Organic, plant-based infant formula and snack company Sprout Organic will have national ranging with Chemist Warehouse, in its 500 stores.
Sprout Organic founder and CEO Selasi Berdie said it was a great day for the company.
“Our mission has always been to provide an organic, intolerance-friendly formula to as many Australian families as possible. National ranging at Chemist Warehouse brings us one step closer to that mission,” Berdie said.
“Being certified organic and having clean, easily recognisable ingredients such as rice, pea and coconut, Sprout Organic ticks many boxes for today’s health-conscious consumers.
“Our products also fill a gap in the market for children who are sensitive to common allergens, being free from ingredients that cause 90 per cent of all allergic reactions; dairy, soy, eggs, wheat, fish and peanuts,” he said.
Chemist Warehouse pharmacist and manager Nana Yaa Donkor said there was growing consumer demand for formulas like Sprout.
“We have a lot of mums coming in wanting recommendations in terms of what formulas to use, and we’ve definitely noticed an increase in the need for allergy-friendly formulas,” Nana Yaa Donkor said.
Chemist Warehouse almost doubled its retail pharmacy market share in the last four years. According to IBISWorld, in 2019 the company owned 26 per cent of Australia’s $16 billion retail pharmacy market. In 2022, the sector is now worth $24 billion and Chemist Warehouse accounts for around 50 per cent.
Sprout Organic launched its flagship product, a plant-based and organic infant formula, in June 2021.
In February this year, the company announced a national distribution deal with Australia’s largest health care group Go Vita, which represents 25 per cent of health food outlets in Australia.
Prior to that, Sprout Organic became a member of the Infant Nutrition Council Australia & New Zealand and a signatory to the Marketing in Australia of Infant Formulas: Manufacturers and Importers Agreement 1992 (MAIF Agreement).
Berdie said it was an important milestone for Sprout, indicating trust, acceptance, and recognition as a peer in the hotly contested infant formula industry.
