Startup CPG Newswire:
ōku® Launches at Checkout in 330 Sprouts Farmers Market Stores Nationwide

PRESS RELEASE — NEWS PROVIDED BY Carolyn J. hamlet for ōku

SOLANA BEACH, CA (AUGUST 2026) — ōku®, the women-owned brand behind Conscious Energy® Gummy Snacks, began its first national retail rollout on August 3 at checkout in 330 Sprouts Farmers Market stores.

In its recently redesigned checkout area, Sprouts dedicated one shelf to emerging brands in its Forager Program; ōku® is one of three brands in the first 60-day cohort. The placement follows a Southern California regional Forager trial, where ōku® sold through in 60 days of a planned 90-day run.

ōku® was created for the afternoon lull, a biological dip in alertness as sleep pressure builds. Familiar fixes trade one problem for another: energy drinks may deliver a jolt but often rely on artificial ingredients; coffee can bring jitters or disrupt sleep; candy offers a rush and crash. ōku® was built on the opposite premise—to work with the body rather than against it.

The result answers the need for energy and the craving for a reward in one portable, craveable snack. Each five-gummy pouch combines 60 mg of organic caffeine from green tea and yerba mate for steady focus, 4 g of prebiotic fiber to smooth and sustain, and restorative antioxidants and electrolytes to replenish what the day takes—all for 70 calories with 40% less sugar than leading national gummy brands (7 g vs. 12 g per serving). Four flavors are available: Strawberry, Pineapple, Grape and Orange Blossom.

Life does not schedule every demanding moment for 2 p.m. That is why ōku® was made to move with the day—starting the morning as a coffee alternative, sharpening focus through a workout or match, sustaining momentum through work or study, helping people arrive ready after travel, or giving tired parents a reset to show up fully for their families.

“Being selected for this inaugural nationwide checkout cohort—and placed where shoppers naturally reach for an afternoon lift—is an honor,” said Carolyn J. Hamlet, Founder and CEO of ōku®. “This opportunity helps make Conscious Energy® the ritual people look forward to when they want to feel focused, energized and ready.”

“Enduring consumer brands are built by identifying an underserved need and becoming part of how people answer it every day,” said Jeff Church, co-founder and former CEO of Suja. “ōku® has done that with the afternoon lull, pairing a distinctive and enjoyable format with a clear, ownable occasion. Checkout is where discovery can become habit.”

For more information and the full list of stores, visit okuenergy.com.

About ōku

Founded by Carolyn J. Hamlet, ōku® makes Conscious Energy® Gummy Snacks, a portable, craveable approach to energy anchored in the afternoon but suitable all day. Each five-gummy pouch has 60 mg organic caffeine from green tea and yerba mate, 4 g prebiotic fiber, goji berry antioxidants and coconut water electrolytes—all for 70 calories and 40% less sugar than leading national gummy brands. ōku® is plant-based, vegan and made with non-GMO ingredients. Conscious Energy® extends to packaging with 40% post-consumer recycled material and a B1G1 impact partnership. Available at participating Sprouts Farmers Market locations, Amazon, okuenergy.com and wellness and fitness retailers nationwide.

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