ts.  According to Vantage Market Research, the global superfood market is estimated to be valued at $361.2 billion by 2030 at a compound annual growth rate of 10.5 percent from the time period of 2023-2020. Big-box retailers such as Target have taken notice of this rapidly expanding market and have been making concentrated efforts to expand their offerings.  On January 24, Target announced that it is introducing over 1,000 new wellness-related products, from apparel to supplements to snacks and beverages, to its physical and virtual shelves to support consumers on their budget-conscious health journey. Additionally, the company also revealed the launch of an online wellness destination on Target.com with ideas, products, meal inspiration, and company-exclusive deals shoppers can tag into and explore.  On the company’s focused foray into this category, Rick Gomez, Target’s executive vice president and chief food, essentials and beauty officer, stated in a release, “Wellness has been redefined to encompass a more holistic way of living — and it’s also different for every person.  Gomez said this is why Target is delivering like no other retailer, offering guests the ultimate destination to support their wellness journey, whether that’s enjoying a non-alcoholic beverage from Sechey or stocking up on Bloom to get their daily greens.  “We’re making it fun and easy for our guests to discover new products at a great value, with more than 1,000 new wellness products, starting at just $1.99,” he explained. One specific brand to be added onto Target’s inventory is Blume, a Canadian-based superfood latte brand that adeptly taps into North America’s growing fixation on functional beverages. As revealed by data collected by research firm Mordor Intelligence, the North American functional beverage market is estimated to grow from $54.2 billion to $75.66 billion from 2024 to 2029 at a compound annual growth rate of 6.9 per cent.  As of February 1, four of Blume’s core flavors, Blue Lavender, Salted Caramel, Matcha Coconut and Reishi Hot Cacao, will be available for purchase at select Target locations and on the big-box retailer’s website. Functional beverage brand Blume’s further expansion into the U.S. Market The idea for Blume began to blossom for co-founder and CEO Karen Danudjaja while she was working in the corporate real estate field and seeking out healthier caffeine alternatives.  In her hunt for drink options, Danudjaja quickly realized there was a lack of healthy yet tasty beverages, especially ones that featured aesthetically-pleasing packaging.  That is when the idea to create a “functional beverage”, a drink with an additional layer of nutritional and health benefits, began to form. As the brand owner recalled, “Blume was really about finding this beautiful bridge between the beverages that I love to drink, like a pumpkin spice latte, and functional ingredients.” The functional ingredients Danudjaja is referring to range from turmeric for immune system support to lavender for soothing anxiety.  With drink packets that come in a colourful range of soothing watercolor tones and cute accessories such as the brand’s “bubble cup”, Blume strays far away from the medicinal or bohemian aesthetic traditionally associated with healthy drink options, an intentional decision on Danudjaja’s part. As the founder explained, “I wanted packaging that provided an easy introduction into super foods and into the supplement aisle. That’s why we went with these really beautiful pastels colours and have playful copy with easy to understand messaging that has all been simplified and made to be friendly and easily-understood by someone who’s not a [nutritional] expert.  She said that she hopes to introduce people to the [wellness] category, so using colour and simple messaging has been one of the ways that they have attracted new people to the category and how they are bringing excitement and innovation to what she would say is a “sleepy aisle”. Since the company’s launch in 2017, from selling to a single intrigued beverage enthusiast, as Danudjaja recalled, chuckling at the memory, to becoming available in 4,000 stores across the U.S. and Canada. In 2022, the brand raised $2 million Canadian dollars, just under $1.5 million USD, and landed in all Whole Foods locations across Canada.  Today, Blume is currently on pace for their first eight figure year with a 30 percent year-over-year growth compared to this time period last year.  As of now, Danudjaja told Inside Retail that the brand plans to stay focused on the beverage category and revealed that Blume will be releasing a new product launch, with a line of beverages designed specifically for gut health towards the end of February. The founder’s long term goals for the company is to continue their U.S. expansion, with hopes of launching into Whole Foods American locations soon.