Fifty-seven per cent of UK households bought chilled fruit juice last year, according to statistics published by TNS Superpanel, and as the number one juice brand in the UK, Tropicana is continuing to develop its position within the marketplace.
Large families with children are more likely to buy juice than older people or single person households. And according to Tropicana, breakfast continues to be the key time for orange juice consumption, though the company says it also sees a boost in sales during the early summer months. Tropicana's trade marketing controller Cath Kietz says: "Warmer weather creates opportunities for more drinking occasions outside the traditional breakfast opportunity. The heatwave last summer saw four record months for Tropicana sales, so there is a huge opportunity for retailers to profit from warm weather."
With the juice category growing at 15 per cent year-on-year, Tropicana is expanding its business at a rate of 21 per cent year-on-year. The company is looking to continue its growth with a range of innovations. Research that the company has carried out has revealed that two thirds of consumers aspire to eating more healthily, and are not willing to compromise on taste. Kietz adds: "There is a wide gap between the number of shoppers who believe it is important to eat enriched or fortified foods and those who actually do."
To reflect growing health trends, Tropicana offers a range of juices. The Tropicana Pure Premium with calcium is 100 per cent pure squeezed orange juice enriched with calcium, providing the same amount of calcium as milk, glass for glass - a 250ml glass provides more than a third of the recommended daily allowance of calcium.
Tropicana Pure Premium Fibre is a pure pressed juice blend of pineapple, apple, orange, mango, passion fruit and carrot with added fibre - a 250ml glass of the juice contains 8.5g of fibre, almost 50 per cent of the daily intake recommended by health and medical professionals.
The Tropicana Multivitamins juice is a 100 per cent pure-pressed blend with the added vitamins C, E, B6, B2, B1 and Provitamin A.
Kietz adds: "Despite the prolific number of soft drinks currently on the market, Tropicana continues to offer quality and variety, both of which have been key factors in our continued success. We have made major strides in recent months by extending both the tropics and health range. I know how the industry looks to us for innovation and that will certainly continue during 2004."
The impulse channel is continuing to play an important role for chilled juice. Sales of Tropicana Pure Premium and Copella single serves are increasing 150 per cent year-on-year. To offer the consumer increased flexibility the products are available in a range of sizes. Kietz says: "Products are available in a one-litre format, as well as 330ml and 250ml single serve size. The majority of the sales remain in the one-litre, so it's important for retailers to keep lines well-stocked to meet consumers' varying needs."
Although there are a range of different juices available on the market, orange juice is continuing to remain the number one choice, with 61 per cent of the category volume, although consumers are broadening their repertoire and trying other flavours such as apple blends and tropical flavours.
No comments yet