Chestnut Market is getting in on the ground floor in carrying a caffeinated energy spray from Toronto-based VAE Labs.
The retail product launch will take place this fall in Westchester County, New York, in 20 of the convenience-store chain’s 74 locations. Chestnut Market is based in New Paltz, New York.
The VAE spray, enriched with caffeine and amino acids, delivers 20 milligrams of caffeine per spray, the company said. Three sprays on the tongue or added to a beverage provide the same amount of caffeine as a 5-ounce cup of coffee.
“People rely on us when they are on the go, and we sell a lot of caffeinated products,” said Faheem Jamal, director of c-store operations at Chestnut Market. “We’re always trying to stay ahead of the competition by being the first to market with new products for our customers. We believe we’re a perfect fit for VAE.”
- Chestnut Market is No. 95 on CSP’s 2023 Top 202 ranking of U.S. convenience-store chains by store count.
VAE launched in 2021 with online sales and two flavors, mint and mango. For the retail launch, VAE said it will add a mocha flavor. Target customers are young urban professionals, fitness enthusiasts and college students, or anyone who needs energy on the go.
One VAE has 36 sprays, which is the equivalent of 12 coffees, and sells for $14.99 on its website.
“We’re looking to see how our messaging and packaging performs in stores,” said Mohand Khouider, co-founder of VAE. “Part of it is doing some sampling in store to get people’s first reactions and part of it is to launch in the lovely Westchester County, a more relaxed environment than downtown Manhattan. The idea is to have a small test launch before doing a larger, New York City launch where we’re looking to start in select stores.”
The retail test was facilitated by the Westchester Innovation Network (WIN), an initiative of the Business Council of Westchester (BCW), whose goal is driving economic development, innovation and growth in Westchester County. The Chestnut Market-VAE Energy collaboration is one of more than a dozen innovator matches facilitated by WIN in 2023.
“We are focused on attracting innovators to collaborate with our members—local companies of all sizes,” said Marsha Gordon, BCW president and CEO. “Our goal is to persuade innovators to grow and stay here in Westchester.”
Created by neuroscientists, VAE uses a patent-pending HyperSoluble caffeine technology to deliver a coffee’s worth of energy in just three sprays, according to the company’s website. VAE has the amino acids L-theanine and L-tyrosine, which reduce the jitters and crash from caffeine while improving focus and energy.
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