NEW YORK – Tropicana wants more people to drink its juice, so it’s extending a carrot – and a bushel of other vegetables.
As sugar-conscious Americans continue to shy away from fruit juices, Tropicana is using vegetables for the first time in recent history with a new drink called “Farmstand” set to hit shelves next month.
By marketing the juice as a way for moms to sneak some veggies into their kids’ diets, the division of PepsiCo Inc. is betting that carrots and beets can give it a new avenue for growth.
The foray into the fruit-and-vegetable category comes after Tropicana executives watched Campbell Soup find success with V8 V-Fusion drinks, which uncovered a sweet spot by making vegetables more palatable by mixing them with fruit.
Since its rollout in 2006, Campbell has grown V-Fusion sales with multiple new flavors and varieties.
But Tropicana executives say Farmstand’s potential is far greater because it will be sold in the refrigerated sections of supermarkets. Shelf-stable juices such as V-Fusion, by contrast, are exposed to higher temperatures in the pasteurization process so they don’t have to be kept chilled.
Although the nutritional benefits don’t differ, Tropicana’s chief marketing officer Memo Maquivar said the refrigerated aspect of Farmstand will be a critical differentiator.
“Chilled is very important — it signals high quality, it signals premium, it signals freshness,” he said.
The rollout of Tropicana Farmstand comes as consumption of pure fruit juice has declined 6 percent over the past five years, according to the market research firm Euromonitor International.
And Tropicana’s share of the category is down to 16 percent from 21 percent five years ago.
Now Tropicana is betting on Farmstand, its biggest product launch since the rollout of Trop50 in 2009.
That drink has about half the calories of regular orange juice and is targeted toward people who are watching their weight.
By contrast, Farmstand’s calories are roughly the same as that of regular orange juice; an 8-ounce glass has about 120 calories and 28 grams of sugar.
The juice will be available at Walmart Stores Inc. later this month before expanding to supermarkets and other retailers early next year.
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.