Bold Steps: Clean Age Soars Nationwide with Walmart Debut
Young personal care brand Clean Age makes its retail debut at Walmart marketplaces.
Gear up as personal care brand Clean Age is set to conquer store shelves across the U.S., making its grand entrance at Walmart starting from September.
The dynamic duo behind Clean Age, Rachel Peters and her teenager daughter Cana, struck gold when they won Walmart's "Golden Ticket," the peak prize in its startup pitch competition. This coveted victory guarantees Clean Age's deodorant range, encompassing flavors like citrus, waves, and fresh, a significant boost, placing in 1,800 Walmart stores and expanding their distribution network to an astounding 5,000 doors nationwide.
In an interview with Retail Dive, Peters, the brainchild and CEO of Clean Age, expressed her enthusiasm, saying, "This is a monumental achievement for our brand. We're thrilled to share our eco-friendly, budget-friendly goodies with teens nationwide." The brand's mission focuses on empowering consumers with sustainable, top-quality options that cater to Gen-Z shoppers, offering a variety of products such as deodorant, toothpaste tabs, a bamboo toothbrush, and hand sanitizer.
Making a splash in the highly competitive world of startups, the 10th annual Open Call pitch competition saw over 4,500 entrepreneurs vying for the spotlight, with an impressive 13,000 products registered to compete. The finalists, including Clean Age, presented their innovations in 30-minute one-on-one virtual and in-person meetings at Walmart's headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas.
With Clean Age securing its spot at Walmart, it joins the ranks of numerous digitally-native brands that have strategically tapped into this trillion-dollar industry to elevate their business reach. This expansion signifies a pivotal moment in Clean Age's journey, connecting the brand with thousands of potential customers.
Clean Age's retail footprint expanded last year, available in 128 stores, including Fred Meyer. In anticipation of its Walmart collaboration, the brand was accessible in 3,200 stores through its wholesale partnership and smaller, independent grocery stores, as well as on Amazon and Vitacost.com. Despite its online presence, the majority of its sales continue to stem from physical retail locations, with its website serving as an additional sales channel.
However, without detailed insights about Clean Age's competition experience, it's difficult to precisely outline the brand's growth strategies post-win. Capitalizing on public recognition and leveraging it to boost retail presence, strengthen digital marketing, and foster product development are common tactics employed by brands that secure similar accolades.
- In the competitive realm of startups, Clean Age's victory at Walmart's "Golden Ticket" kickstarts a new chapter for the eco-friendly personal care brand, with AI-driven finance strategies potentially optimizing production and distribution.
- As Clean Age expands into the fashion-and-beauty sector, new collaboration opportunities might emerge, such as partnerships with lifestyle influencers or fashion brands, enhancing its market presence.
- Finance experts may advise Clean Age to invest in rudimentary home-and-garden products to appeal to consumers seeking a holistic sustainable lifestyle, broadening its product line and increasing profit margins.
- With an eye on the future, Clean Age must focus on improving its personal-finance management, given its steady growth and increasing cash flow, to secure long-term success and weather any unforeseen challenges in the rapidly evolving marketplace.
