Sprouts to carry menstrual cycle drinks

By Stephanie Brooks 05/06/2026 3 min read 2 views

The Cycle has secured a spot on shelves at Sprouts, marking its first major U.S. grocery chain partnership. The hormone-focused beverage line debuted in late April through Sprouts’ Forager Finds program, aiming to address women’s health needs throughout their menstrual cycles. The brand’s ready-to-drink blends include Period Comfort, a drink featuring Himalayan Holy Fruit, which claims to reduce inflammation and support vaginal tissue health. Other products target pre-period and menopause phases, all with zero added sugar, artificial ingredients, or caffeine.

Convincing retailers to place the drinks alongside conventional functional beverages remains a hurdle. Single-serve cans could fit in refrigerated sections with enhanced waters, while four-packs might sit in supplement or wellness aisles. Founder Anastasia Sartan said the brand’s identity as a “women’s health drink” helps buyers grasp the product, but merchandising strategies remain fluid. “Where that fits in different stores is still an evolving question,” Sartan noted.

The Cycle, launched in 2025, is also available at independent natural grocers like Lazy Acres and Happier Grocery. Sartan called Sprouts’ shelf space allocation a “turning point” for the category, as male buyers previously hesitated to carry products tied to women’s health. “Our male buyer at Lazy Acres called me immediately, explaining that their customers need it,” she said. The brand’s approach differs from functional sodas, which often target broader audiences, though it shares overlapping customer demographics.

Male buyers often ask whether there’s enough female demand to justify stocking the drinks. Sartan said female buyers “get it right away,” but men require more persuasion. About 10% of The Cycle’s customers are male, typically buying for partners or daughters. Merchandising strategies vary: at Sprouts, the product is placed in the vitamin department, while at Happier Grocer, it sits next to other functional drink startups. Sales in wellness coolers, however, lag behind those in beverage sections.

Elly Truesdell, a partner at New Fare Partners, highlighted the dual challenge of creating a new subcategory. “Any time a brand is struggling to know where it is best placed, that is often both its best and most challenging attribute,” she said. She compared The Cycle to past successes like Once Upon a Farm, which reshaped grocery layouts. Truesdell noted that retailers now consider digital offerings alongside physical shelves, a shift from a decade ago.

Sartan believes merchandising will evolve as the brand grows. She prefers functional beverage coolers, where traffic is higher, but acknowledges that placement depends on the buyer’s priorities. “If merchants don’t exactly know where to place you, it means you’re doing something different,” Truesdell added. “And that is probably a good thing.”

For now, The Cycle balances placement in wellness and beverage sections, with sales varying by location. The brand’s long-term success may hinge on how well it handles the tension between niche positioning and broad appeal. As Sartan puts it, “We’re just for women, but when we’re placed next to other beverages, our velocity skyrockets.”