This move capitalizes on the growing trend in iced coffee beverages that according to the NPD Group accounts for about 20% of sales in coffeehouses and quick-serve restaurants with more than 1.2 billion servings in 2010.
Made with the same premium coffee [image-nocss] as the Seattle's Best Coffee hand-crafted beverages, the line includes an Iced Latte, Iced Vanilla Latte and Iced Mocha Latte each with 130 calories.
Through the North American Coffee Partnership (NACP), a joint venture between Starbucks Corp. and PepsiCo, Inc., the lattes will be available in major grocery, convenience and other retail stores beginning in late January with a suggested retail price of $1.49 for a single 9.5-ounce can and $4.99 for a four-pack.
Building on the "Anywhere Great Coffee Is Needed" campaign that debuted earlier in the year, the product line will be supported this spring by a significant marketing campaign that will use the brand's fun and optimistic voice to show many ways the new Seattle's Best iced lattes can now be enjoyed.
"With this move we're continuing to deliver on our 'Anywhere Great Coffee Is Needed' strategy by bringing a new kind of convenience to iced coffee, which is the fastest growing segment in premium coffee," said Michelle Gass, president of Seattle's Best Coffee. "Through our test we confirmed that consumers are looking for a great tasting iced coffee beverage in an on-the-go format and at only 130 calories per serving, it's a product they can enjoy at breakfast and throughout the day."
Under the new Starbucks multi-brand portfolio strategy, Seattle's Best Coffee is accelerating its growth to reach new customers and occasions. Key to the Seattle's Best Coffee growth strategy is a complete revitalization of the 40-year-old brand and a new business direction that fully leverages its multi-channel strategy. To date, the brand has expanded the number of locations consumers can get a freshly brewed cup of Seattle's Best Coffee from 3,000 in 2009 to more than 40,000; launched the Level System, a simplified packaged coffee line that makes finding the right coffee "as easy as 1-2-3-4-5"; and seen a tenfold increase in interest among potential franchisees as it has continued to expand its retail footprint, it said.
Seattle's Best Coffee has been roasting premium coffee since 1970 and today roasts more than 20 million pounds of coffee every year and serves millions of cups of coffee every day. Seattle's Best Coffee is currently available in more than 550 cafes and kiosks as well as locations such as college campuses, restaurants, hotels, airlines, cruise ships, bookstores, grocery stores and movie theatres. Seattle's Best Coffee is a featured brand within Starbucks.
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