Foods Retail Expansion Cizzle Brands Launches CWENCH Hydration at Save-On-Foods
Cizzle Brands Corporation has announced a major retail expansion for its flagship product, CWENCH Hydration, with the brand now officially available in more than 170 Save-On-Foods stores across Western Canada. The launch represents another significant milestone in the company’s rapid growth strategy, expanding its footprint in one of Canada’s most important grocery markets while reinforcing its broader North American retail ambitions.
The latest rollout places CWENCH Hydration in one of Western Canada’s most recognized and trusted grocery chains, giving the sports drink brand immediate access to millions of new consumers. Save-On-Foods customers in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and the Yukon will now be able to purchase three of the product’s most popular ready-to-drink flavors: Blue Raspberry, Rainbow Swirl, and Tropical Flow. These beverages are positioned directly within the beverage and isotonic sections of stores, alongside some of the leading names in the sports hydration category.
For Cizzle Brands, this retail expansion is more than just shelf placement—it is a strategic step toward establishing CWENCH Hydration as a mainstream household brand. Save-On-Foods is known for its loyal customer base and strong regional influence, making it an ideal retail partner for a product aimed at health-conscious and performance-driven consumers.
John Celenza, Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Cizzle Brands, emphasized the significance of the partnership, describing Save-On-Foods as a category leader in Western Canada. According to Celenza, securing placement across the retailer’s network marks an important achievement in the company’s mission to scale CWENCH Hydration nationally and internationally.
He noted that Western Canada remains a priority market for the business and highlighted growing consumer demand for healthier sports drink alternatives. By entering Save-On-Foods, Cizzle Brands strengthens its domestic presence while complementing recent retail launches at Walmart Canada and Target in the United States.
This cross-border growth strategy is central to the company’s long-term vision of building a broad retail platform capable of supporting sustained sales expansion.
CWENCH Hydration has positioned itself as a premium “better-for-you” sports drink, developed in collaboration with athletes and trainers. Unlike many traditional sports beverages, the product is formulated without high sugar content, artificial coloring, or unnecessary additives—attributes increasingly valued by modern consumers seeking healthier hydration options.
The Save-On-Foods launch adds to what has already been a rapid retail growth story. Following this latest expansion, CWENCH Hydration is now sold in more than 6,500 retail locations across Canada, the United States, and Europe, underscoring the brand’s growing international momentum.
In addition to its retail expansion news, Cizzle Brands also announced a series of important financial transactions designed to strengthen its capital structure and improve balance sheet flexibility.
The company confirmed the issuance of an unsecured convertible promissory note worth C$1 million to an accredited investor. The note replaced a previously issued promissory note of the same value held by the same investor.
The newly issued unsecured note carried an 18-month maturity and an annual interest rate of 9.5%, with interest payments due monthly. It also included a conversion feature allowing the investor to convert the principal into common shares of the company at a price of C$0.35 per share.
Unlike other recently announced financing arrangements, the note did not include any security package or subsidiary guarantees, ranking equally with the company’s other unsecured debt obligations.
As part of the refinancing arrangement, the investor received additional incentives for agreeing to exchange the prior note. These included 476,190 common shares as closing shares, along with a warrant providing the right to purchase up to 1,428,571 additional common shares at the same exercise price of C$0.35 per share.
However, in a notable show of investor confidence, the holder elected to immediately convert the full C$1 million principal into equity. This resulted in the issuance of 2,857,143 new common shares and the cancellation of the unsecured note immediately after it was created.
The warrant remains active under its original terms, giving the investor additional potential upside.
All securities issued under the transaction—including the closing shares, the converted shares, and any future shares issued through the warrant—are subject to a statutory hold period of four months and one day under Canadian securities regulations. The transaction has been formally accepted by Cboe Canada.
Celenza described the immediate conversion as a strong vote of confidence in the company’s future.
He noted that the investor had the option to retain a secured debt position with downside protection but instead chose to convert into common equity, aligning directly with shareholders and signaling belief in the company’s long-term upside.
According to management, this kind of conviction from a knowledgeable institutional investor reinforces internal confidence in the company’s current operational strategy and growth roadmap.
Cizzle Brands also announced a shares-for-debt settlement aimed at further improving its financial position.
The company issued 1,552,595 common shares at a deemed price of C$0.32 per share to settle approximately C$497,000 in outstanding liabilities.
This move reduces debt obligations without impacting cash reserves, giving the company more flexibility to deploy capital toward operational growth, marketing, and retail expansion initiatives.
Importantly, none of the creditors involved in the debt settlement are related parties under Canadian securities regulations, meaning the transaction does not qualify as a related-party transaction under Multilateral Instrument 61-101.
Like the other recently issued securities, these shares are also subject to a four-month-and-one-day statutory hold period.
The debt settlement has likewise received approval from Cboe Canada.
Taken together, the company’s latest announcements reflect a dual-pronged strategy: aggressive retail growth combined with deliberate balance sheet management.
On the commercial side, expanding into Save-On-Foods significantly boosts brand visibility and consumer access in Western Canada, one of the country’s most strategically valuable retail markets.
On the financial side, the immediate conversion of debt into equity and the reduction of outstanding liabilities suggest increasing investor confidence and a cleaner capital structure—two important signals for a growth-stage consumer brand.
As consumer demand for healthier hydration products continues to rise, Cizzle Brands appears to be positioning CWENCH Hydration as a serious challenger in the global sports beverage market.
With expanding retail partnerships, increasing shelf presence, and renewed investor backing, the company is building momentum toward becoming a larger player in the fast-growing health and wellness sector.
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