New dedicated functional drinks bays in 30 Waitrose stores are set to pop up on 29 May as the supermarket widens its offer of vitamin waters, natural energy drinks and CBD-infused beverages.
The roll-out is being conducted as a trial in response to what Waitrose soft drinks buyer Matthew Blake calls ‘a real appetite’ for functional drinks – including those with ‘relaxing properties’ such as OHMG, one of the brands confirmed to have secured a listing within the new in-store feature.
The dedicated space for ‘drinks that do more’ will house a variety four-pack of OHMG’s magnesium-enriched waters, alongside single cans of its Raspberry & Lemon Balm and Blackcurrant & Vitamin C variants.
Our research has shown that ‘Relaxation Drinks’ are one of the fastest growing in the functional drinks space
Stuart Walsh, co-founder of OHMG, tells NPN the brand is ‘excited’ to be part of the trial. “It reinforces our beliefs that consumers are looking for healthy choices, now more than ever. Our research has shown that ‘Relaxation Drinks’ are one of the fastest growing in the functional drinks space. Customers aren’t looking for sugary drinks that give them ‘wings’, they are looking for drinks that help them ‘land’; drinks that support relaxation, immunity and mental wellbeing, and that’s why we focused our efforts on magnesium, also known as the relaxation mineral, that ticks many of these boxes.
“OHMG is the first drink in the world to infuse three types of magnesium which helps support stress, balance nerves and mental wellbeing. We’ve infused magnesium with spring water and real fruit extracts to create a drink that not only tastes great, but is functional as well, with every can contributing to nearly 20% of your RDA of magnesium.”
