Distribution Roundup: IWON Enters 4 Grocers, Ithaca Hummus Grows Distribution

Beth Kaiserman Apr. 7, 2020 at 5:59 PM

Distribution Roundup: IWON Enters 4 Grocers, Ithaca Hummus Grows Distribution

In the latest distribution news, IWON Organics enters four national retailers, Ithaca Hummus grows its store count and Daring Foods debuts at Sprouts.

IWON Enters 4 New Grocers as It Focuses on New Channels

Protein snack brand IWON Organics has added Kroger, Safeway, Sprouts and Costco as retail partners for its Protein Stix and Protein Puffs snacks. The brand has launched in 600 East Coast Kroger locations, IWON founder and CEO Mark Samuel said, and has added two SKUs into 150 NorCal Safeway stores. Additionally, the brand launched in NorCal Costco stores last month and will enter Sprouts nationally this month.

The company, which began three years ago, saw 300% revenue growth from 2018 to 2019, Samuel said. The brand’s soy- and gluten-free snacks are made from green peas, beans and brown rice, with Protein Stix the brand’s top seller.

With a strong emphasis on nutritional benefits, the brand has so far mostly sold its products in 4,000 nutrition stores, including GNC and The Vitamin Shoppe, along with SoPac Whole Foods stores and on Amazon, where it has grown 15% month-over-month, according to Samuel. He added that the brand will be in nearly 6,000 stores by mid-2020.

IWON’s snacks retail at $2.49 for 1.5 oz. packs and $4.99 for 5 oz. packs, and a 15 oz. iteration will launch in Costco. While the club channel is an “exciting” addition, Samuel said the brand is already focused on its next moves, including launching into about 50 SoCal convenience stores. However, despite the entrance into new channels, the overall focus is on natural retailers.

“All [the products] are focused on the same foundational balanced nutritional profiles: proteins, fats and carbs — that’s who we are,” he said. “We have a couple other retailers we believe will continue to help build out our story and our long term platform.”

Ithaca Hummus Grows Distribution

New York-based natural hummus brand Ithaca Hummus entered Fresh Thyme and Safeway in late February, the first in a series of retail expansions that will continue through the spring. The brand will also roll out in Whole Foods’ North Atlantic and Midwest regions, alongside select Hannaford and Food Lion stores in June. In total, the brand will add 1,500 in June alone.

“We plan to double our overall business in 2020, which means a significant increase in the conventional and natural channels and also potentially expansion into the club channel. We’ve developed a new size exclusively for Costco and are in the early stages of working with their buying team,” founder and CEO Chris Kirby told NOSH. “We are very fortunate to have had planned expansion locked for Q2 before the coronavirus hit, but are still staying active with buyers to keep the pipeline full through the rest of 2020.”

After Expo West was cancelled last month, the hummus company devised a unique plan to use the shirts, hats and sweatshirts it had created for the tradeshow. The “hummus hotline” themed gear is available on the company’s online store, with all proceeds from sales supporting the non-profit No Kid Hungry.

Seed to Sky: 88 Acres and JetBlue Partnership

Seed brand 88 Acres’ Cinnamon & Oats Seed Bar Thins last month became a free in-flight snack offering on airline carried JetBlue. The bar is a thinner, smaller version of the company’s original oat, pumpkin, sunflower and flax seed-based Seed Bar, and is free from the top eight food allergens.

In a press release, the brand said studies show that allergic reactions from “exposure to food on airplanes” is “common.” Peanut allergy sufferers are particularly at risk, with 9% of these consumers having an allergic reaction on a plane a least once in their lifetime. Furthermore, food allergy reactions account for 2% of all on-board medical emergencies.

To support its accelerated production needs, 88 Acres recently added 30 new team members to its bakery. The facility produces zero waste, according to the brand, falling in line with 88 Acres’ sustainability ethos: seeds are grown using 20-90 times less water than nuts.

Daring Foods Debuts at Sprouts

Frozen plant-based “chicken” brand Daring Foods last month debuted in Sprouts Farmers Market stores nationwide and this week rolled out a direct-to-consumer platform. The gluten-free chicken pieces are made from five ingredients, including soy protein concentrate, sunflower oil and spices.

Each 10 oz. pack, which retails for $9.99, has 20 grams of protein per serving and cooks in under 10 minutes. According to a release, this is the retailer’s first non-breaded chicken alternative sold in stores.

“Daring is leading the charge as the second-generation, plant-based meat alternative that is made from simple ingredients, is easy to cook, and matches the texture and taste of chicken,” said Daring Foods co-founder and CEO Ross Mackay. “From cooking to the very first bite, customers will see that we are not an alternative, but an upgrade.”

The brand, which initially launched via foodservice, is growing in a year when industry experts have noted expectations for the category to expand far beyond beef alternatives. There’s certainly hunger for it: KFC’s Beyond Fried Chicken sold out in a few hours after it debuted and recently returned to select locations with plans for an eventual national rollout.

Other distribution news includes:

Meat snack and condiment brand The New Primal’s new Whole30-approved Noble Made Tomato Ketchup debuted in Whole Foods stores nationwide in February.
Salad dressing and mix brand Green Joy last month launched in Whole Foods’ Southwest regions after growing its distribution by 800% in 2019.
Sauce brand Otamot Foods’ vegetable-packed Organic Essential Sauce and new Spicy Organic Sauce will enter Whole Foods nationwide in June.
MUSH launched 5 oz. cups of its Overnight-Soaked Oats in 8-packs, available in Vanilla Bean and Blueberry, in Costco’s Northeast region last month, with further rollout planned for the Midwest and the Bay Area. Additionally, it entered Meijer stores, with plans to be in 4,000 total doors by the summer. The brand also re-released its Strawberry flavor at Whole Foods.
Cage-free egg brand EggLife Foods last month entered 74 Fresh Thyme locations in 11 states, expanding its Midwest presence.
Macro snack bar brand LivBar last month entered all Oregon and Washington state Whole Foods stores.
Seaweed snack brand Nora Seaweed Snacks launched in Whole Foods’ Southwest and Rocky Mountain regions in February, along with 7-Eleven’s SoCal region. It also recently debuted a spicy version of its Crispy Seaweed snack.
Brainfood brand Brainiac Kids launched a new omega-3 and choline-fortified, sugar-free applesauce on Amazon and expanded its whole milk yogurts into Target and Whole Foods stores nationally in February.
Family-owned Louisiana-based roaster Community Coffee Company expanded into 5,000 CVS stores.