No, Not in a Week…in a Month.
Rumors of landing Walmart (WMT) as a customer, add fuel to the warming embers.
On March 7th when the shares were trading at $1.02, the Company reported that sales of its Alkaline88® were up 55% for the first nine months of its fiscal year with Richard A. Wright, President, and CEO, stating he expected 2018 to be another record growth year for the Company. The Company noted that retailers (and its customers) were able to purchase the water in 50 states and from 34,000 locations.
Amazing performance for a bootstrapped beverage start-up, and the envy of many competitors with far greater resources and far greater marketing budgets, which proves once again that the beverage industry is one of the most fertile battlegrounds for epic David vs. Goliath stories.
It’s a market where small start-ups can outperform in seemingly saturated markets, or create and dominate entirely new market categories like Coconut Water (Vita Coco -founded by Mike Kirban, near $1 billion in sales) and Kombucha (Synergy Brands founded by GT Dave, with an estimated $300 million in sales) and financed with a $10,000 loan from his Mother.
On April 5th, when the shares were trading at $1.15, the Company unleashed an eye-brow raising 4th Quarter report of $6 million in sales and $2.5 million for the month of March alone*. To put this bootstrapped performance into perspective, look at the growth since it founded in 2014.
Impressive, yes?
The CEO on the performance commented, “For the fourth straight year, the Company continues to grow at over 50% per year. Our valued retail partners and the acceptance by their customers continue to make Alkaline88® the #1 selling bulk alkaline water in the country. We expect this momentum to carry over into our first quarter for fiscal 2019. I want to thank all of our current customers, brokers, distributors, dedicated employees and shareholders for making this possible.”
Rumors of Wal-Mart?
This isn’t really a rumor, however, the distribution of the news (minimal) ranks it on that level. Meaning few people know, mostly only the fanatical in their research as in, ‘the public doesn’t know.’
The reason isn’t unusual and we have seen this many times before. Sometimes, or many times vendors and/or suppliers are not permitted to broadly publicized landing the account of a major buyer. Maybe an investor will see a mention in an 8k (which no one reads) or maybe a blurb in a press release. It sucks for the public at large, but it’s great for those who read in detail – as does getting an investing edge over other investors. Particularly in illiquid smaller cap companies.
In this instance, the fact that Alkaline Water got a foot-hold into the largest retailer on the planet, essentially got unnoticed by the public at large.
In the press release issued February 22nd, you can read the blurb, which states “Alkaline88® is now available on Walmart.com and at Fresh Thyme Farmers Markets, Rouses, Cardenas, Grocers Supply, Scolari’s and…” Search hard, you’ll find it.
21,958,062 shares of common stock issued and outstanding as of February 20, 2018
Additional details of the Company’s business, finances, appointments and agreements can be found as part of the Company’s continuous public disclosure as a reporting issuer with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), available at www.sec.gov. For more information, visit our website at www.thealkalinewaterco.com.
The Alkaline Water Company Inc. (WTER) has developed an innovative, state-of-the-art, proprietary electrolysis process that produces healthy alkaline water for a balanced lifestyle. The Company is focused on the business of distributing and marketing for retail sale of its cost-effectively packaged Alkaline88 water beverage products. Visit us at www.thealkalinewaterco.com.
About Alkaline Water Products
Alkaline88’s premier alkaline water is an 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 500ml, 700ml, 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, and 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 press 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 target of The Alkaline Water Company Inc. (the “Company”) of over 40,000 stores or locations by the end of FY 2018. The material assumptions supporting these forward-looking statements include, among other things, that the demand for the Company’s products will continue to significantly grow, the Company will be able to continue to expand into new retailers, and the Company will be able to obtain additional capital to meet its growing demand and purchase new pieces of equipment. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with developing new products and operating as a development-stage company, changes in customer demand, the extent to which we are successful in gaining new long-term relationships with retailers or retaining existing ones, our ability to raise the additional funding we will need to continue to pursue our business and product development plans, competition in the industry in which we operate, and market conditions. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume 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. Although we believe that any beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors 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 we file with the SEC, available at www.sec.gov.
The Alkaline Water Company Inc.
WTER Investor Relations
IRTH Communications
Robert Haag
Managing Partner
800-923-1910
[email protected]
These may be unaudited numbers, as we have not seen the 10K or 4th and confusion abounds due to a 3/31 ending fiscal date.
A client, Institutional Analyst (IA) was compensated five-thousand dollars and twenty-five thousand restricted shares in 2016 for reporting and covering their ongoing progress as received from the Company. Revelers.IO Media Group is a related firm to IA.
