Distribution: Serenity Kids Goes to Albertsons; Munk Pack Hits the Bullseye

Serenity Kids Lands Albertsons

Shelf-stable baby and toddler food brand Serenity Kids has expanded its distribution footprint with the addition of 2,000 Albertsons locations nationwide. The Idaho-based grocery chain will carry 10 of the brand’s best-selling, nutrient-dense products including baby puree pouches and Grain Free Puffs.

“Thrilled doesn’t even begin to describe how elated we are to partner with Albertsons and increase our nationwide availability so more families can have access to Serenity Kids’ products. With the rollout of our top-performing varieties, we look forward to continuing to drive category growth,” said Serenity Carr, co-founder and CEO, in a press release.

The full Albertsons lineup includes: Free Range Chicken with Organic Peas and Carrots, Grass Fed Beef with Organic Kale and Sweet Potatoes, Pasture Raised Turkey With Organic Sweet Potato, Pumpkin and Beets, Wild Caught Salmon with Organic Butternut Squash and Beet, Chicken Mexican Stew with Organic Vegetables, Herbs and Spices, Coconut Chicken Curry with Organic Vegetables and Coconut Cream, Berry Butternut Smoothie + Protein with Grass Fed Collagen, Pumpkin Spice Smoothie + Protein with Grass Fed Collagen, Carrot & Beet Grain Free Puffs with Olive Oil and Pumpkin & Cinnamon Grain Free Puffs with Olive Oil.

The new retail partnership comes on the heels of a $52 million Series B investment round led by Stride Consumer Partners that closed in March. The new capital is being used for marketing, new product development and hiring.

Founded in 2016, Serenity Kids markets a product portfolio featuring puree pouches made with fruits and vegetables, dairy-free smoothies, grain-free puffs made with sorghum and A2 whole milk toddler formula. The brand’s products are sold in more than 20,000 stores nationwide including Harris Teeter, select H-E-B locations, Kroger, Natural Grocers, Sprouts Farmers Market and Target, among others.

Munk Pack Hits the Bullseye With Target

Munk Pack, which produces a portfolio of low-sugar Nut & Seed Bars, has announced the availability of two bar varieties – Sea Salt Dark Chocolate and Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate – in 630 Target stores across the country. According to the brand, the launch underscores the success of its rebrand unveiled earlier this year and invites consumers to “Indulge In Taste, Not Sugar.”

“As a Target shopper myself, I appreciate [the retailer’s] commitment to better-for-you snacking; as a busy working mom, there are few things I love more than being able to discover healthy products for my family all in one place,” said co-founder Michelle Glienke in a statement.

Munk Pack, which touts itself as the manufacturer of the original 1 gram sugar snack bar sweetened with allulose, rebranded itself as “The Anti-Sugar Snack” in March. The refresh includes bold new packaging aimed at highlighting the product’s whole food ingredients and improving brand recognition. In a blog post on the brand’s website, co-founder Tobias Glienke said emphasizing keto so strongly on the brand’s previous packaging wasn’t communicating the full nutritional value of the products and was driving away some consumers.

Additionally, Munk Pack has discontinued its line of protein cookies featuring a 1:1 sugar ratio, as the product – which had 16 grams of sugar – didn’t align with the brand’s new mission of delivering snacks with just 1 gram of sugar.

Confetti Snacks Locks in Walmart

Confetti Snacks’ nutrient-dense upcycled veggie and fruit chips will roll out to nearly 900 Walmart stores nationwide, supporting the brand’s mission of making sustainable snacking more accessible.

The launch is Confetti Snacks’ latest in a series of global retail partnerships, including its recent debut in roughly 1,000 T.J. Maxx and HomeSense stores across Europe. According to founder Betty Lu, it’s a testament to rising consumer demand for sustainable and nutritious snacks.

Confetti Snacks was founded in 2018 by Lu, a Singapore native, with the goal of upcycling “imperfect” and unsellable produce into nutritious snacks to help reduce food waste. The chips are baked using a low-heat method to preserve the vibrant colors and nutritional integrity of the produce.

In addition to Walmart, Confetti Snacks is available at The Village Market, Central Market, and The Goods Mart, among other retailers.

Popadelics Heads to Whole Foods Market

Shiitake mushroom snack brand Popadelics announced that all three flavors of its Crunchy Mushroom Chips – Trippin’ Truffle Parm, Twisted Thai Chili and Rad Rosemary – will now be sold at 205 Whole Foods Market stores across 11 states.

Each serving of the vegan, gluten-free snack has 3 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber.

“We are incredibly excited to bring Popadelics to Whole Foods Market stores nationwide. Our mission is to make mushrooms mainstream for mushroom lovers and doubters alike,” said Marilyn Yang, CEO of Fun-Gal Snacks LLC, in a press release.

Popadelics is available at over 3,000 stores nationwide, including select CVS locations, Sprouts, The Fresh Market, and select Kroger banners (including Ralphs).

Afia Rolls Out to Costco

Middle Eastern frozen food maker Afia inked a new distribution deal with Costco, bringing its Traditional Falafel to 19 locations in Texas, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Wichita and New Orleans.

The falafel – made with ground garbanzo beans and spices at the company’s Texas facility – is available at Costco in a 27 oz. bag (3x the size of Afia’s typical retail bag) for $11.99. Afia’s distribution network, which began with H-E-B, now includes more than 3,000 locations mostly situated on the coasts and in the South and Southeast.

In September, the brand moved into its new 21,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in Taylor, Texas, seeking to cook up new opportunities to expand with new products and co-manufacturing services. Afia previously told Nosh that it is producing about 200,000 falafels per day (with the capacity to move up to half a million) in the new space.

Other notable distribution news:

• • Masienda has landed its two-ingredient, preservative-free tortillas in Whole Foods Market stores nationwide. According to a LinkedIn post by founder and CEO Jorge Gaviria, securing the retail partnership has been a seven-year journey.
  • After winning a “golden ticket” at the Emerging Brand Pitch Slam hosted by the California Grocers Association, tahini brand Tal’s (formerly known as FUN Sesames) is now available at all Gelson’s Markets.
  • Chefs Life’s new squeezable Cooking Oil is now available at Whole Foods Market in a 25.4 oz. bottle with a SRP of $19.99.
  • Latin food brand Loisa is rapidly expanding in retail to meet nationwide demand, this month announcing its debut in Sprouts. The retailer will carry the brand’s USDA Organic Sazón and Adobo as well as its trio of Sofrito Cooking Sauces.