Boisson Partners with Drizly to Broaden Reach of NA Portfolio
Non-alcoholic beverage boutique Boisson has partnered with alcohol ecommerce platform Drizly to offer its catalog of over 125 NA brands to consumers across the country.
Founded in 2021, Boisson sells a variety of NA spirits, wines, beers and alcohol alternatives online through its direct-to-consumer platform and in its 10 retail locations across New York City, Los Angeles and San Francisco. As part of the partnership with Drizly, products will be available for on-demand delivery in those three cities and can be shipped for delivery in 2-5 days in the 28 states serviced by Drizly.
According to Boisson co-founder and CEO Nick Bodkins, the retailer grew in-store sales nearly 5x last year while its online sales were up almost 10x. He noted that the bulk of NA alternative consumers are not necessarily looking to cut out alcohol entirely but are instead seeking “more mindful” and sober curious approaches to alcohol occasions, making a partnership with an alcohol delivery platform like Drizly an ideal way to reach those consumers where they’re already shopping.
“We were sort of marching towards what everyone likes to call ‘Dry January,’ but for most of our customers it’s not a month that they decide to do this, it’s an overall approach to health and wellness,” Bodkins said. “And so this just becomes another easy place for someone on the go to get everything they need in one spot.”
In its 2022 Retail Report, Drizly found that non-alcoholic beverage categories grew 29% year-over-year from 2021 while 22% of retailers reported that NA products overperformed expectations.
Bodkins suggested that as consumers discover more options for NA brands sales will likely continue to grow and that dealcoholized wines, canned cocktail brands such as De Soi and Ghia, and distilled zero-proof spirits appear the best positioned to benefit from increased exposure. Many of the brands Boisson is bringing to the partnership will be debuting on Drizly for the first time, he added; “Even consumers that may not have a store anywhere near them that carries these products, it’s no longer only in markets where they can get it the same day.”
While Boisson has its own ecommerce store that ships nationwide, Bodkins said the Drizly partnership is about enhancing rather than replacing its online business. Currently there are no major consumer marketing plans around the partnership, but the two companies intend to work together to promote new products on the platform.
“I think that if consumers find us and find these brands on Drizly first, we’re happy for that to happen,” he said. “We think of it more as a product discovery and education moment for people to potentially add some stuff that they might not have otherwise.”
Mela Water Expands in New Markets
Watermelon water brand Mela Water announced a nationwide retail expansion last month, moving into over 1,500 stores in California and 3,000 stores across 10 other states.
According to a press release, the brand said it will see “increased channel variety and availability” including a focus on convenience stores where, according to SPINS, it has achieved a velocity growth rate of 96.6% higher than the channel average for hydration drinks of 25.1%.
“We have so much runway ahead of us, as quality hydration remains in high demand and taste reigns supreme,” said founder and CEO Dominic Purpura in the release. “We’re staying steadfast in our core lineup of products and focusing our efforts on new-strategic partnerships throughout the country to reach consumers where and how they’re shopping, every day.”
Gnubees Adds H-E-B
Smoothie brand Gnubees has launched its Gnubees Kids and Gnubees Plus lines in H-E-B stores in Texas, the company announced in a press release. Gnubee Kids is intended for children age 2 and up, while Gnubees Plus is tailored towards kids 8 and older.
“We are so pleased to join forces with H-E-B Texas to get Gnubees Kids and Gnubees Plus in more healthy homes in the U.S. It is our mission to inspire nutritious choices with ease and transparency for generations of kids and are so excited about our unique, delicious and science-backed recipes that help kids feel better, stronger and fulfilled on a daily basis,” said Autumn Kendrick, chief brand manager at Gnubees parent company GnuSanté, in the release.
Flow Enters Costco Distribution Program
Alkaline spring water brand Flow has begun an eight-week distribution program with Costco, the company announced yesterday. The partnership will place the brand’s waters in central store pallets across 48 new Costco locations in Eastern Canada, bringing its total footprint to 63 Costco stores across Canada.