Juni, the zero-sugar sparkling adaptogen tea brand co-founded by Jay Shetty, Radhi Devlukia, and Kim Perell, has entered more than 600 Albertsons Companies stores in California, pushing its national retail door count past 8,500 locations. The placement spans Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, and Pavilions banners and represents the brand's most significant single-banner expansion to date.
Distribution Footprint
The Albertsons addition layers onto a shelf presence that already includes Whole Foods Market, Costco, Target, Kroger banners, Sprouts, and Erewhon, alongside direct-to-consumer sales through DrinkJuni.com. The California rollout is geographically concentrated but strategically significant: the state ranks among the largest grocery markets in the country and is the heartland of the better-for-you beverage segment.
The timing coincides with the brand's launch of a new Lemonade collection, giving the Albertsons reset additional promotional momentum. The core line — Lemon Zest, Peach, Tropical, and Raspberry — carries 5 calories per serving and no sugar, certified organic by the USDA. Each SKU is built around Juni's proprietary Super-5™ Blend, which combines ashwagandha, lion's mane, reishi mushroom, acerola cherry, and green tea.
Functional Beverage Tailwinds
Juni's rapid door expansion reflects broader structural demand shifts in the non-alcoholic beverage category, where adaptogen and functional-ingredient drinks have moved from specialty to mainstream grocery over the past two years. Retail buyers at major chains have accelerated ranging decisions for products that combine a wellness narrative with a clean label — a profile Juni has leaned into with its organic certification and low-calorie positioning.
Kim Perell, CEO and Co-Founder of Juni, framed the expansion in terms of consumer pull rather than promotional push. "The momentum we're seeing from both consumers and retailers reinforces that people are looking for beverages that deliver great taste alongside everyday wellness benefits," she said. "Partnering with Albertsons Companies is an important milestone in our growth strategy, and we're excited to make Juni even more accessible to shoppers across California."
For Albertsons Companies, the placement signals continued investment in the functional beverage set, an area where regional and national chains have been expanding shelf space at the expense of legacy carbonated soft drink facings. Operators and grocery retailers tracking the better-for-you shift will note that Juni now occupies space in virtually every major conventional and natural grocery format in the U.S., a distribution profile that typically precedes a formal fundraise or strategic review in high-growth CPG. The brand has not announced funding or M&A activity at this time.
Co-Founder Radhi Devlukia added that the brand's goal from inception was broad accessibility: "It's incredibly rewarding to see Juni reaching more communities every day." The brand is covered regularly by Food & Beverage Magazine as part of its tracking of the functional drinks segment.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
