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Reed's, Inc. (REED)

Q3 2012 Earnings Call· Wed, Nov 14, 2012

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Transcript

Operator

Operator

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining Third Quarter Earning Call 2012. Your host for today Mr. James Linesch, you may begin.

James Linesch

Management

Good afternoon everyone. My name is Jim Linesch, the Chief Financial Officer of Reed's Inc. I'd like to welcome all of you to our quarterly earnings conference call. With me today is Mr. Chris Reed, Reed's Chairman and CEO, and Neal Cohane, our Senior Vice President of Sales. First of all, I'd like to remind our listeners that in this call, management's remarks may contain forward-looking statements, which are subject to risks and uncertainties and management may make additional forward-looking statements in response to your questions. Therefore, the company claims the protection of the Safe Harbor for forward-looking statements that are contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ from those discussed today due to such risks, but not limited to risks relating to demand for the company's products, dependence on third-party distributors, changes in the competitive environment, access to capital, and other information detailed from time-to-time in the company’s filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. And in addition, any projections as to the company’s future performance represent management's estimates as of today, November 14, 2012. Reed's Inc. assumes no obligation to update these projections and in the future as market conditions change. And now, I'd like to make a few brief comments about our financial performance for the quarter, which will be followed by Chris Reed who will give us an outlook of the company's business, and Neal will be here to participate in any questions you might have. Revenue growth continued at a good pace of 23% during the quarter over last year with both of our brands leading the way and increased private label business supporting it. The underlying margins on our sales have improved slightly despite general cost increase pressures. Private label margins are about 5% higher…

Christopher Reed

Management

Thanks Jim. And thank you for joining us today on the conference call. Another great quarter at Reed's third quarter, each year typically I think we had less year-over-year growth in the third quarter when I look back over time, but it looks like we did pretty well for the quarter. The main driver - the main activity at the headquarters during the quarter has definitely been the launch of the Kombucha. It's kind of a brave thing we have done going into a category that has a large number of people who attempted to play and have not been successful. And the quarter I feel that the data that we are looking at, we have been reaching out to our accounts that have had the products, some of them for the full quarter, the new Kombucha line. The data is suggesting strongly right now that we have got a real winner and at soft category. The Kombucha category could give a little bit of a background is a probiotic fermented tea, that is non-alcoholic and has all kinds of health benefits according to the people that are Kombucha (indiscernible). And there is one company dominating the sales of it and it's the GT Synergy brand actually an LA-based company. And the way I like to describe it in terms of the size of it is, it's 4 or 5 times larger than the natural soda category in the natural food industry, which I estimate around $80 million to $100 million. And he got there in about 1/3 of the time, so probably 7 years it’s growing up to $300 million category. With one guy with 98% of the business, although I think that his sales are actually estimated somewhere between $150 million and $200 million sales. With no clear…

Operator

Operator

[Operator Instructions] Our first question is from Steven Moore [ph].

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

This is Steve. You guys are very - seem to be very enthusiastic about things and so much that you had 2 insiders brought enormous amount of stock equal to about 2 and 3 times their annual income. I was wondering is this because of the Kombucha, I can’t pronounce it, but I am so excited looking at the price of your stock and the volume and your guys I just I don’t know, I guess I need a little more clarity on what’s going on?

Christopher Reed

Management

Let me handle that please.

James Linesch

Management

Go ahead please.

Christopher Reed

Management

There are a number of things going on. First, we were undervalued at the start of the year tremendously, maybe there was some tax selling at the end of last year. And we had switched IR to in-house. We started that in late 2011 and we go ahead of big improvement definitely the CEO has been out on the road a little more this year and now deal road shows, talking to institutions talking about the stock that’s happened, definitely lot more than it ever had in the past, he was out 5 or 6 days. It isn’t unusual at all. Both people give more than that on an annual basis, but I’m busy here with this Kombucha, but also being [ph] this natural went public in the middle - the early part of the year had a tremendous result. I think that took more focus on other public companies in natural arena. And then Kombucha I mean for those natural food investors who follow Reed's, they kind of know what Kombucha and what Reed's Kombucha can do to, and the product has been out in the market. So, the due diligence is out there for anyone who wants it truly created. And I think that definitely that has had some effect on the company, but you will notice that management is a large holder and is holding. We don’t - this is way too early for what we are about to do.

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

Well, thank you very much and congratulations again. And I have been a buyer for a while here and I just picked it up on the screen last spring and I said something was going on here. And then the more I watch it, the more I like it, then you guys are really exciting for me. So, well thank you very much.

Christopher Reed

Management

Thank you, Steve.

Operator

Operator

[Operator Instructions] Our next question is from Eric Rose [ph].

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

I was wondering too, there is a finally a Trader Joe’s coming to Gainesville, Florida. I am an investor here in Florida. And I wondered if you are going to have a rollout of Kombucha with Trader Joe’s or any of the publics or are you concentrating now on just the natural food stores?

Christopher Reed

Management

Well, natural foods, it definitely spills over in the grocery. And while we thought our initial launch would just be into the natural food markets in the only chain Whole Foods, we have actually already started picking up some of the supermarket chains. Some of them picking up Kombucha for the first time are bringing our product in over the number one, because of prior relationships, but the initial rollout in the Southeast will be Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s at this time is considering, but has now made a decision on Kombucha and we are in the conversation, so keep our fingers crossed there.

Operator

Operator

Our next question is from Ryan Mason [ph].

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

I wanted to ask a couple of questions. This Kombucha category is really exciting and just wanted to ask what was the spend to launch the product in those 800 stores? What do you expect in sales say over the next quarter for 2013? And then if any there is any insight on margin?

James Linesch

Management

Well, the margin insight that I gave in a perfect Kombucha production world, we produced our Ginger Brews for acts and then a little bit more we produced Kombucha and then we get to charge twice as much. Early stages of our gearing up our plants and morph into a Kombucha production facility is quickly moving into those ideals, but we don’t expect those ideals to be there in the fourth quarter, but hopefully by some point at first or at the latest at second quarter, we should be able to move more to the ideals that we have done here. But anyway, we are trying to like the wall that we jump in knowing that we are going to figure things out. And quite frankly, we've had a lot of just aha movements that have come up, that have allowed us to reproduce this more efficiently than probably anyone in the industry as we have taken our brewing and chemical engineering backgrounds and been a little bit more scientific than the hippies are in there right now. So, but we are moving in that direction, so the margins should be definite. I'd like to say that we are running 30s. The Kombucha is probably running 45s to around that at least. What kind of prediction can I make? Let's say the third quarter we ran Kombucha at an annual rate of about $1 million a year. And they were definitely doubled that in the fourth quarter. So, what can we say -- the 800 stores we are in. It looks like we are running fallings that equal all the rest of our products combined in them. Anyway it’s hard to say how fast it’s growing. The numbers we are looking at hopefully next year, it will be very disappointing for us to be around worth of $5 million in the first 12 months of this product launch. We hope it will be closer to $15 million, but that will be on a very high side. So, somewhere between $5 million and $15 million is our best guess right now and that would make it the driver for the company definitely in 2013.

Operator

Operator

Our next question is from Ken Mass [ph].

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

This is a fabulous quarter and very interesting in both in the purchasing and your two guys have at the full marketplace. What kind of volume did you do in the first quarter in this introductory quarter that you just announced, and you had about 750 stores of your own sales force that you did and I know that you are doing it from UNFI, also have they contributed additional outlets to you. And are you doing any things really special and expensive as far as on the introduction level as far as bifurcations get for a case, and have you increased the volumes of what you are doing as far as production from what you last indicated to the marketplace? Sorry for all those questions. Hello.

Christopher Reed

Management

Yes, are you there?

Neal Cohane

Analyst

I think Chris had a drop off. I am not sure. This is Neal Cohane and I get to answer your question. I can tell you that we rolled out very aggressively with Kombucha and you will see things like buy 1, get 1 frees. You will see buy 3 get 1 frees. We keep it pretty specific, very targeted, most retailers want to see you when you enter in the stores, want to see you enter aggressively and that’s all we did. So, it’s really a one-time hit. There is no big slotting expense and that’s the beauty of Kombucha and what we are playing within these retailers. As we are playing in a whole another section of the store, our sodas end up in the soda aisle, and now we are ending up in the dairy aisle. So, it is more exposure for Reed’s, real nice exposure for Reed’s and it is not heavy slotting. So, everything is kind of one-time entry fee and then you start reaping the benefit as you see sell through and we are seeing lots of sell through. So, I hope I answered some of your questions.

James Linesch

Management

Another comment Ken is that even during our first quarter rollout our promotional spend really has not exceeded its pain for being paid by sales. And we feel like we can grow this product line really by not having to have a net spend that is really going to fund itself as we get going and as we look through some of our production issues.

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

Great, have you been experiencing any secondary pull through on the reorder kind of basis, I know that it’s tough getting out there initially, and you have done a fabulous job on that. Is there a pull through with the actual consumer where these guys are coming back to you and saying hey we need more?

Neal Cohane

Analyst

Yes, you know the pull through has been so far it’s been really, really positive. We are not only seeing secondary pull through, we are seeing 3x pull through, 4x pull through. Some stores are blowing us away by the volume they are doing and really it is all because of the taste. There is not a whole lot of marketing we are putting behind it besides just the initial promotion. So, soon we will have promotional materials out there. We are going to have point of sale materials out there, and a lot of more talking going on about our flavors. But right now we are seeing some really good positive results.

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

So, it sounds very exciting I must say. And I think that from watching it being it all shipping myself and seeing and assuming that Chris was in the same space in a way when he started as a young guy in this. The maturity of what’s going on is very impressive and is the UNFI are they really adding to it or is this really still self-generated by the company itself and its own sales force?

Neal Cohane

Analyst

It’s a combination, it’s a combination of we have got a phenomenal force out there. And everybody jumped on this Kombucha launch, right from the start. So, we have got good strong field sales folks out there that are making it happen. And then you have got the UNFI sales folks that are doing the same thing. So, when Chris says there is 800, it’s something, it’s 800, but it’s definitely North of that because there is a lot that we are not capturing quick because UNFI doesn’t share all their information with us. So, that should answer your question.

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

And the volumes that you are producing or increasing let’s say even monthly or quarterly as far as the drops that were on the Kombucha?

Neal Cohane

Analyst

Yes, each production that we have grows incrementally. So, our first production back call in at June was X and then incrementally from there each production has gotten bigger on Kombucha. So, it - we are in an aggressive period right now out in the field. And then next year you are going to start seeing us launch nationally with a couple of key retailers that are welcoming the product in the natural food retail arena. So, there is just more good news to come.

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

It sounds terrific. I know you were speaking of hoping to do $3 million to $7 million last - from the conversation we had and now you are talking $5 million to $15 million, I think you guys are on fire, and I am a very happy stockholder at this point even though it got a little bit weaker in the last couple of moments.

Neal Cohane

Analyst

Good to hear.

Operator

Operator

Our next question is from George Santana.

George Santana

Analyst

A couple. You keep doing a great job in finding up new distributors. What is Reed’s reach at this moment, in other words how much of the U.S. population does Reed’s actually reach with their distributors or direct relationships and how many more significant markets are there to sign up?

Neal Cohane

Analyst

Good question. I can tell you we are reaching right now with all our distributors our natural food distributors along with our new DSD distribution network reached quite frankly the entire U.S. But when it comes to DSD and signing up kind of distributors that are kind of your soft drink distributors out there, we have got pretty much the whole West Coast covered from Washington down to San Diego, Washington state down to San Diego. We are pretty much covered from really Maine soon to be down to Florida. And now we are just going to start filling in. We just opened up the Chicago market. We have opened up the Utah market, and we are now going to start filling in the center of the country. And it takes a little while, then a lot to negotiate, and it goes up and goes on and been trying to find the right folks that understand our brand and understand what we are trying to do. But it won’t be long before we have the entire country covered. And the beauty of that is we get calls everyday from folks saying, where can we find your stuff. And we are always pointing them to either a Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s or something that we - that stores that we know where the brand is. But having a DSD network allows you to point to a whole lot more places and allows you kind of ubiquitous reach and that’s what we are working on.

George Santana

Analyst

That’s great and now as you are…

Christopher Reed

Management

Can I jump in, the CEO is back. I am actually - have joined you today I just want to say there were 99% of natural foods, that’s a channel of distribution and we are through north America. And in grocery, we are in about 24% of the grocery, but we are at our infancy in those stores in terms of marketing to build up clients just within each of those 24% of the market. And then the other big part of grocery that we are going after up and down the street is new to us. We have been bringing on the DSD. This is a long drawn out, and quite frankly a very cost - it’s expensive to do DSD properly. And that’s why we have been slowly dipping our toes into the up and down the street business that fills in the other 97% of the accounts in America outside the natural food industry. So, that’s my perspective on it. So, we are still very young on the West Coast with DSD in terms of the accounts that we are in versus how many we could be in and also the marketing in those accounts is relatively new compared to the mature industry we are in the natural food industry, where we have been the (indiscernible) for the last 10, 15 years.

George Santana

Analyst

That’s really helpful. Thanks Chris. And now of course you have so you are expanding the Reed distribution and all your DSD relationships and now you can continue with the penetration of the Kombucha products into that existing network right, and that’s just beginning from your - the numbers you gave earlier, right?

Christopher Reed

Management

Kombucha tends to be a natural food phenomenon, although we think that we are looking at data out there it shows that they have spread far beyond natural foods. We were relatively surprised when San Francisco distributor approached us before own products even though we are trying to get into San Francisco for years. So, anyway it’s not that we can get someone in San Francisco with our own products, but we are picky and this is timing on things here like Chicago, that company took us 18 months to get going. So, I think that most of Kombucha is probably being sold in the natural food industry and that we consider it somewhat of a trend, just maybe there is strongest trend in natural foods. In fact our data shows when you walk into Whole Foods and say what’s the top selling products in the store, it’s I believe it’s not unusual answer to say our Kombucha. And it is all one guy doing it, so it is pretty starting to jump into that. So, I don’t see how - I mean there is probably another 10,000 accounts outside of natural foods, but they are not a substantial at Whole Foods. They are more mom and pops and trend you have cafes and it’s still significant new business.

George Santana

Analyst

As far as marketing do you feel at some point the company can accelerate sales growth with some more marketing or advertising spend or is it just way too early?

Christopher Reed

Management

It’s always the dream you figured that we pushed to the 30 plus million you are going to eventually you think that if you actually told people about the products in the marketplace they go in and turn that real estate that we have faster. So, we are engaged with people that are experts in that area and some of them are hired consultants and some of them are outside ad agencies, branding experts that are consulting with us now. So, I am pleased we are moving into a more significant stage, will be less of the brick and mortar kind of twist to more building brand awareness around the products. That’s partly why when we go into Kombucha we are going to private label, we are being a little bit mercenary and we are just doing for things that will bring in a lot of money. So, we can do everything we want there.

Operator

Operator

Our next question is from Justin Smiley [ph].

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

Quick question on sort of the base business. I have heard Chris mention before kind of view this is a 3-leg stool you got the branded, the private label and now Kombucha. So, if you guys can do let’s call it $5 million and Kombucha next year on the low-end what do you guys think the base branded and private label business could do next year in revenue terms?

Christopher Reed

Management

Guys, don’t know if am going to jump back in. I really forgot and signed up for jury duty during this week, it’s such an idiot. Anyway, I have to repeat. We - Kombucha we have got a number there, still very much a moving target although feeling better all the time, not going backwards as far as since we have been looking hard at the data for the last 8 weeks. The private label has accelerated and more of our large customers are asking for more from us and we got deals for next year that are going to move out a lot at least a couple million more, $2 million, $3 million more private label. That’s the feeling and bringing to this has been moving by somewhere around $4 million a year. I don’t know, hopefully, we’ll move fast $40 million next year, that’s the goal of next year. I think guys we said $50 million we are hoping at least $45 million. But this is - it’s really early for us to say yes with any certainty I am not giving it time, so I’m just those are the feelings that we have got. Hopefully that we are - we won’t be spending every penny of that extra growth profit they have but on just - you can spend hard to build that revenue. We have probably been a little more aggressive in the third quarter than normal for us, but I don’t see us having to do tremendous amount of spends to get this product out in the marketplace, because we are not really doing a lot of advertising or anything it's just we want trial Kombucha. So, mostly what we are doing is just doing and getting trial from Kombucha drinkers and that’s cheaper, because that’s why you have to be store shelves. We might put product on discount or put a little thing upon on the shelf as try me, I am new made with spring water instead of city water, made with Oolong and Yerba Mate tea, which affects here. And what else? We have another thing that we are aging our stuff longer, so it has more health properties to it. So, we have some great kind of distinction and I don’t see fairing has been hard for that, but eventually we are going to start spending on Reed's and Virgil's for our mainstream push of those brands until the positioning of the (indiscernible).

Operator

Operator

Our next question is from James Kurzawski [ph].

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

So I was going to ask you actually is about kind of the breakdown timing of your revenues with private label, it looks like that kind of seasonally in the fourth quarter you tend to get maybe 2 to 3 times of your private label fails of what you have been doing in the prior quarters each year? Is that just an affect of like holiday shopping, people buying more soda around the holidays? Maybe if you could give me some color on that?

James Linesch

Management

I’ll jump in if Chris isn't...

Christopher Reed

Management

Okay good.

James Linesch

Management

What we find is some of the initial private label business that we have picked up over the last couple of years has been seasonal business. Lot of kind of champagne, but what we call the celebration bottle business, sparkling ciders, sparkling juices, they tend to skew very heavy in the fourth quarter. But what’s now is happening is we are now picking up some real good summer business. So, we are going to start a seeing kind of level out throughout the course of the year. There won’t be just this big spike in the fourth quarter. We’ll start seeing a nice bump throughout the course of the whole year and that’s coming soon.

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

Okay, great. Thank you. And then I was also going to ask if you could kind of give me just rough estimates of like the margin on private label versus branded and then versus Kombucha?

Christopher Reed

Management

Jim, you want to jump in?

James Linesch

Management

Yes. If you look at it generally, our private label runs maybe clearly not more than 3% to 4% behind our branded business. The important thing about private label is that we don’t have discounting, we don’t have promotions, it's just straight selling. And so when you bring it all in, they are not that far apart of margin. The Kombucha will be a higher margin business. Right now, it's somewhat labor-intensive, but as Chris mentioned earlier, once we work through that, we probably be driving maybe 5% to 10% higher margins on the Kombucha.

Christopher Reed

Management

So yes when you bring it all in, you see that we are a little bit north of 30% margins. And that’s a mix of the branded being little higher and the private label little lower, but not necessarily private label contracts can’t be kind of all over, but we have a certain minimum to accept them, but they are averaging higher definitely than last year.

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

Yes, I noticed that. Yes, so it just sounds like they are all kind of clustered right around that 30% mark as of right now?

Christopher Reed

Management

Yes.

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

Okay, great. That helps a lot.

Christopher Reed

Management

We are learning how to do it better of course and the contracts are better. And people know that we can follow through to and so that makes the difference.

Operator

Operator

Our next question is from Sam Gravina [ph].

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

There is a question about the Kombucha and the chemistry. I have tried Kombucha 4 times. I live out here in Boston. I cannot find the Reed’s Kombucha on any of our shells. So, I have tried some of the other brands. I have tried it 6 to 7 times. And I have been very disappointed with every try I have, it just is not taste like a product anybody would want to buy it. So, it's always kind of jittery and it always has alcohol in it, I’m very sensitive to alcohol (indiscernible) I can’t get through a bottle, because there is just too much of it in there. Have you guys addressed this problem, are you brewing this stuff so its non-alcoholic, more watery?

James Linesch

Management

Yes we are, of course our exact message is proprietary since we have been putting a lot of effort into that over the last year. But we have - we keep our alcohol under the 0.5 maximum. And frankly our alcohol levels are around 0.2 and under going out the doors so that we do have some room for that. And some of it also has to do with the culture and what type of culture you’re using and the message. We - our Kombucha is alive you could take a bottle of our Kombucha and you could make Kombucha out of it. And so it’s a balance with the alcohol. We want to put out a live product that we need to keep it low in alcohol. Our competitors, many others in the market have reduced their alcohol levels simply by diluting and that’s why you’re seeing inferior products, and we started out with the goal that we’re going to offer a very strong full body of Kombucha along with really, really great flavors and we feel like we have accomplished that.

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

It’s what things have been...

Christopher Reed

Management

Sam, it’s Chris here. Now we’re not making this product for you. We don’t care if a single one of our customers or anyone knew about this product, we are going after $200 million in sales from a guy and we’re very targeted. We know exactly what their customer wants. They wanted (indiscernible), they want it intense, they don’t want it watered down. And we have also engineered the alcohol out of the equation better than anyone has. So, it’s definitely a legal non-alcoholic product and we are very tracing out the alcohol dealt with orange juice we have in it. If you let it sit for a day or it’s not refrigerated properly in your supermarket. So, it’s not about making the stuff too good, but it’s about selling a hell lot of Kombucha.

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

I have to say that the [indiscernible] here is not the turn off it’s the alcohol it is it seems.

Christopher Reed

Management

Alright.

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

I know I have taste stuff that’s not legal, have you seen up with your competitor I know you guys, because this is a competitive advantage here, that you can make legal stuff and they are not?

Christopher Reed

Management

Yes there is competitor stuff we’ve tested and I’m not going to say anything else. Anyway let’s just say we agree with your assessment.

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

It seems like a liability someday you’ll put something out there and somebody doesn’t refrigerate it and then its alcoholic, I mean have you thought about this?

Christopher Reed

Management

Yes, I don’t think it’s really our problem. The product gives me -- if you buy orange juice better refrigerated, if you buy unpasteurized apple juice you better keep it in your refrigerator. So, we just understood you’ve - these products if you still leave them out you can hear alcoholic formation on them.

Neal Cohane

Analyst

Sam where do you live?

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

I’m living in the Boston area and I’m not seeing it anywhere. Do you have it anywhere here?

Neal Cohane

Analyst

Would sound, because I’d like to make sure we get some in there.

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

We have Whole Foods in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Bedford, Massachusetts in all over the place. I’d love to see some of your products.

Neal Cohane

Analyst

Very good and Bedford, Massachusetts you said.

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

Bedford, Massachusetts is my hometown, I work in Cambridge.

Neal Cohane

Analyst

Yes, very good look for it. We’ll have it up there shortly.

Operator

Operator

Our next question is from Vipul Sagare [ph].

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

One of the questions I had was I read all about this distribution whether it is in San Francisco and all, what are these distribution are they just like brand new distribution or are they renegotiation with the different company. I mean I would think you have Reed’s somewhere in San Francisco. So, are the - what is the nature of these distribution how - what does it endeavor?

Christopher Reed

Management

Basically we are going after different channel sales. And with natural foods or in all the natural foods distributors, these Anheuser-Busch cores know our distributor network, are going up and down the street every account, every restaurant, every bar, every daily. So, it’s just - it’s allowing us to go after the 97% of the marketplace.

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

So, initially you had it through Anheuser-Busch you are saying and now you are going?

Christopher Reed

Management

We started in natural foods and now we are going into mainstream distribution.

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

Got it.

Christopher Reed

Management

Natural foods is 3% of the market, the rest, the other 97%. Now we have full access to the whole market not just the piece of it.

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

Okay. My next question is about how I’m seeing Reed everywhere as far as the Ginger Ale is concerned and the Virgil is concerned. But again and I am from Portland, Oregon and I have not seen Reed anywhere from, I thought by November, it would be at least somewhere from New Seasons or Whole Foods or any of these places. But whether I go to main stores to health food stores or organic stores, I see every Reed product from Trader Joe's to Whole Foods to New Seasons to Food Front, I see them everywhere. But I don’t see the Kombucha, and this is I would say about 3 months now, the only place I was able to get Kombucha was one store and that also because we wanted to try it and we special ordered it, but otherwise I am not seeing Kombucha anywhere from Reed. I see all your other products.

Christopher Reed

Management

Well, if you send us an e-mail, we'll send you a list of the stores in your marketplace that have already picked up the product. But, we are at our infancy with it. We are probably in less than 15% of our accounts with it right now. But Portland is probably has 15 or 20 accounts right now with Kombucha.

James Linesch

Management

And know that New Seasons Chris has authorized it and it's the just the matter that's got to go in to their planogramming. So it’s a timing issue. That’s all.

Christopher Reed

Management

Right.

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

Yes. But I remember I talked to you guys last quarter and you said send me an e-mail I did, you send me a list of places and it's been 3 months to not see any of these stores have the Kombucha, everything else is there. So, what would be the holdup is it because you haven’t produced enough or is it I mean you dig at the Reed ginger ale and the Virgil, I would think that they would also have right next to it in the Kombucha area, I mean, wherever they have all the GT and Synergy and all that stuff. But I am not seeing that, that’s what I’m saying.

Christopher Reed

Management

Alright. Well, we’ll get you a list of the accounts in Portland I have it now and we'll revisit your e-mail with that list, but we went into a hard launch on November 1. Which means that while the distributors may have had the product before November 1, this was the first month that was actively in their catalogs, actively being talked about we put out a consumer flyer to 1100 stores around the country to participate in the consumer flyer program with our distributor. So, it's just really done, but I can tell you that response on this product has been just everybody loves it and we are not having a lot of trouble selling it in the larger teams like the Whole Foods have a timing issue. They don’t just click a finger, but Southeast and Southwest, picked it up for those Whole Foods. Anyway, Neal tell me how many accounts we have in Portland so far. I have already seen a list with quite a few.

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

The list is long, because I have seen all the co-ops and natural stores that have Reed already, but it's just the Kombucha doesn’t show up.

Christopher Reed

Management

Right. We have a different list for Kombucha.

Neal Cohane

Analyst

I’ll just tell you if we have a guy that, that is dedicated in the Portland marketplace and in the Washington, he covers Portland and Seattle. So, he has got his hands full trying to get to all these places, but he is getting up one at a time and you will see it, I can assure you - you will see it.

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

Okay. So, like what is the timeframe I should be seeing it in the Kombucha shelf with the GTs of the world and Synergy and (Thompson)?

Neal Cohane

Analyst

I can only tell you, I think you will see by the end of the year. You will start seeing it more and more. But as Chris said, we just kind of getting started and there is no - we don’t have a huge field sales team and that’s we keep our expenses low. And so sometimes things take a little bit longer than we like it to take, but it also we have got good people that are getting it done. So, you’ll see it there. I promise you that. I give you my word you’ll start seeing it show up.

Christopher Reed

Management

Neal, you can also send the list of the accounts in Portland and have it right now right?

Neal Cohane

Analyst

Yes.

Christopher Reed

Management

Alright. It's just not the list that maybe this gentleman is actually visiting right now, but it's not like nobody wants it now. It's been highly successful and the accounts are in general enthusiastic about it, but you don't always thought you in, the day you walk in. Although we are probably bringing on 20 or 30 new accounts a day right now. That's my guess, based on the reports we are getting and the numbers that we have already generated.

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

And they retail for what like 350?

Christopher Reed

Management

Sometimes we are going out full price, that’s a 399 and sometimes we are going out with 247 or 245 which would be around 249 aggressive.

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

Okay, okay. That’s between 3 and 350 the prices of the other ones. Okay.

Christopher Reed

Management

It’s a beautiful thing.

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

Yes, no, no I mean I know a bunch of people who use that product and out of your 4 flavors that you have they all love 2 of them extremely - especially the hibiscus one?

Christopher Reed

Management

Yes that’s the beauty.

James Linesch

Management

Yes.

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

The only the grape fruit one was little vinegary but other ones all 3 of them are very well received. But it just that I’m not seeing it in the store, and but the other question was are you planning on more flavors because I’m seeing GT and Synergy they have like 17, 18 different flavors out there. And what is your strategy and how you introduce different flavors like is there a timetable that you have set up?

Christopher Reed

Management

We’re just holding on to our head as we grow this thing quickly. But the flavors already being developed for a next round. There is - people already saying wow it’s amazing what you have done here we produce a - give us some more flavor. So, we’ll probably our next big trade show in March we have a new flavor to show at the show.

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

Okay, thank you for answering my question and congratulations.

Christopher Reed

Management

Sure. Thank you for your interest in our stock.

Operator

Operator

Our next question is from Ken Mass [ph].

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

I think you’ve already covered, I appreciate it I guess, I do has 2 - I’m trying to understand do you do these things in a bulk brew, and how much do you target for to produce for a month of the4 flavors that you are currently doing in number of cases?

Christopher Reed

Management

Well, we’re not saying that specifically in specific production.

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

Okay and I guess...

Christopher Reed

Management

We’re running….

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

I’m getting an echo there, sorry.

Christopher Reed

Management

Oh yes, alright.

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

I’m sorry I’m calling you by Skype from Italy.

Christopher Reed

Management

Alright. We’re producing around 20,000 cases a month right now. And we’re gearing up for 30,000.

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

All right and once again I congratulate you on a wonderful quarter that you’ve done. And good luck to your COO and CFO on their big purchase here I found that to be heartwarming and very encouraging and doubled up myself.

Christopher Reed

Management

All right. Thank you.

Operator

Operator

Our next question is from Chris Soteriou [ph].

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

I just wanted to ask for a little more clarity on the - when you first began to talk Chris you’ve talked about sales expanding 33% to 200% of your existing products. I mean in other words you’re selling more Kombucha than your existing products and the stores that you are in now, I’m just wondering if you can give me a general idea or an average that you would - number that you would put on sales multiple of Kombucha compared to your existing products in stores?

Christopher Reed

Management

The data points come from probably for all regions of the country have gotten data, and I would say that its small piece that’s here and there in San Diego, LA, even North of Santa Barbara all the way to North Carolina shared some data. I’m trying to think of those different places. But it feels like its 33s on the low end and 200% is probably on the high end and probably running somewhere between 50% and 75%. Dealing on it right now, but we have to analyze which accounts bring just whole price, marketing which ones we’re on 245 o, we have to kind of discount it. But we have a mature account in North Carolina of 30 stores, 25 stores and it’s running about 80%. And we actually think thereby year-over-year it’s probably running at 100% that is just because it's just getting - going there and seems to be building momentum.

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

Well, I have to say congratulations on thinking of doing a knockoff on the Kombucha I don’t know whose idea was in your group, but I know you had mentioned that you weren’t so interested in doing it a couple of years ago, but I am quite impressed.

Christopher Reed

Management

The first person is laughing is Jim Linesch. He is the CFO and he is the guy who pulled that off.

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

Well, that takes more than two to tango. So congratulations.

Christopher Reed

Management

We have been tangling, no doubt, not in a weird way.

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

I understand. But I look forward to trying the product, but I haven’t seen it here in Berkeley, but I imagine that at Trader Joe's local or some of the other places. Well, carry on.

Christopher Reed

Management

You shop at the Berkeley Bowl.

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

We do.

Christopher Reed

Management

It should be right there.

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

That’s wonderful. I’ll be down there today.

Christopher Reed

Management

There you go.

Operator

Operator

Our next question is from Ryan Mason [ph].

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

I think it's already been partially answered. Did you - did I hear correctly that you are currently producing 20,000 cases of the Kombucha per month and aiming for 30,000 and my question is how many bottles per case. Hello, can you hear me?

Christopher Reed

Management

Yes, there is 12.

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

12 sorry, just came off speaker phone.

Christopher Reed

Management

No problem.

Unknown Analyst

Analyst

But those, the numbers what I heard are correct?

Christopher Reed

Management

Well, in the short-term, yes, that’s kind of where we are today and next month.

Operator

Operator

[Operator Instructions] Our next question is from Shirish Chaudhary.

Christopher Reed

Management

I think Shirish isn't going to make it.

Operator

Operator

There are no further questions in queue.

Christopher Reed

Management

Okay, great. Well, we’d like to thank everyone for attending our call. It was a very good informative call and thank you for your interest in Reed’s stock. Bye everybody.

Operator

Operator

Thank you ladies and gentlemen. This concludes today’s teleconference.