>>> Reed's, Inc. Announces Record Second Quarter Results
18% Growth in Net Revenue Drives $633,000 Second Quarter Profit; Company Achieves Year-to-Date Profitability
LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwired - Aug 12, 2014) - Reed's, Inc. (NYSE MKT: REED), maker of the top-selling sodas in natural food stores nationwide, today announced the financial results for its fiscal second quarter ended June 30, 2014.
Financial Highlights: Second Quarter 2014 Compared to Second Quarter 2013
•Net revenue increased 18% to a record $11.2 million
•Gross profit increased 51% to $3.7 million
•Gross profit margin increased 700 basis points to 33% from 26%
•Plant Idle Capacity costs improved from 5% of net sales to 4%
•Company achieved net income of $633,000 versus a net loss of ($494,000)
•Earnings per diluted share of $0.05 versus loss of ($0.04) per diluted share
•Modified EBITDA was $1.1 million during the 2014 second quarter versus a negative $100,000 during the same period last year. (See EBITDA table at end of this release for further non-GAAP information).
Operational Highlights: Second Quarter 2014 Compared to Second Quarter 2013
•Reed's Ginger Brew sales increased by 34%
•Virgil's craft sodas sales increased by 10%
•Reed's Culture Club Kombucha sales increased by 35%
•Driven by plant improvements in Los Angeles in 2013, production was 221,000 cases during the second quarter 2014, an increase of 28% over the second quarter 2013
Marketing/Distribution Highlights:
•Reed's announced that Reed's and Virgil's premium craft sodas are now authorized at SpartanNash stores throughout the Midwest
•Reed's announced that Reed's and Virgil's premium craft sodas are now authorized at Food Lion grocery stores in the Mid-Atlantic and Southern states
•Reed's announced the rollout of Reed's Culture Club Kombucha into Dierbergs throughout Missouri and Illinois
•Reed's announced a new distribution partnership with Haralambos Beverage Company in Southern California
•Reed's announced that Reed's and Virgil's premium craft sodas are now authorized at Books-A-Million, Inc.
"Our sales momentum continues and we achieved profitability, not only in the second quarter, but also year-to-date. Sales for the quarter were driven by a 34% increase in sales of Reed's Ginger Brews that grew organically at an accelerated clip without any new marketing programs. Our Kombucha sales slowed while we changed packaging, but still racked up 35% sales growth for the quarter. We estimate that our Kombucha growth rate would have been approximately double this rate had we not experienced these production delays. We are second in market share and continue to believe that there is significant growth opportunity in this beverage category that is estimated to be $500 million in annual retail sales," commented Chris Reed, Founder and CEO of Reed's, Inc.
"Our second quarter sales were driven by a 21% increase in our core brands (Reed's & Virgil's) and a 35% increase in the sales of our Kombucha beverages. Our private label sales were off by $749,000 in the second quarter, accounting for only 5% of our gross sales, although we anticipate that the category will experience decent growth in the back half of the year. Our gross margin increased 100 basis points to 33% versus the first quarter of 2014 and 700 basis points when compared to the prior year when we had a contractual issue with a private label product offering. Year over year we had a 51% increase in gross profit dollars for the quarter," stated Larry Tomsic, Interim CFO at Reed's, Inc.
Chris Reed, CEO and Founder, continued, "We kicked off the third quarter with the launch of our first national TV advertising campaign targeted at foodies who can appreciate the taste and quality of our Reed's Extra Ginger Brew. We believe that in addition to increasing brand awareness it will ultimately drive sales to the doors that carry Reed's products. We continue to focus our efforts on driving sales and improving gross margins to fund our growth. Although our foundation was built in the natural grocery channel, we have seen significant growth coming from the traditional grocery channel where carbonated soft drinks are struggling and consumers are increasingly looking for unique and all natural beverages like our Reed's Ginger Brew and Virgil's craft sodas."
2014 Outlook
The Company expects revenue growth of 15-20% in fiscal 2014. Core brands (Reed's & Virgil's) are expected to grow 15-20%; Kombucha is expected to grow 40 to 50%; and our other product category, that includes private label, candy and non-core beverage assortments, is expected to be approximately flat. EBITDA is expected to range between $1.5 and $2.0 million for the year and the Company expects to generate a modest net income.
The Company will conduct a conference call @ 4:30PM EDT today, August 12th, to discuss its 2014 second quarter results and outlook for the future. To participate in the call, please dial the following number 5 to 10 minutes prior to the scheduled call time (800) 758-5606. International callers should dial +1 (212) 231-2939.
A replay of the call will be available on the Reed's website at www.reedsinc.com in the "Investors" section following the earnings call within a day.
About Reed's, Inc.
Reed's, Inc. makes the top-selling natural sodas in the natural foods industry and is sold in over 15,000 natural and mainstream supermarkets nationwide. In addition, Reed's products are sold through specialty gourmet, natural food stores, retail stores, convenience stores and restaurants nationwide and select international markets. Its six award-winning non-alcoholic Ginger Brews are unique in the beverage industry, being brewed, not manufactured and using fresh ginger, spices and fruits in a brewing process that predates commercial soft drinks. The Company owns the top-selling root beer line in natural foods, the Virgil's Root Beer product line, and a top-selling cola line in natural foods, the China Cola product line. In 2012, the Company launched Reed's Culture Club Kombucha line of organic live beverages. Other product lines include: Reed's Ginger Candies and Reed's Ginger Ice Creams. In 2009, Reed's started producing private label natural beverages for select national chains. The company is celebrating 25 years of hand crafting the best sodas in the world, naturally, in 2014.
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