Better Sour Names Former Good Crisp Company Exec Steve Wangler SVP of Sales
Globally-inspired gummy candy maker Better Sour announced today that Steve Wangler has come out of retirement to serve as the company’s SVP of sales.
Following a long career in CPG that included sales management roles at KeVita, 34 Degrees, and SPINS, Wangler stepped down as VP of sales at The Good Crisp Company approximately six months ago but was inspired to come out of retirement and join Better Sour based on its “incredible” data story and rapid retail acceleration.
“This brand is hitting a really key point in the non-chocolate candy category, and the global flavors are brilliant. I see the data, I see the validation from professionals in the marketplace, and I see a great future for us as we plan out the balance of 2024 and 2025,” said Wangler.
During his time as a sales leader at The Good Crisp Company, Wangler helped turn accounts like Sprouts, Target, Publix, Kroger, Costco, Albertsons, and Safeway into “significant placements” by changing brokers. He plans to execute a similar strategy at Better Sour, utilizing a four-tier system of brand, broker, distributor, and retailer to enhance the brand’s go-to-market strategy.
Launched in 2023 by Shaka Tea co-founder Bella Hughes and lifelong friend Semira Nikou, Better Sour produces a lineup of low-sugar sour gummies that pay homage to the duo’s upbringing in Hawaii as daughters of Iranian immigrants.
The Austin, Texas-based brand’s lineup includes an Asia Pacific-themed mix featuring guava, calamansi, and ume and a Middle East stone fruit mix consisting of pomegranate, apricot, and plum. Each 1.8 oz. bag has a SRP of $3.29-3.99. This summer, the brand is set to release its first single-flavor offering, Passionfruit.
Since entering brick-and-mortar retail with Erewhon one year ago, Better Sour has expanded to more than 1,500 doors nationwide, including recent placements in Fresh Thyme, DashMart, and Ralphs. According to SPINS data, the globally-inspired brand was the top growth contributor to non-chocolate gummy candy in the natural channel in the 52-week period ended March 24, driving 26.9% of growth.
“This is my third time as a founder, and I’ve never seen data like this right out of the gate,” said Hughes. “We can grow so much smarter if we can lean into a really robust broker network, which is coming.”
Wangler’s inaugural initiative as SVP of sales is executing the aforementioned four-tier system to build up Better Sour’s broker network.
“By the end of the year, we’re trying to get brokers lined up and then slip into the review schedules as they come about. That will provide the best opportunity for us to engage with retailers through our broker partners and sets us up for a very robust ‘25,” he said.
