United Natural Foods Inc (UNFI)

[SevenTenEleven]

UNFI - Reed's, Inc. Strengthens Partnership With Major Distributor UNFI

United Natural Foods, Inc. (MM) (NASDAQ:UNFI)

Today : Wednesday 4 January 2012


Reed's, Inc. (NASDAQ: REED), maker of the top-selling sodas in natural food stores nationwide, today announced an enhanced partnership with United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) (NASDAQ: UNFI) by joining UNFI's preferred supplier program, ClearVue.
The program is set up by UNFI to extend additional benefits to high quality and trusted suppliers like Reed's Inc. It will allow Reed's to easily expand distribution channels in new regions and increase efficiency and transparency with UNFI. The partnership will laser-focus Reed's sales promotions with primary in-store advertising and marketing programs supported by the distributor and retailers. New product launches will be accelerated within the distribution channels and marketing will be a unified effort geared to make a significant impact benefiting all partners.

CEO and founder of Reed's, Inc., Chris Reed, comments, "This is a very exciting development with our long-time partner UNFI. They have helped us build our distribution in the natural food market from just a few Southern California locations to our current nation-wide availability. The invitation to join the ClearVue program means they see us as an effectual partner. By supporting our products with enhanced marketing and sales, we can truly accelerate our growth. We will also gain access to distribution information that will let us strategically plan our sales and marketing efforts."

Neal Cohane, Sr. Vice President of Sales and Marketing, stated, "This new partnership between Reed's and UNFI is a natural step based on the trust we have built over the last several years. We look forward to building mutually beneficial sales and marketing programs that will drive continued sales growth and profit momentum into 2012 and beyond. I believe that at the end of the day the consumer and our shareholders will benefit the most from this strengthened alliance."

About Reed's, Inc.

Reed's, Inc. makes the top selling natural sodas in the natural foods industry sold in over 10,500 natural food markets and supermarkets nationwide. 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 the top selling cola line in natural foods, the China Cola product line. 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.

Reed's products are sold through specialty gourmet and natural food stores, mainstream supermarket chains, retail stores and restaurants nationwide, and in Canada, as well as through private label relationships with major supermarket chains. For more information about Reed's, please visit the company's website at: http://www.reedsinc.com or call 800-99-REEDS.

Follow Reed's on Twitter at http://twitter.com/reedsgingerbrew

Reed's Facebook Fan Page at https://www.facebook.com/ReedsGingerBrew

About United Natural Foods, Inc.

United Natural Foods, Inc. (www.unfi.com) carries and distributes more than 60,000 products to more than 23,000 customer locations throughout the United States and Canada. The Company serves a wide variety of retail formats including conventional supermarket chains, natural product superstores, independent retail operators and the food service channel. United Natural Foods, Inc. was ranked by Forbes in 2005 as one of the "Best Managed Companies in America," ranked by Fortune in 2006 - 2010 as one of its "Most Admired Companies," winner of the Supermarket News 2008 Sustainability Excellence Award, and recognized by the Nutrition Business Journal with its 2009 Environment and Sustainability Award.

Press Relations Contact:

Emily Straubel

Email Contact

310.598.8948

www.reedsinc.com