Utz Brands announces investment to expand Florida DSD capabilities
Utz Brands, Inc. is pleased to announce the purchase of certain distribution rights in the Central Florida region from an existing third party direct store delivery (“DSD”) distributor, National Food Corp. This acquisition of 21 DSD routes provides Utz with an opportunity to accelerate the Company’s share of the Salty Snack category across Central Florida, including Orlando, Tampa and Sarasota.
As a large and vibrant market, Florida ranks as the third largest state for Salty Snack sales. In 2020, retail sales of Salty Snacks in Florida were $1.8 billion, increasing +7.7 percent over the prior year. Florida’s large consumer base combined with strong awareness of Utz’s portfolio of brands will uniquely position the Company to generate incremental sales as it develops a world-class DSD distribution system throughout the state. Utz has a growing presence in the Florida region with 2020 retail sales of $48 million that increased +16.6 percent, according to IRI. This represents only 2.6 percent of the Florida retail market, well under Utz’s national share average of 4.8%1.