Naturade Inc. Adds Wal*Mart, Eckerd Drug, Sam's Club for Sale of its Naturade Total Soy Products
IRVINE, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--Dec. 14, 1999--Naturade Inc. (OTCBB:NRDC) reported that it shipped new distribution orders in the last two weeks to Wal*Mart, Eckerd Drug and Sam's Club Pharmacy Stores for its new Naturade Total Soy meal replacement product, nearly doubling the company's current mass market penetration to some 10,000 outlets selling the all-natural, nutritionally-balanced product that qualifies to carry the recently-approved U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) label claim that soy protein may reduce the risk of heart disease. Prior to 1999, the company's sales were focused entirely in the health food store category.
According to Naturade CEO Bill Stewart, "Adding these three mass retail chains to our distribution network is a more-than-significant step in our company's progress. These outlets, combined with our existing product availability in Target, Rite-Aid and Kroger stores, gives us solid coast-to-coast product distribution in supermarket, drug, mass merchandiser and club stores."
Stewart said, "The expanded distribution is something we've been predicting because we anticipated a positive FDA ruling and have been aggressively selling against it for months. The new distribution is concrete evidence that mass retailers recognize the opportunity to capitalize on soy protein health benefits with mainstream consumers."
The company intends to distribute to 15,000 stores by the end of the first quarter and could reach 20,000 outlets by mid-2000. The Naturade executive stated, "We expect that new distribution on Naturade Total Soy will be a door opener making it easier to expand distribution of other company brands into the mass retail marketplace. Becoming a vendor-of-record is an important recognition, especially as we roll out other new products in the coming year." |
