VMC services more than 3,800 independently owned supermarkets in 35 states.
Alkaline88® aluminum bottles are now available at H-E-B in 288 U.S. stores.      Initial orders from KeHE and UNFI strong out of the gate.SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Sept. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Alkaline Water Company Inc. (NASDAQ and CSE: WTER) (the “Company”), is a producer of premium bottled alkaline water, flavor-infused waters, and CBD infused products sold under the brand names Alkaline88^®, A88 Infused^™, and A88CBD^™, respectively. Today, the Company announces that it has added Valu Merchandisers Company (VMC) as a distributor covering Midwest and Southern states.  The Company also announces that H-E-B will now carry Alkaline88 aluminum bottles in 288 stores across Texas and that it sees strong initial orders from KeHE and UNFI that recently agreed to carry the Alkaline88® eco-friendly aluminum bottles.“It is exciting to see momentum build around our eco-friendly and truly sustainable aluminum bottles,” stated Ricky Wright, President and CEO of The Alkaline Water Company. “Since its launch earlier this year, we have seen growing consumer demand for the product and see it as a perfect fit in the all-natural and organic channel. With UNFI and KeHE already carrying this line, the addition of VMC as a channel partner further strengthens our position in this category. VMC is one of the largest providers to more than 3,800 independently owned supermarkets, with a concentrated footprint in the Midwest and Southern markets. Our recent partnerships now give us reach into over 60,000 regional, national, and independently owned grocery stores for our eco-friendly aluminum bottles. This positions us firmly to capture growth in the reusable water bottle market segment, which is expected to reach $1.5 billion by 2025.”According to statista.com, the value of the U.S. reusable water bottle market stood at just over $1 billion U.S. dollars in 2018 and will reach roughly $1.5 billion by 2025. By then, the value of each of the material types used to create reusable water bottles (plastic, metal, glass, and silicone) is also projected to grow. The plastic reusable water bottle market is set to expand the most, reaching roughly $530 million U.S. dollars in 2025.    “Also, we are thrilled to announce that our long-standing partner H-E-B, a leading upscale Texas supermarket, is now carrying our Alkaline88^® eco-friendly bottles across a majority of its U.S. stores. We recently delivered our aluminum bottles to their stores across the Texas market and are excited to see our lifestyle brands see increased shelf-space at this valued customer. Also, we are seeing strong initial orders from recently added distributors KeHE and UNFI, which we expect to further ramp in the coming months. In addition, driven by consumer interest, we will now be offering our aluminum bottles in 12-pack cases, which should further appeal to certain channel partners. Overall, we are pleased with this offering and anticipate this line to be a solid revenue contributor during our fiscal 2021,” concluded Mr. Wright.A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on the image or link below:
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