IRI Names Top 10 Food Launches of 2012
Market research company Information Resources Inc. (IRI) has identified its New Product Pacesetters, the top 10 food and beverage launches of the year.
In 2011-2012, nearly 1,900 new CPG brands hit retail shelves across U.S. retail channels. Only 11 percent of those launches met the stringent benchmarks of exceptional first-year sales required to achieve 2012 New Product Pacesetter status.
“IRI’s 2012 Pacesetters are best-in-class products that have truly beaten the daunting new product odds,” said Larry Levin, EVP, general manager, Insights and Thought Leadership, IRI. “In fact, the manufacturers of these Pacesetter brands showed a quiet resolve and determination to stimulate growth despite a challenging economic environment in 2012.”
Among food and beverage champions, average year-one dollar sales for the top 100 brands were $43.4 million. New food and beverage brands addressed long-standing trends around wellness, indulgence and convenience.
IRI 2012 New Product Pacesetters: Top 10 Food and Beverage Brands ($ Millions)
(Total Year-One Dollar Sales, Multi-Outlet)
- Dannon Oikos Greek Yogurt, $283.8
- Starbucks K-Cup Packs, $198.9
- Bud Light Platinum, $162.2
- TruMoo Chocolate Milk, $158.3
- Breyers Blasts!, $147.3
- MiO Water Enhancer, $127.6
- Sparkling ICE Sparkling Water, $122.7
- Nature Valley Protein Bars, $95.7
- Orville Redenbacher’s Pop Up Bowl, $92.1
- Daily’s Cocktails Frozen Pouches, $89.2
More than 850 million Starbucks coffee K-Cup packs -- No. 3 on the list of “New Product Pacesetters” for food and beverage -- have been shipped to food, drug, mass, club and specialty retailers, as well as to Starbucks retail stores and ecommerce since launching in November 2011.
“Starbucks entry into the Keurig brewing system with its own K-Cup packs was greeted with much excitement by customers across the country,” said Levin. “In addition to Starbucks K-Cup packs being the largest K-Cup pack launch in Pacesetter history, the company’s innovation with its Starbucks Blonde Roast coffee, which is also available in K-Cup packs, was cited as a Rising Star for 2013.”
The overall premium single cup (PSC) category now accounts for over 25 percent of total coffee sales in grocery. In March 2013, with expanded availability and distribution, sales of Starbucks coffee K-Cup packs increased more than 75 percent versus prior year sales. Starbucks coffee K-Cup packs also held the second biggest share in the PSC category in food, drug and mass retailers, according to IRI.