UK smoothie market leader Innocent Drinks plans to roll out a new range of smaller smoothies designed to be part of lunchtime meal deals offered by supermarket chains Tesco and Sainsbury's.
As reported by Marketing magazine, the range of new, 160ml smoothies will be available in three flavours – mango, passionfruit and strawberry and banana – and, as well as being part of a meal promotion, will be priced individually at £1.09 (€1.32) compared with £1.83 (€2.22) for the previous smallest bottle, which contained 250ml.
According to the company, the smaller smoothies contain less than 100 calories and constitute one of the government's recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables per day.
Sarah Smart, marketing manager at Innocent, told the magazine: 'By offering our 160ml smoothie as part of meal deals in Sainsbury's and Tesco, we're able to give consumers a healthy, tasty and great value choice at lunchtime.'
Innocent is understood to be investing heavily to launch and promote a number of new products as it prepares to capitalise on its role as official juice and smoothie partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Earlier this month, the group unveiled a new, limited edition 'golden' smoothie containing oranges, carrots and mangoes to celebrate its involvement in the sporting event.
The smoothie has gone on sale in branches of Tesco, Starbucks and health and beauty products retailer Boots, among other shops across the UK.
During London 2012, Innocent will be serving smoothies and juices to athletes in the Olympic Village and to Olympic Park visitors.
'Sustainability will be a big focus of the London 2012 Games and Innocent is one of the UK's most sustainable brands with its recycled plastic bottles, ethically accredited farms and 10 per cent of profits going to charity,' said a spokesperson.
According to the company, modern smoothies were invented at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1984, although many believe this kind of product was widely available in the US from the late 1960s onwards, when ice cream sellers and health food stores began to stock them.
Innocent's involvement in the Olympic Games is part of a wider sponsorship of the event by US soft drinks giant The Coca-Cola Company, which owns a 58 per cent stake in the smoothie maker.
