The Alkaline Water Company Expands E-Commerce Channel with Leading Online Retailer Peapod
The Alkaline Water Company Inc. (NASDAQ and TSXV: WTER) (the “Company”), a leading producer of premium bottled alkaline drinking water sold under the brand name Alkaline88®, today announced that it has formed a new agreement with one of the nation’s leading online grocers, Peapod. Evanston, Illinois-based Peapod is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Royal Ahold, an international food provider based in the Netherlands. Peapod was founded in 1989.
“This is a great opportunity for our company. Consumers have embraced e-commerce to order and replenish their bottled water supply and our online presence helps us to satisfy demand from our growing customer base. We are confident our e-commerce sales will continue to grow based on the high-consumer demand we have received on Amazon.com and through our recently announced home delivery platform. We are pleased to start the Peapod relationship with online delivery of Alkaline88® in the 1-gallon size and envision eventually making much of our expanding product portfolio available,” said Richard A. Wright, President and CEO of The Alkaline Water Company Inc. “We are optimistic that our Peapod sales will underscore the superior taste and quality of our brand,” concluded Mr. Wright.
Peapod will initiate online sales of the Company’s premium Alkaline88® bottled water in the 1-gallon container. Online is an important vertical for the Company’s flagship products, as it represents a growing source of industry sales. Peapod is expected to commence online sales of Alkaline88® immediately.
Peapod will initially begin selling The Alkaline Water Company’s brand from its main warehouse, which is located in the Chicago, Illinois metropolitan region. When customers purchase the 1-gallon Alkaline88® container from Peapod.com, orders will be processed and delivered from this Chicago warehouse, which services customers in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana.
If Peapod’s online sales are as successful as management anticipates, the Company expects to extend distribution to other Peapod warehouse locations in the near future. The Company also anticipates early introduction of its infused product categories to Peapod, which include; Flavored Hemp-Extract Infused Waters, Flavored Alkaline88® Water, and additional products that are currently under development. Peapod has three stand-alone warehouses. In addition to the primary Chicago center, Peapod operates warehouses in Washington, D.C., and New Jersey. Peapod also operates warerooms within many Ahold stores, including Giant and Stop & Shop locations, among others. At many of these retail venues, online customers also have the option of picking up their Alkaline88®orders in-store.
The online expansion follows the Company’s other recent moves to open or further penetrate certain sales channels in order to get its beverages to a growing number of consumers. Recent steps include deepening its penetration within the convenience store and health food store channels across the U.S., and launching home and office delivery.
The Company intends to comply in full with all federal, state, and local laws, rules and regulations as the Company develops its hemp extract alkaline water and other product lines. The Company will not pursue the production or sale of hemp extract-infused products until legally permitted.
About Peapod
Peapod, an Ahold Delhaize USA Company, is America’s leading online grocer with over 40 million orders delivered to date. Peapod’s intuitive, inspiring website and award-winning mobile app allow customers to shop faster and smarter as well as save time and money with each order. Peapod is an easy and convenience solution for the busy consumer shopping for fresh groceries, pantry staples and meal solutions. Peapod offers delivery to both homes and businesses, and have over 200 pick-up locations. Peapod is available in 24 metro markets across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Maryland, District of Columbia, and Virginia. For more information visit https://www.peapod.com/
About The Alkaline Water Company Inc.
The Alkaline Water Company Inc. (NASDAQ and TSXV: WTER) is a leading producer of premium bottled alkaline drinking water sold under the brand name Alkaline88®. With its innovative, state-of-the-art, proprietary electrolysis process, the Company produces healthy, all-natural and great-tasting alkaline water for a balanced lifestyle. Founded in 2012, the Company is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, and focuses on national distribution and marketing for retail sale of Alkaline88®, one of the fastest growing premium bottled water brands on the market. To learn more about The Alkaline Water Company, please visit: www.thealkalinewaterco.com or connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn.
About Alkaline Water Products
Alkaline88®is a premier 8.8 pH balanced bottled alkaline drinking water enhanced with trace minerals and electrolytes. The product offers consumers the unique opportunity to purchase alkaline water in conveniently packaged 500-milliliter, 700-milliliter, 1-liter, 1.5-liter, 3-liter and 1-gallon sizes. The Alkaline Water Company Inc. is currently in the midst of a national mass-market expansion program, where the product is already available for consumer sales at a growing number of major retail locations across many parts of the United States. Learn more about the science behind alkaline water by visiting www.thealkalinewaterco.com.
Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains “forward-looking statements.” Statements in this news release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, the following: that the Company’s e-commerce sales will continue to grow based on the high-consumer demand the Company has received on Amazon.com and through the Company’s recently announced home delivery platform; that the Company envisions eventually making much of its expanding product portfolio available through the Peapod relationship; that the Company is optimistic that its Peapod sales will underscore the superior taste and quality of its brand; that Peapod is expected to commence online sales of Alkaline88® immediately; that if Peapod’s online sales are as successful as management anticipates, the Company expects to extend distribution to other Peapod warehouse locations in the near future; and that the Company anticipates early introduction of its infused product categories to Peapod, which include; Flavored Hemp-Extract Infused Waters, Flavored Alkaline88® Water, and additional products that are currently under development.
The material assumptions supporting these forward-looking statements include, among others, that the demand for the Company’s products will continue to significantly grow; that the past production capacity of the Company’s co-packing facilities can be maintained or increased; that the Company will receive all necessary regulatory approvals for the production and sale of hemp-infused water; that there will be increased production capacity through implementation of new production facilities, new co-packers and new technology; that there will be an increase in number of products available for sale to retailers and consumers; that there will be an expansion in geographical areas by national retailers carrying the Company’s products; that there will be an expansion into new national and regional grocery retailers; that there will be an expansion into new e-commerce, home delivery, convenience, and healthy food channels; that there will not be interruptions on production of the Company’s products; that there will not be a recall of products due to unintended contamination or other adverse events relating to the Company’s products; and that the Company will be able to obtain additional capital to meet the Company’s growing demand and satisfy the capital expenditure requirements needed to increase production and support sales activity. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, governmental regulations being implemented regarding the production and sale of alkaline water or any other products, including products containing hemp; the fact that consumers may not embrace and purchase any of the Company’s infused water products; the fact that the Company may not be permitted by the FDA or other regulatory authority to market or sell any of its hemp-infused products; additional competitors selling alkaline water and enhanced water products in bulk containers reducing the Company’s sales; the fact that the Company does not own or operate any of its production facilities and that co-packers may not renew current agreements and/or not satisfy increased production quotas; the fact that the Company has a limited number of suppliers of its unique bulk bottles; the potential for supply-chain interruption due to factors beyond the Company’s control; the fact that there may be a recall of products due to unintended contamination; the inherent uncertainties associated with operating as an early stage company; changes in customer demand and the fact that consumers may not embrace enhanced water products as expected or at all; the extent to which the Company is successful in gaining new long-term relationships with new retailers and retaining existing relationships with retailers; the Company’s ability to raise the additional funding that it will need to continue to pursue its business, planned capital expansion and sales activity; and competition in the industry in which the Company operates and market conditions. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable law, including the securities laws of the United States and Canada. Although the Company believes that any beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this news release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Readers should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in the reports and other documents the Company files with the SEC, available at www.sec.gov, and on the SEDAR, available at www.sedar.com.
The Alkaline Water Company Inc.
James Gilmore
Investor Relations
480-656-2423
james@alkaline88.com
Richard A. Wright
President and CEO
480-656-2423
investors@thealkalinewaterco.com
Media
Jessica Starman
888-461-2233
jessica@elev8newmedia.com
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