Some time ago, while discussing innovation with a long-standing friend in the retail business, he confided in me his impression that in recent years, there had been no "real innovation" launched on the market.   

In a way, I understood his point of view. Of course, there are regular range renewals, or trends that revitalize categories. But innovation that comes out of nowhere, that surprises you or opens the door to a potential new category, has become a rare commodity.   

But let's not despair: in this article, I share with you My 20/CENT about an innovation that will surprise you and which, in my opinion, falls into the category of genuine innovations that can shake up and even define a category: Pure UP, a range of infusion capsules positioned as a functional hot drink. 

First, an overview  

The pioneer behind the project  

Now, I can hear the naysayers saying in advance that there are already functional drinks on the market. But not like this one. And to fully understand the concept and its potential for the market, we first need to look at the company behind the project and its vision. Pure Support is a Belgian company active in the wellness and cannabis markets.  

In the cannabis market, the company is a pioneer active on several fronts, with products for smokers, creams, cosmetics, oils... in short, many derivatives of the cannabis plant or CBD-based products. But Pure Support's vision is not simply to position itself in a growing market in Europe and worldwide. On the contrary, the company's vision is to remain a pioneer, but above all to bring added value to the wellness products segment, and to do so in an open and responsible way. In short, it's a transparent approach to a new category. 

What's more, the company is vertically integrated and controls the entire chain, from production through to the end consumer, via various sales channels: via recognized organized sales outlets (its products are present in chains such as Medi-Market, Newpharma...), via partner wholesalers, via its own outlets (the Green Grown chain formerly known as Florapoint), and even via direct to consumer with its e-commerce site.  

Having known the management behind the company for a long time, I can also confirm that, alongside strategic vision, there is also local knowledge and an approach that recognizes that successful marketing is all about execution. Clearly, I see this kind of approach as essential, and feel that Pure Support and its innovations are on the right track. 

The Pure UP concept  

Now, let's get down to Pure UP. The concept is quite simple. These are infusion capsules in the hot beverage segment. The capsules are compatible with Nespresso machines and come in a variety of functional variants. To start with, the company is launching three versions: Detoxify, Dreamz and Vitality. Each variant delivers on the promise its name suggests. For my part, Vitality is my favourite, if you must know.   

In my opinion, in addition to its simplicity and convenience, there are several other things to bear in mind. The first is that the launch opens the door to a category of wellness and functional products. Pure Support has what it takes to drive this new category into the retail market. There are already other Pure UP variants in the pipelines, but there is also potential for other innovations.   

Finally, it's a holistic and transparent approach to wellness. We're all faced with a busy life, sometimes filled with stress, sometimes with intense moments, and sometimes we have a drink, we celebrate, we forget our biological clock and our sleep... In short, let's be honest: a little moment of relaxation or rejuvenation aided by a functional drink, why not? What's more, the concept can be easily integrated into a daily routine, without judging our lifestyle. 

My 20/CENT is an open door  

In short, I'm quite optimistic. If there's a checklist to complete when launching a successful product, it seems to me that Pure UP ticks quite a few boxes on that list. The company behind the project is commercially savvy, active on several fronts and totally transparent about its approach. As for the product itself, it's simple to understand, easy to use daily, it has an attractive packaging and so on.   

But above all, retail is being offered an open door to the creation and definition of a wellness-oriented segment. If you think of the new categories that have appeared in the past, such as dietetics, alcohol-free products, free-from drinks, etc., there's always that "let's take out the ingredients or the "bad" characteristics and create something new" aspect. But here, the approach is totally different. The wellness category invites you to live life to the full, while remaining sensible and aware. In short, dear retailers, open your shelves.