According to a Bizcommunity report, Nawty Water is using its recent listing with Pick n Pay to take the hard seltzer brand from a presence concentrated in KwaZulu-Natal to national retail reach.
The Pick n Pay listing gives the brand national retail reach. Further listings with Checkers Liquor and OK Liquor are expected to take it from 560 outlets to more than 1,000 during the summer period.
Retail strategy and partnership
Co-founder Michael Tones said the brand deliberately rolled out slowly at first, learning from retailers about what works and what does not. Rather than treating its early stores as a test that could operate differently, it set the same standards from the outset. “We cut no corners,” he said.
Key to the execution is a partnership with Smollan, which began in May and has strengthened the brand’s presence on the shelf. The brand has also built a team to support sampling, secure floor-standing units (FSUs), display units placed on the store floor, where retailers allow them, and maintain a visible presence in stores.
The brand’s growth strategy is built around one philosophy: “Community first. Brand protected. Sales follow.” Rather than relying on performance-marketing metrics such as clicks or conversions, Nawty Water invests in people and face-to-face experiences. The company runs 30 to 40 events and activations each month, a strategy that began with its first hire, an events and community manager named Christie.
Retail expansion also solves a distribution mismatch that emerged when marketing generated demand beyond KwaZulu-Natal while the product was only available in that province. Tones said consumers were repeatedly told, “we will be there soon,” a frustration the national listings are designed to end.
While the brand’s retail presence has grown nearly tenfold in the past six months, Tones acknowledges that the business now needs more specialist support, and it has appointed Retroviral to help with marketing execution ahead of summer. Nawty Water says it continues to assess each opportunity against its positioning, only moving forward when the fit is right.
For small-business owners and emerging consumer brands, the story illustrates how a measured rollout, strong retailer relationships and a focus on community engagement can open the door to national distribution without the large ad spend of established players.
Read more about similar SME growth stories in our SME & Entrepreneurship coverage.
