circle K, Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, divisions of Whole Foods, and Safeway.
Meanwhile, Montreal-based organic energy drink maker GURU is pushing further into c-stores this month with the announcement of its availability at a pair of national chains.
GURU’s four varieties — Original, Lite, Matcha and Yerba Mate — are set to enter 1,130 Circle K locations and 140 Winks locations across Canada this month, taking it to nearly 3,000 points of sale outside of its home province of Quebec. The new stores will complement the brand’s existing c-store footprint with Couch-Tard in Quebec.
“We are very pleased to exapnd our national presence through listing in Circle K and Winks stores, thanks to the success of our brand in Couche-Tard’s locations in Quebec and our solid partnership with the undisputed leader in the convenience store industry,” said GURU president and CEO Carl Goyette in a press release. “The high-velocity convenience channel is core to our growth strategy and with the first 2021 launch announcement we are well on our way to achieving our goal of increasing our points of sale in Canadian markets outside Quebec to over 5,000 by the Spring of 2021.”
CTRL Goes National with Vitamin Shoppe
Gamer-focused meal replacement brand CTRL is looking to level-up IRL with this week’s announcement of its entrance into all 750-plus Vitamin Shoppe locations nationwide.
The launch marks the first step into brick-and-mortar retail for the brand since it debuted online in October 2019. Vitamin Shoppe will begin stocking three SKUs — featuring “bottom of a cereal bowl” flavors like Cinnamon Toast, Fruity Flakes and Cocoa Crunch — and will also collaborate with CTRL on a campaign to raise awareness of the brand and of “the importance of healthy dieting and nutrition in gaming and esports.”
The powdered shakes contain proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, healthy fats, BCAA’s, vitamins and minerals, prebiotic fiber, MCTs and digestive enzymes.
“As a former professional gamer, I saw the toll that poor nutrition and diet could have on our community and felt it firsthand,” said Skyler Johnson, co-founder of CTRL. “But before CTRL, nobody was connecting gamer culture, performance, and easily accessible nutrition. We’ve championed this cause, and the gaming community has returned our support with tremendous loyalty. It’s exciting to continue giving back to the community that gave me my start and to grow it even further with a physical presence through The Vitamin Shoppe.”
Shimmerwood Heads to Vermont
Shimmerwood Beverages has expanded the retail presence for its line of full spectrum CBD-infused seltzers into the Green Mountain State.
All three flavors of Shimmer Seltzer — Razz Lime, Ginger Orange and Just Hemp — are now available at both the Manchester and Bennington, Vermont locations of Vermont Hemp Farmacy, a family owned retailer focused on sustainable and healthy products.
Vermonters can also now purchase the seltzers online in 4-packs ($20) and 12-packs ($50.00).
“We are excited to have a Vermont location for our customers to find and purchase Shimmer Seltzer. Located in Waterbury between Burlington and Montpelier, this is our first Vermont retailer, Vermont Hemp Farmacy,” said Shimmerwood president Chuck Mascari in a release. “As we continue to expand our regional coverage we have been self distributing until we select a local distributor. Vermont Hemp Farmacy was founded on a philosophy of well being. Vermont Hemp Farmacy sells high quality CBD products and we are thrilled that they see our product as a fit for their customers.”
So Good So You Makes Midwest Moves
Shots rang out in the Midwest this week as organic juice brand So Good So You entered 50 Whole Foods Market stores in the Midwest region.
Since pivoting to focus exclusively on functional refrigerated juice shots several years ago, the Minneapolis, Minnesota-based company has charted continuous growth to over 5,000 stores in 47 states, doubling sales in 2020 for the third year in a row, according to the company. Riding the momentum behind increased consumer interest in immunity products, the brand introduced a pair of new immunity-boosting shots, one featuring camu camu and the other featuring elderberry juice.
“We are so excited to be on the shelves at Whole Foods Markets — it fulfills a long-held dream for us,” said co-founder Rita Katona. “Whole Foods mirrors our So Good So You brand promise to provide functional foods that are sustainably produced— it’s truly a perfect match for us.”
NERD Focus Enters Wisconsin
Cognition-centric performance drink NERD Focus has arrived in the Badger State with the announcement that the brand has partnered with Bill’s Distributing to launch the product at family and employee-owned grocery chain Festival Foods.
“With the regional success NERD has seen in both large and small stores, growing NERD Focus’ presence in retailers across Wisconsin was the next step for the brand,” said CEO of BevUSA, Howard Davner, in a press release. “Working alongside Bill’s Distributing to initiate this rollout felt like a perfect match. They service many local Wisconsin stores that have such a loyal customer base, and the entire team centers their work around customer service, which is important to us at NERD Focus.”
In addition to its presence in 40+ Festival Foods locations, NERD Focus will also enter independent grocery chains and convenience stores across the state in its two flavors: Green Original and Blue Zero Calorie.
“When choosing what new brands to start working with, we always consider how they can bring added value to our customers,” said Cory Giertz, Vice President of Sales at Bill’s Distributing. “NERD Focus uses vitamins and other nutrients that aren’t commonly found in traditional energy drinks, and Bill’s Distributing immediately loved that unique differentiator. We think the stores we service will thoroughly enjoy this new option and we look forward to continuing our partnership with NERD.”