Pushing into the biggest Midwest market via DSD for the first time (in Detroit, the brand has worked with Interstate), Purity Organic will be going through high-profile, get-it-done distributor Central Beverage Co.
Donna Spagnola, the president of Central Beverage, confirmed that the company would start carrying the brand, which is run by president Dave Minnick with a strong assist from part-owners at First Beverage Group.
“It’s too early to give an indication of how it’s doing,” Spagnola said. “But I personally really like the integrity of the product. It’s something that people who want organic are going to go for, but anyone can enjoy it.”
Central is one of the biggest distributors in the Chicago area; getting the product on their trucks is in keeping with Purity’s push to work with high profile DSD houses in key regions. In Northern California, the brand is in DBI, while in Southern California it goes through Haralambos Beverage Co., the brand is distributed through several NIDA houses in the Northeast, most prominently Manhattan powerhouse Big Geyser.
Purity had already been in Chicago supermarket Dominick’s, via the Safeway-owned chain’s produce warehouse. Central picked up the Dominick’s business as part of the deal.
“We got that switch flipped and it helped the deal,” Spagnola said, adding that having the extra attention of DSD in those stores “will be good for the brand.”
Central Beverage is a member of the fledgling Midwestern Distributors Group, but Purity has not yet made a pitch to the contiguous members of the group.
Moving into DSD in Dominick’s, Minnick said, presents a great opportunity.
“It’s the first time we’ve gone DSD in Safeway,” Minnick said of Dominick’s. “We’re looking forward to transitioning more Safeway divisions to DSD later this year.”