HappyPop Makes National Debut in Sprouts
Mood-boosting functional beverage brand HappyPop is making its nationwide retail debut at Sprouts Farmers Market stores this month.
The launch includes two new flavors, Wonder Berry and Cheery Cherry, both of which contain 100 mg of caffeine and adaptogens in each 8.4 oz. can, in line with the brand’s existing Tangerine Dream, Rainbow Drip and Ginger Spice flavors.
According to co-creator Maya French, Happypop has straddled category lines between energy drinks and functional soda, but the startup is now finding the best response by merchandising the brand as a direct competitor to other mood-lifting products like Hiyo and BREZ. But where those products are marketed as adult non-alc alternatives, Happypop is more often positioned in the cooler at retail alongside better-for-you energy drinks like Gorgie.
“Our occasion, although it can fall in line with non-alc, it’s more of a daily beverage, something that fits into the lifestyle of a consumer,” French said.
Happypop launched in retail last year with independent accounts in Southern California, as well as several 7-Eleven locations, later adding Central Market stores. French said Texas and California are currently the core focus for Happypop.
“We’ve wanted to jump on board with retailers that are very much innovation-first,” she said. “We feel that Central Market and Sprouts are both perfect partners that are innovation-first and we feel the brand is definitely on the forefront of the new age of functional beverage.”
The company is currently preparing to begin raising a seed funding round with a goal of $3.5 million.
The new flavors launching at Sprouts are intended to be mainstream-friendly, taking inspiration from candies like Blow Pops for an extra sweet and tart flavor profile, co-founder Dustin Baker said, although the drinks are made with real fruit juice.
The naming of the products is also aimed at drawing in curious consumers.
“The Wonder Berry name is kind of a nod to the ambiguous,” French said. “We know that if something is a little bit ambiguous and mysterious, but also pops in color on the packaging, people would be more open to trying it, which we learned from Rainbow Drip.”
Nurri Hits Walmart
Protein shake brand Nurri has added all four of its flavors to Walmart shelves nationwide, including Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry and Mocha varieties.
Each 11 oz. can contains 30 grams of protein, 1 gram of sugar, 80mg of caffeine and 150 calories. The line retails for a suggested price of $2.97 per can.
“Our goal is to make Nurri more readily available to more people, and adding Walmart as a retail partner is a big step in accomplishing this,” said Nurri director of marketing Adam Tollefson in a release. “With this expansion and availability of single cans, even more shoppers will be able to try Nurri—while our loyal fans will enjoy greater accessibility and variety.”
More Distribution News from Across the Industry
- Wet Hydration is adding new distributors ZT Distributing, John Lenore Distributing, Straub Distributing, Heimark Distributing and Odom Distributing to its network.
- No Cap! Soda Pop is now available in Rhode Island retail stores.
- OOSO Sparkling Tea has been listed on FreshDirect in the New York market.
- THC seltzer maker WYNK has expanded to North Carolina with wine and beer distributor Johnson Brothers.
- Functional beverage brand TRIP can now be found in Giant stores across the country.