Sue Bachorski Archives - Green Market Report

StaffApril 29, 2020
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5min00

With over 39 million people, and being home to the largest cannabis market in the world, California is considered the big prize when it comes to market penetration for a cannabis brand. 

During this time of mandatory quarantine, to be able to reach this population with products that can help relax people, help them sleep better, and overall make them much more comfortable while sheltering in their homes is key. This concept is exactly why cannabis has been deemed “essential”.

Understanding this reality, most cannabis brands are shifting their sales strategies and channels to provide the safest route to receiving your products for consumption. In order to meet this new reality and demand, the House of Saka, Inc., producers of the first and only alcohol-free, cannabis-infused beverages made from select vineyards within the iconic Napa Valley appellation, announced today that its award winning line of cannabis beverages are now available for home delivery throughout the entire state of California after partnering with Driven Deliveries, Inc. 

“Online, direct to consumer delivery platforms have always been the priority sales channel for our Saka Vinfusions™,” notes House of Saka, Inc. CEO, Tracey Mason. “The convenience, combined with a stigma-free shopping environment, provides the most ideal opportunity for both our traditional consumers and the emerging new consumer.” 

“The ability for us to be able to bring our product directly to our consumers presently sheltering safely at home during this crisis was critical,” expressed Sue Bachorski, House of Saka COO & CFO. “We are both excited and extremely grateful to have partnerships in place with such a respected and far reaching group as Driven Deliveries and their popular platforms Ganjarunner.com and budee.org. Their organization is professional, dependable and respected. These are the attributes that we seek in our relationships.” 

In the age of social distancing, it is now more important than ever to expand consumers’ access to cannabis while limiting one’s potential exposure to Covid-19. Partnering with Driven Deliveries, California’s fastest growing online cannabis retailer and direct-to-consumer delivery platforms, means House of Saka is available in 92% of California; including San Diego, Los Angeles, San Jose, Orange County, Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, Oakland, San Francisco, Sacramento, Sonoma and Napa Valley. 

“Delivering the industry’s highest quality and most desired brands to the doorsteps of consumers throughout the state of California is our number one priority, especially during this time of quarantine,” expressed Christian Schenk, CEO of Driven Deliveries, Inc. “Partnering with the House of Saka to distribute their brand on both their website and our platform was a natural fit. We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with their team.” 

Saka PINK, and the new Saka WHITE coming in June, can be purchased through House of Saka’s website (https://www.houseofsaka.com/) as well as GanajaRunner.com and Budee.org.

 


AxisWireApril 29, 2020
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7min00

NAPA VALLEY, CA., April. 29, 2020 /AxisWire/ House of Saka, Inc., producers of the first and only alcohol-free, cannabis-infused beverages made from select vineyards within the iconic Napa Valley appellation, announced today that its award winning line of cannabis beverages are now available for home delivery throughout the entire state of California.

“Online, direct to consumer delivery platforms have always been the priority sales channel for our Saka Vinfusions™,” notes House of Saka, Inc. CEO, Tracey Mason. “The convenience, combined with a stigma-free shopping environment, provides the most ideal opportunity for both our traditional consumers and the emerging new consumer.” 

“The ability for us to be able to bring our product directly to our consumers presently sheltering safely at home during this crisis was critical,” expressed Sue Bachorski, House of Saka COO & CFO. “We are both excited and extremely grateful to have partnerships in place with such a respected and far reaching group as Driven Deliveries and their popular platforms Ganjarunner.com and budee.org. Their organization is professional, dependable and respected. These are the attributes that we seek in our relationships.” 

In the age of social distancing, it is now more important than ever to expand consumers’ access to cannabis while limiting one’s potential exposure to Covid-19. Partnering with Driven Deliveries, California’s fastest growing online cannabis retailer and direct-to-consumer delivery platforms, means House of Saka is available in 92% of California; including San Diego, Los Angeles, San Jose, Orange County, Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, Oakland, San Francisco, Sacramento, Sonoma and Napa Valley. 

“Delivering the industry’s highest quality and most desired brands to the doorsteps of consumers throughout the state of California is our number one priority, especially during this time of quarantine,” expressed Christian Schank, CEO of Driven Deliveries, Inc. “Partnering with the House of Saka to distribute their brand on both their website and our platform was a natural fit. We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with their team.” 

House of Saka’s award-winning selection of luxury-infused cannabis beverages include:

Saka PINK – House of Saka PINK is made from a Rosé of Pinot Noir from Napa Valley. 

Saka WHITE – House of Saka WHITE is made from Napa Valley Chardonnay (Coming June 2020).

For both varietals, the grapes are traditionally fermented and aged in stainless steel before the alcohol is gently removed and replaced with Saka’s proprietary THC:CBD formulation. 

Saka PINK, and the new Saka WHITE coming in June, can be purchased through House of Saka’s website (https://www.houseofsaka.com/) as well as GanajaRunner.com and Budee.org.

About Driven:

Driven Deliveries, Inc., is the first publicly traded cannabis delivery service operating within the United States. Founded by experienced technology and cannabis executives, the company provides e-commerce solutions, online sales, and on-demand cannabis delivery, in select cities where allowed by law. Driven offers legal cannabis consumers the ability to purchase and receive their marijuana in a fast and convenient manner. By 2020, legitimate cannabis revenue in the U.S. market is projected to hit $23 billion. By leveraging consumer trends, and offering a proprietary, turnkey delivery system to its customers, management believes it is uniquely positioned to best serve the needs of the emerging cannabis industry and capture notable market share within the sector. For more information, please visit www.DRVD.com and review Driven’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

About House of Saka, Inc:

Based in Napa Valley, California, the House of Saka creates and manufactures infused luxury products targeting the female consumer. Their portfolio includes the Napa Valley, alcohol-free luxury infused beverages, Saka Vinfusions™, and a pending line of infused beauty and wellness products under the banner House of Saka Beauty. The company boasts an all-female leadership team guided by an all-female advisory board with more than 100 years of collective experience in wine, cannabis and luxury branding. For more information, please visit houseofsaka.com or follow us on social media @InfusedSaka and @InfusedLuxury.

Media Contact: Info@houseofsaka.com

 


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11min00

So many things have been turned upside down with this pandemic, and saying we live in interesting times would be an understatement. Industries and businesses are being demolished and altered in ways unheard of just a month ago, and a rare few are actually booming. 

For the cannabis industry, one of the biggest changes leading to a boom is that as a whole cannabis is now being considered an “essential” part of life nationwide. The level of legitimacy this brings to the industry would have normally taken another decade. 

Delivery services and curb side pick-up have been implemented across the country also erasing years of necessary effort overnight. But overall, the complete change in cannabis consumer behavior has been one of the most interesting developments to witness for many of us.

As reported by Vice, politics and current events are major sources of anxiety for many in the United States and this leads to an increase of unhealthy behaviors like drinking alcohol, smoking, or eating poorly to cope with what is termed as “headlines distress disorder”.

In times of great stress, the sale of alcoholic beverages has proven to surge without fail. With legal cannabis now implemented around the country, the same is now proving to be true. According to Headset, during this current Coronavirus crisis, US adult use cannabis markets show average daily sales at large increase by 10%.

Sue Bachorski, formerly with Constellation Brands for 30 years and currently with the House of Saka, explained that “historically, alcohol sales frequently rise during times of economic downturn, regional disasters, etc. There is no reason to believe that cannabis sales would be any different and there will likely be a prolonged upswing for the foreseeable future.”

The Numbers Say It All

As of April 2, 2020, Headset released data that shows how the landscape of preferred cannabis products and consumption methods has proven to alter completely.  In the analysis, Headset compares the average daily sales of each product category before the COVID-19 sales bump began (January 1st through March 6th) to the COVID-19 crisis time period (March 7th through March 31st).

Cannabis infused beverage sales have increased by 14% while edibles accounted for a 28% increase. With infused beverages previously only accounting for 1% of the market, this is a big jump for the category. The reasoning for this change in consumer sales makes sense considering the virus attacks your respiratory system, so people would rather eat or drink their cannabis instead of smoking or vaping it. Pre-rolls and topicals have actually fallen by 13%.

I reached out to some key players in these categories to find out why they feel these increases have occurred. Warren Bobrow, co-founder of cannabis infused beverage brand Klaus Apothicaire and a Vices writer for Forbes, told Green Market Report that he felt that “while being quarantined in our homes, it makes perfect sense to further expand our inner space with high quality cannabis beverages and edibles. Smokable products could prove tricky with this particular virus.”

Ben Larson, CEO of Vertosa, said that “in these uncertain and challenging times, it’s an encouraging silver lining to see cannabis consumers increasingly seeking out infused beverages. There are likely several factors affecting the recent rise in sales, but an important takeaway is that infused beverages are typically designed for individual consumption and can be consumed discreetly, which is ideal during social distancing. They are also an approachable, familiar way to consume cannabis for less experienced users and those looking to avoid smoking during this time.”

The Women Stepped Up Their Spending

Beyond the types of products surging, the Headset data showed that even gender sales show a change in behavior during this crisis. While both genders saw significant increases in cannabis spending, females had more than double the sales growth of males. As Headset previously reported, males make up roughly two thirds of cannabis spending on any given day. Therefore, it could be speculated that females were less likely to have cannabis products on hand and more likely to feel a sense of urgency to stock up.

Tracey Mason, CEO of House of Saka, explains that she believes females could be a major driver in these increased category surges because “there is a triangulation of needs that beverages and edibles meet specifically for the female consumer: They offer precise dosing which provides a safe and controlled means by which to experiment, they offer a subtle means of consumption which removes the stigma associated with smoking and vaping and they are multi-use which drives sociability and expands usage occasions. Safe, Subtle and Social, those are the benefits of infused beverages in a nutshell.”

It remains to be seen as to whether these changes will become market altering over the long term, or if it was truly just a panic surge with no real impact. But as far as the change in gender sales, if this pattern continues, brands will need to evolve their marketing campaigns to appeal more to women.  

“Women are often seeking a healthier alternative to alcohol, but want an elevated social experience. To do this with cannabis is ideal. In addition, women want a product that has relatable packaging, tastes amazing, and feels safe. This tends to be achieved with an edible or an infused beverage, so I am not surprised that when their sales surged during the panic buys, they gravitated toward these products. The cannabis consumable sector has come a long way. The existing products have nailed the experience for the female consumer, so this demographic will continue to grow in the coming years,” says founder & president of Viv & Oak, Alana Burstein.
Will It Last?
If the patterns remain the same for edibles and beverages for the duration of the pandemic’s hold on our behavior, which could affect our lives for up to 18 months, it is safe to say that habits may have altered indefinitely with far reaching consequences for the foreseeable future. 

Understandably, edible and beverage brands are predicting continued growth. “We’ve seen exponential growth in our edibles sales at Garden Society and expect that as these shelter in place orders remain in place, we will continue to see growth. We believe this will have an impact on the overall market and consumer trends over the next year,” said Karli Warner, co-founder of The Garden Society

Geoff Doran, founder and CEO of Van Doran Brands, stated that “right now we are watching this trend very closely as edible and infused beverage companies. We aren’t too surprised that there is a current spike with these categories. We think the current spike has a lot to do with the “newbies” that are bored at home and giving cannabis a shot because of easy access they have through delivery, and quite frankly because they have nothing else to do with their days. A lot of the new cannabis buyers tend to gravitate toward a method of consumption that is familiar to them, which is obviously through eating and drinking. We’re excited about this spike because we know people will realize that edibles and cannabis beverages are a great cannabis experience!”


StaffFebruary 18, 2020
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5min00

The former SVP of Operations for Constellation Brands brings 30 Years of Beverage Experience to the Emerging Cannabis-Infused Beverage Company

Napa Valley, CA – February 18, 2020 –House of Saka, Inc., producers of the first and only alcohol-free, cannabis-infused beverages made from select vineyards within the iconic Napa Valley appellation, announced today the addition of wine & spirits veteran, Sue Bachorski, to the role of Chief Operating and Financial Officer.  The newest member of House of Saka’s Senior Executive team, Bachorski will oversee operations, logistics and finance for the company as it continues to expand its portfolio of products as well as its national footprint.

Prior to joining House of Saka, Bachorski spent nearly three decades as a Senior Operations and Finance Executive at Constellation Brands, Inc. a Fortune 500 company and one of the largest and most respected beer, wine and spirits companies in the world.  Most recently, Sue served as SVP, Operation Services, Global Wine & Spirits, which supported 24 production locations in 5 countries including Supply and Demand Planning, Procurement, Logistics, Warehousing and Distribution, Environmental Health and Safety, Quality and Research and Development.

Her prior roles include serving as SVP, CFO Constellation Wines North America and SVP & CFO Pacific Wine Partners where she led her teams through multiple acquisitions, business combinations and organizational re-alignments.

In 2018, Constellation Brands, which boasts more than 100 brands in its portfolio including Robert Mondavi, Corona, SvedkaVodka, High West Whiskeyand Casa NobleTequila, famously invested $4B in Canopy Growth, a Canada-based cannabis company, with an eye on capturing a piece of the rapidly emerging infused beverage sector.

According to a recent report on the global cannabis-based ‘alcoholic beverages market,’ this sector, which includes non-alcoholic cannabis-infused beers, wines and spirits, is expected to grow by 19% or $155 million between 2020 and 2024 making it the fastest growing segment of the cannabis industry.

“After spending my career in the alcohol beverage industry, I am eager to bring my knowledge and experience to the cannabis industry – especially in the infused beverage sector,” stated Bachorski. “I am thrilled with the opportunity to join the House of Saka and I am eager to help the company continue to carve out its niche in this exciting space.”

For its part, House of Saka could not be more pleased with their newest C-Suite recruit.

“A talent acquisition such as Sue’s is paramount to delivering on House of Saka’s mission to produce and market the best-selling, most highly-regarded infused beverages in North America,” explained Tracey Mason, co-founder and CEO for House of Saka, Inc. “We believe this addition to our team will provide the additional know-how and competitive advantage we need to flourish for years to come.”

About House of Saka, Inc: 

Based in Napa Valley, California, the House of Saka creates and manufactures infused luxury products targeting the female consumer. Their portfolio includes the Napa Valley-inspired, alcohol-free luxury infused beverages, Saka Vinfusions, and a pending line of infused beauty and wellness products under the banner House of Saka Beauty. The company boasts an all-female leadership team guided by an all-female advisory board with more than 100 years of collective experience in wine, cannabis and luxury branding. For more information, please visit houseofsaka.comor follow us on social media @InfusedSaka and @InfusedLuxury.

For Media Inquiries:

cynthia@houseofsaka.com


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