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From $100K to $400M in 6 Years: How Olipop Scaled to 50,000 Stores

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D2Cdecode Team
D2Cdecode Team

Learning from Failure

Before Olipop, Ben Goodwin and David Lester launched Obi in 2013 - a probiotic soda brand. They raised VC money, got into stores, and built a team.

Then it collapsed. Obi never found product-market fit. Sales were slow, branding didn't resonate. By 2016, Obi shut down.

Most founders would quit. Ben and David didn't.

The $100K Bet

After Obi failed, they walked away with $100,000 from selling company assets.

What changed:

  • They learned from Obi's mistakes
  • Had a clearer vision of what consumers wanted
  • Knew how to formulate better-tasting products
  • Understood retail and distribution

With $100K and no outside funding, they started Olipop in 2018.

Delivering Cans Themselves

They had 40 grocery stores in Northern California willing to stock Olipop and a van. They personally packed and delivered every case.

Year 1 results:

  • $852,000 in gross revenue
  • 40 stores
  • Bootstrapped
  • Breaking even

It wasn't glamorous, but customers who tried Olipop bought it again. That repeat rate told them they had something real.

Why Olipop Tastes Different

Obi failed because it tasted healthy. People drank it out of obligation, not enjoyment.

Olipop had to nail taste first, health benefits second.

The Science Behind Olipop

Each can contains:

  • 9g of dietary fiber (more than a bowl of oatmeal)
  • Prebiotics (food for gut bacteria)
  • Only 2-5g of sugar (vs. 39g in regular Coke)
  • 35-50 calories (vs. 140 in Coke)

But here's the key: it tastes like real soda. Classic Grape tastes like Welch's. Orange Squeeze tastes like Sunkist. Vintage Cola is pure nostalgia.

The lesson from Obi: Function without taste fails. Taste with function wins.

The Whole Foods Breakthrough

In 2019, Olipop landed Whole Foods - their first major retailer.

Why this mattered:

  • Validated product and business model
  • Scaled from 40 to hundreds of stores overnight
  • Reached customers who understood gut health

Sales exploded. Repeat purchase rates were high. But Ben and David knew they needed mainstream retail to hit $100M+.

Scaling to Target, Walmart, and Costco

Between 2020-2023, Olipop executed one of the most aggressive retail expansions in beverage history.

Target: The Mainstream Test

Target isn't a health food store - it's where everyday Americans shop. Olipop launched and immediately became a top-performing beverage SKU.

The proof: Suburban moms, college students, and people who'd never shopped at Whole Foods all bought it.

Walmart: The Big Leagues

Olipop got the Walmart call in 2022. They launched in limited stores and tested.

The results: Olipop became a top seller in Walmart's "Modern Soda" section (a new category Walmart created specifically for brands like Olipop and Poppi).

In October 2024, Walmart officially recognized "Modern Soda" as its own category - validation that functional sodas were permanent, not a trend.

Costco: Ultimate Validation

Costco customers buy in bulk, meaning they have to really love your product. Olipop nailed it with multi-packs flying off shelves and high repeat purchases.

The Numbers

2018: $852K revenue, 40 stores 2019: ~$5M, Whole Foods launch 2020-2021: $20M+, Target, Sprouts 2022: $100M, Walmart, Costco 2023: $200M+, 35,000+ stores 2024: $400M+, 50,000+ stores

From $852K to $400M in 6 years = 47,000% growth.

The $1.85 Billion Valuation

In 2024, Olipop raised funding at a $1.85 billion valuation.

How they justified it:

  • $400M+ revenue with clear path to $500M+
  • Profitable (unlike many D2C brands burning cash)
  • 50,000 stores and growing
  • Created the "prebiotic soda" category
  • High repeat purchase rates (customers switching from Coke/Pepsi)

Outselling Coke and Pepsi

At some retailers, Olipop outsells Pepsi and Coke in single-serve sales.

A 6-year-old startup outselling 100+ year-old giants. How?

1. The Gut Health Trend: Consumers care about digestive health 2. Anti-Sugar Movement: 2-5g sugar vs. 39g in Coke 3. Premium Positioning: $2.50-$3 for functional soda with benefits 4. TikTok Virality: Gen Z loves Olipop 5. Modern Branding: Colorful, nostalgic cans that stand out

The Marketing Strategy

Olipop grew without massive ad spend through:

1. Sampling Programs: Let people taste it, they buy it 2. Influencer Partnerships: Authentic sharing from creators 3. TikTok Virality: Multiple videos went viral 4. Retail Partnerships: Worked closely on promotions and placement 5. Word of Mouth: High repeat rates = customer evangelists 6. Educational Content: Taught gut health, prebiotics, wellness

Key Lessons

1. Failure Is Part of the Process

Obi failed. They learned and came back smarter.

2. Product Is Everything

If it doesn't taste amazing, nothing else matters.

3. Bootstrap as Long as Possible

Starting with $100K kept them lean and validated the model before raising VC.

4. Do Things That Don't Scale

Delivering cans themselves wasn't scalable - but it taught them the business.

5. Retail Partnerships Are Key

They built relationships with buyers and became partners, not just vendors.

6. Timing Matters

Gut health trend, anti-sugar movement, and TikTok's rise aligned perfectly.

Olipop vs. Poppi

Both are prebiotic sodas that hit billion-dollar valuations. What's different?

Olipop:

  • Formulation-first approach
  • 9g fiber, more functional focus
  • Nostalgic soda flavors
  • Bootstrapped initially
  • $1.85B valuation

Poppi:

  • Brand-first approach
  • Lighter on fiber, more approachable
  • Fruit-forward flavors
  • Shark Tank boost
  • $1.9B PepsiCo acquisition

Both brands are winning. The prebiotic soda category is big enough for multiple players.

The Bottom Line

Ben and David proved that:

  • You can fail and come back stronger
  • $100K is enough to start if you're scrappy
  • Taste matters more than function in beverages
  • Retail scale comes from relationships
  • You don't need Coke/Pepsi money to compete

Olipop went from two guys delivering cans in a van to a $1.85 billion brand in 6 years.

You need:

  • A product people love
  • Grit to do unscalable things early
  • Strategic retail partnerships
  • Patience to grow sustainably

If you nail those, retail isn't the barrier - it's the accelerator.

Olipop is available in 50,000+ stores including Walmart, Target, Costco, Whole Foods, Kroger, Publix, and Safeway. The brand continues to be led by co-founders Ben Goodwin and David Lester.