Bodyarmor Sports Nutrition, 100% owned by The Coca-Cola Company, today announced that for the first time in brand history the company will expand and distribute its premium sports drink products internationally. Beginning in January 2024, Bodyarmor Sports Drink, as well as the low-calorie version, Bodyarmor Lyte will be available across all of Canada including key cities such as Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton.
Founded in 2011 by Mike Repole, Bodyarmor shook up the sports drink category by offering a premium coconut water-based product, packed with electrolytes and antioxidants. Low in sodium and high in potassium, Bodyarmor Sports Drink contains natural flavors and sweeteners and no colours or dyes from artificial sources. After experiencing resounding success and seeing firsthand that consumers were looking for better hydration options than what was currently on the market, the brand went on to create Bodyarmor Lyte – a low-calorie hydration drink (just 15 calories per serving), and similar to Sports Drink has a coconut-water base with no artificial flavours, no colours or dyes from artificial sources.
In 2018, The Coca-Cola Company initially acquired a 15% stake in Bodyarmor, saying that the acquisition “is incremental to the Coca-Cola beverage portfolio and has significant potential for long-term growth.” In November 2021, Coca-Cola announced that it has acquired full ownership of Bodyarmor, paying USD 5.6 billion in cash for the remaining 85% of the company. (inside.beer, 1.11.2021)
Commenting the expansion to Canada, Federico Muyshondt, CEO, Bodyarmor Sports Nutrition said: “This is a major moment and key milestone for the Bodyarmor brand and one we do not take lightly. We have seen incredible growth in the 10+ years since our inception and are excited to bring our premium lineup of products to new markets with our first stop being Canada.”
The brand will distribute eight new SKUs in early 2024 to Canadians coast-to-coast including the following:
- Bodyarmor Sports Drink: Strawberry Banana (#1 selling Trademark SKU in U.S.), Fruit Punch, Orange Mango, Strawberry Grape, Tropical Punch
- Bodyarmor LYTE: Peach Mango (#1 selling LYTE SKU in U.S.), Blueberry Pomegranate, Dragonfruit Berry
Muyshondt said, “International expansion has been on our mind for quite a while, and we are extremely proud to be able to make this happen in partnership with The Coca-Cola Company and Coke Canada Bottling. We know that consumers around the world, but more specifically Canada, are now looking for more functionality in their beverages – they want more out of what they’re consuming. Bodyarmor is designed for that. Our brand and product was designed to be better-for-you from an ingredients standpoint and we are extremely confident the consumer will be receptive.”
The repeat rate in the U.S. is currently at 51%, meaning once consumers try the product, they continue to regularly purchase it for their household.
“Canadians’ love of sports is as diverse as the people who live in our communities making Canada a great choice to lead Bodyarmor’s international expansion,” says Stephen du Toit, Coke Canada Bottling President and COO. “There’s nothing like Bodyarmor in the Canadian market today and we know this product is going to delight Canadians coast-to-coast-to-coast. We’re very pleased to partner with the Bodyarmor team as the first international market to deliver this breakthrough brand to our customers early next year.”
“We know the power of our brand and are confident that this will be just the start of our expansion to new countries and consumers all around the globe,” says Muyshondt. “We changed the game when it came to sports drinks and know that there are many consumers that continue to drink outdated formulas because it’s all that’s available to them. We will be changing that.”
Following this announcement it seems likely that Bodyarmor will be rolled out to other international markets in the soon future.
