Consumers like their coffee and their tea, too. Sales are jumping for both refrigerated teas and ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee.
Sales in the refrigerated teas/coffee category showed a 13.6% increase to $1.2 billion, and an 11.8% increase in units to 557.6 million, according to Information Resources Inc. (IRI), Chicago, for the 52 weeks ended July 12, 2015.
The refrigerated teas and coffee category includes the following segments:
- Refrigerated teas ($1 billion, units up 12.3%)
- Refrigerated ready-to-drink coffee ($184.7 million, units up 5.7%)
Refrigerated tea sales are jumpin’
In the refrigerated teas segment (which dominates the category in overall sales), dollar sales increased 14.2% to $1 billion, and unit sales were also up 12.3% to 507.9 million. Overall, private label led the segment with $216.8 million. Dollar sales rose 18.1% and units jumped 20.1%. Also among the top 10, Gold Peak (Coca Cola Co.) showed dollar sales rising 34.1% to $189.7 million and units increasing 30.8%. Dollar sales for Milos (Milos Tea Co.) improved 18.3%, with units up 22%. GTS Kombucha Synergy (Millennium Products Inc.) saw success with dollar sales up 56.8%, while units improved 52.2%. GTS Organic Raw Kombucha’s dollar and unit sales skyrocketed 67.1% and 63.6%, respectively. Dollar sales at Turkey Hill Dairy (a unit of Kroger Co.) increased 5.9% and units were up 3%. Lipton Pure Leaf (Lipton Pepsi Tea Partnership) showed dollar sales up 30% as units improved 31.6%. Not doing well among the top 10 was Swiss Premium. Dollar sales dropped 13.5% and units decreased 14.7%.
RTD coffee sales get a jolt
Sales were also promising in the refrigerated RTD coffee segment. Dollar sales improved 8.7% to $184.7 million, and unit sales increased 5.7% to 48.3 million. Among the top 10, Starbucks saw sales skyrocket, up 4,337% to $27 million, and units jumped 4,362.2% to 5.5 million.International Delight (Whitewave Foods Co.) led the segment in overall sales with $71.6 million, but dollar sales were down 10.6% and unit sales dropped 11%. Califia Farms showed dollar sales up 159.8% and units improved 192.6%. Dollar sales increased 185.1% for International Delight Cold Stone Creamery, and units jumped 170%. Stumptown Coffee Roasters saw success as dollar sales jumped 454.3% and unit sales improved 424.7%. Starbucks Discoveries and Bolthouse Farms both struggled; dollar sales decreased 50.1% and 17.4%, respectively, and unit sales dropped 47.7% and 7.6%, respectively. Turkey Hill Ooo-la-Latte also saw significant increases, with dollar sales up 262.4% and units up 263.2%.
