CINCINNATI, OH (BRAIN) — Infinit Nutrition entered the endurance nutrition market seven years ago with an unusual approach — the company's website allows athletes to customize the ingredients in their drink mix.
"They can custom-mix flavors, the calories per serving, the amount of electrolytes, protein and caffeine," said CEO and president Michael Folan. Customers can not only vary the flavor, they can choose how much flavoring is in their mix.
"Some athletes don't like much flavor, while others like it very strong," Folan said.
Now in a significant change in strategy, Infinit is looking for sales growth through speciality bike retailers. The company, which is the official drink of the Garmin-Sharp pro cycling team, has launched a line of off-the-rack drink mixes with an eye toward sales in specialty stores.
The new drink mixes are far from one-size-fits-all, however.
The line includes an endurance mix, called GO FAR, that is intended for average sized men embarking on a three-hour-plus workout or competition. A mix called SPEED is intended for men embarking on shorter events. Among other difference, the SPEED mixture does not contain protein, while GO FAR does.
And, perhaps uniquely in the sports nutrition market, Infinit offers a line of nutrition products tailored for women athletes. The ISIS line also includes mixes for long or short activities.
Folan said that, among other differences, the women's products have fewer calories per serving and less sodium, which he said women are more sensitive to.
Infinit calls the new off-the-rack mixes "situationally formulated" products. A single mix for all purposes doesn't make sense to him. "There's no way a 95-pound woman riding a crit requires the same kind of nutrition as a 235-pound guy riding an Ironman," he said.
The new drink mixes sell for $34.95 for a tub of powder containing about 16 servings.
Infinit is hiring sales reps to call on retailers and is preparing to do dealer sales fulfillment, which will be done at the company's Ohio headquarters, which is where Infinit also manufactures all its products.
Retailers will be able to order through the website with a wholesale code. The situationally formulated products are available consumer direct through the website as well, at full MSRP.
