Whether SEEKING a caffeine fix or a social beverage, more Americans are sipping on coffee, according to the National Coffee Association of USA Inc. (NCA), New York.
The premium market for coffee continues to gain ground, according to an August 2012 report from Santa Monica, Calif.-based IBISWorld. “Consumers educated themselves more about coffee beans and traded up in quality over the five years to 2012,” the report stated.
From the heart of Brooklyn, N.Y., the home of Coney Island and the Brooklyn Bridge, comes RealBeanz, a ready-to-drink gourmet iced coffee company brimming with New York pride. The self-described “up-and-coming” brand plays off of the classic, artsy Brooklyn vibe to showcase its borough spirit and connect with its “kind of young, kind of hip, and kind of fresh” consumers in the 18- to 35-year-old demographic group, says Jenna Burke, director of public relations and social media for RealBeanz.
Minneapolis-based Caribou Coffee announced a definitive merger agreement under which an affiliate of Joh. A. Benckiser Group (JAB), Ludwigshafen, Germany, will acquire Caribou Coffee for $16 per share in cash, or a total of approximately $340 million. The agreement, which was unanimously approved by Caribou Coffee’s independent directors, represents a premium of approximately 30 percent over Caribou Coffee’s closing stock price Dec. 14, the last trading day prior to the announcement of the transaction.
Approximately 79 percent of adults in the United States drank coffee in the last two years, according to Chicago-based Mintel’s October 2011 Coffee report.
A study of mice with Type 2 diabetes found that a significant amount of coffee consumption could help protect against memory loss associated with advanced diabetes, as well as reduce weight gain and lower blood sugar levels, according to a May 10 article published in New York Daily News.
The economic downturn caused many consumers to cut back across categories, but coffee consumers have found new ways to enjoy their cup of joe. Approximately 79 percent of adults in the United States drank coffee in the last two years, according to Chicago-based Mintel Group Ltd.’s October Coffee report. However, 48 percent of coffee drinkers surveyed said they are drinking more coffee at home and less away from home in 2011 than they were a year ago — a trend that Mintel predicts will continue to drive retail coffee sales through 2012.
After receiving feedback from focus groups after the brand’s initial rollout, RealBeanz reworked its packaging, the shape of which was inspired by old milk bottles.
Following a rather lackluster 2009, when new beverage introductions plummeted nearly by half, the number of new beverages appearing on U.S. store shelves increased slightly in 2010.