New Leaf Brands announced that it rolled out New Leaf Tea with distributors in Virginia and North Carolina. Sales in the first three weeks reached almost 50% penetration in the independent c-store channel. In Virginia, New Leaf Tea is now being sold through Loveland Distributing Co. in Richmond, Hoffman Beverage Co. in Virginia Beach, M. Price Distributing Co. for the Eastern Peninsula, BJ Sager, Inc. in Winchester, PA Short Distributing Co. in Roanoke, and Gwyn Distributing Co. in Marion. In North Carolina, distribution is underway in Harris Wholesale in Raleigh, the Best of Beers in Hickory, and Standard Distributors in Gastonia.

“We are off to an excellent start with New Leaf Tea based on these penetration numbers in independent c-stores,” says Trent Moffat, vice president of sales for New Leaf. “We are actually exceeding those numbers and are already in 55% in the Durham, North Carolina area. The iced tea tradition in the south goes back generations and consumer acceptance has been tremendous with New Leaf’s great taste.”