Distribution: Daily Harvest Takes Target; Fishwife Hooks Whole Foods

Daily Harvest Ramps Up Retail With Target Launch

DTC-native Daily Harvest has hit the bullseye: Target has taken in a selection of the plant-based food company’s smoothies, Harvest Bowls and frozen fruit pops.

The products are now on shelf at select locations in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Montana, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Washington State.

“Because we exist to help consumers eat more sustainably sourced fruits and vegetables, it’s important that we provide options across their day, not just for one occasion or day-part,” said Daily Harvest CCO Annie Streit, noting the assortment spans breakfast, lunch and snacks. “The SKUs we’ve selected are some of the best-selling in our DTC channel and showcase a range of flavor profiles within each collection. Our Target debut marks our most varied retail offering yet at a national chain.”

The new partnership brings Daily Harvest products to over 25,800 points of distribution across the country less than a year after it entered physical retail, and suggests Target hasn’t lost its affinity for supporting direct-to-consumer brands moving into physical retail.

“Our debut at Target is one of the company’s most exciting retail launches yet,” said Streit. “The majority of the U.S. population lives within 10 miles of a Target store, so they’re a crucial discovery retailer for our brand. Target is an incredible fit because their guests are looking to meet a lot of the needs that Daily Harvest fills…Target also has a long history of bringing fresh, exciting brands to the forefront and their guests go there to find and try new things.”

Daily Harvest products are now being distributed through both UNFI and KeHE and are currently available at over 1,000 Kroger stores and banners, Costco in the Midwest, Wegmans, New Seasons Market and Haggen, via Good Eggs in the Bay Area and numerous independent natural grocers nationwide.

Citing recent SPINS data, Streit said the brand has already broken into the top five in dollar sales of natural fruit and vegetable brands and “we drive 6% higher growth when we’re in the category versus when we’re not.”

“It is core to our mission to help consumers eat more sustainably sourced fruits and vegetables, and we knew retail needed to be a big part of the equation, so yes, brick-and-mortar is a big part of our growth strategy. We’re focused on grocery, mass, natural and club channels, but we’ve been deliberate and thoughtful in our approach. We wanted to scale smartly and learn as we grow.”

Fishwife Now Stacked At Whole Foods Stores

Tinned fish titan Fishwife recently announced it has secured national placement at select Whole Foods stores and introduced two new items – Albacore Tuna in Olive Oil and Albacore Tuna in Spicy Olive Oil – as exclusives to the retailer through June.

“Since we started conversations in 2021, Whole Foods Market has been an unbelievably committed supplier to Fishwife,” said Becca Millstein, CEO and co-founder of Fishwife, in a press release. “We’re grateful to have an innovation and retail relationship that we can grow with for years to come to further expand our grocery footprint nationwide.”

Whole Foods will also carry products including the brand’s Cantabrian Anchovies in Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sardines with Preserved Lemon and Sardines with Hot Pepper and Smoked Salmon with Fly By Jing Sichuan Chili Crisp. The products are available in 3-packs for between $23.99 to $32.99 and individually for $7.99 to $13.99.

“While the growth in the conventional tinned fish category grew only 1% from 2022 to 2023, we saw our business grow nearly 180% YoY, with no signs of a slowdown,” said Millstein. “There has been so much discovery of tinned fish over the past three years that we’re now seeing that the product has assimilated into the regular diets of our consumers.”

Yumi Expands To Walmart

Kid-focused nutrition products maker Yumi announced today it has expanded to Walmart stores nationwide, bringing its total door count to 5,000 since its launch in late 2022. The brand currently sells a 3-SKU line of bars (Apple Cinnamon and Squash, Blueberry and Purple Carrot, Strawberry and Rhubarb) and three puff varieties (Apple and Broccoli, Berry and Sweet Pea and Strawberry Basil).

“We are incredibly proud of the journey that has brought us to this moment,” said Evelyn Rusli,

co-CEO and co-founder, in a press release. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to raise a healthier generation, with products that support every stage of development. This significant expansion into Walmart reflects the seismic shift happening in this country, as more families demand nutritious options.”

Yumi’s bars are designed to target common nutrient deficiencies in kids and contain at least eight superfood vegetables, the brand claims, in addition to micronutrients like iron, vitamin D and zinc. The products are also gluten-free, dairy-free and peanut-free. According to Rusli, citing Nielsen data, the brand has risen to become the top-selling toddler bar nationwide.

Diana’s Bananas Reach Whole Foods Freezers

Frozen novelty maker Diana’s Bananas has become the first upcycled product in its category to be sold at Whole Foods Market following a recent expansion to the natural grocer’s frozen aisle.

The new agreement will bring the brand’s upcycled Banana Bites with Organic Milk and Dark Chocolate exclusively to Whole Foods stores across the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest regions with more regions to follow.

“With our decades of sourcing the best Ecuadorian bananas, it made sense to go one step further and extend our sustainability efforts into organic plantations to offer both conventional and organic growers the opportunity to rescue more of the forgotten ones,” said Neil Cox, CEO of Diana’s. “It’s an honor to have Whole Foods share in our dedication to a more responsible food system, making strides like this a priority to lead the industry and push other retailers and brands to follow suit.”

The products carry an SRP of $7.99 and are made by upcycling small, single and irregular bananas from Ecuador that would otherwise be discarded. The line prevents 15 million bananas from going to waste each year, Diana’s claims. The brand’s other frozen novelties are sold at retailers including Walmart, Albertsons, Ahold, Publix, Sprouts, Meijer, Target and more.

Acid League Launches Dressings At Target

Pantry staple producer Acid League announced it has launched three of its salad dressing SKUs – Mango Jalapeño Dressing, Miso Caesar Dressing and Carrot Ginger Dressing – at 300 Target stores nationwide. The move comes less than six months after the company moved to close its e-commerce store due to high costs and place a greater focus on growing in brick-and-mortar retail.

Other notable recent distribution gains:

• This month, Impossible Foods rolled out its Impossible Chicken, including both original and spicy versions of its nuggets and patties, to select Whole Foods stores nationwide.
• Mochi gummy maker Issei continues to grow and recently announced new distribution partnerships with World Market as well as 100 Walmart stores.
• Granola butter brand Oat Haus has expanded its relationship with Whole Foods and recently announced it will now be sold nationwide at the natural grocery chain.
• A handful of emerging brands are now flying on JetBlue, including Partake’s Classic Grahams and Safe+Fair’s Everything Bagel Pretzels.
• TikTok-viral fruity frozen dessert brand Island Way Sorbet this week announced it has relaunched at Costco stores nationwide in addition to expanding to Wakefern stores (285 ShopRites and Fresh Grocers) throughout the Northeast.