Australia’s Bega Group is to distribute part of the drinks range of local peer Naked LifeStyle Group.
Bega Group is handling Naked LifeStyle Group’s line of nootropics, iced and bubble teas in the Australian market. Naked LifeStyle Group’s non-alcoholic cocktails, spirits and mixers are not part of the distribution deal.
The set of beverages to be handled by Bega Group include a line of soda and iced tea beverages that are free of artificial colours and sugars. Naked LifeStyle Group’s SKUs are packaged in 100% recyclable cans in 250ml to 350ml formats.
“This partnership has offered us an exciting opportunity to round out the group’s beverage portfolio,” Darryn Wallace, the general manager of Bega Group’s dairy and drinks business, said.
“With Naked Life Group’s great tasting lifestyle beverage range and their ability to continually innovate to meet evolving consumer needs, we will now be able to offer our customers a larger, more versatile drinks offering from milk beverages, to juice and now lifestyle drinks.”
Bega Group’s dairy and drinks business includes liquid milk, iced coffee and juices. Its brands include Dare iced coffee and The Juice Brothers juices.
In 2020, the publicly-listed Bega Group acquired Kirin Holdings’ Lion Dairy & Drinks business in Australia for A$534m ($393.2m).
Lion had 13 manufacturing plants across Australia that produced a range of dairy-based products.
In August, Bega Group snapped up the Betta Milk and Meander Valley Dairy brands from local dairy peer TasFoods. The acquisition included a royalty-free licence to use the Pyengana Dairy brand for milk and cream products in Australia.
At the start of the year, Bega Group sold its 49% stake in a Hong Kong plant-based beverages venture to partner Vitasoy International Holdings. It had become a shareholder in the venture through its acquisition of the Lion assets.