The fictional personal ad in the song “Escape” famously seeks someone who likes piña coladas. Although the search might have been difficult for musician Rupert Holmes in 1979, consumers today are fond of piña coladas as well as additional beverages capitalizing on coconut. The number of products released globally with coconut as a primary ingredient have more than doubled since 2005, according to the “Coconut Popularity and Use Soars” report from Chicago-based Mintel.
The market research firm’s April 2011 report noted that the North American market also has seen a significant surge in product releases featuring coconut. Mintel data showed that the number of products released with coconut as a primary ingredient increased from 5.8 percent of the market in 2005 to 15.7 percent through April 2011 in North America.