Cold brew is red hot

When it comes to ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee and tea beverages, easily the biggest story on the positive side of the ledger is RTD cold brew. The subcategory delivered 16% year-over-year (YoY) dollar sales growth to $244 million, while unit sales jumped 14% YoY to 52 million for the 52-week period ending July 13, according to Chicago-based market research firm Circana.

The No. 1 seller in this subcategory was the North American Coffee Partnership, a joint venture between PepsiCo and Starbucks, whose dollar sales declined by 1% YoY to $104 million, and unit sales dipped by 3% YoY to 25 million.

However, among the top 10 sellers, three enjoyed triple-digit YoY percentage gains, with one posting a quadruple-digit YoY sales gain. The first triple-digit gainer was No. 2 seller La Colombe, a division of New York-based Chobani, whose dollar sales jumped 197% YoY to $57 million, paired with an even greater 243% YoY unit sales gain to 13.8 million.

The other two triple-digit gainers were No. 5 seller Bones Coffee Co. and No. 8 seller Wandering Bear Inc. Cape Coral, Fla.-based Bones’ dollar sales skyrocketed by 109% YoY to $5.9 million, while unit sales gained 111% YoY to just shy of 2 million, Circana data reports. Meanwhile, New York City-based Wandering Bear’s dollar sales picked up 207% YoY to $4.1 million, as well as a 117% unit sales rise to 275,225.

The quadruple-digit gainer belongs to No. 10 seller Heartland Food Products. The Carmel, Ind.-based company’s sales rose by 2,948% YoY to $1.57 million, along with a 2,836% unit sales jump to 119,663.

The cold-brew subcategory is housed under the overall tea/coffee RTD category, whose dollar sales dropped by 2% YoY to $8.4 billion, as well as a 5% unit sales drop to 2.5 billion. Other subcategories housed under the overall tea/coffee RTD category are canned and bottled tea, cappuccino/iced coffee and kombucha.

Let’s start with the large canned and bottled tea subcategory, whose dollar sales dipped slightly by 1% YoY $4.8 billion; unit sales dropped by 4% YoY to 1.6 billion, per Circana data. The No. 1 seller in this category was Pepsi/Lipton, which suffered a 5% YoY dollar sales decline to $1.9 billion, with unit sales declining by 7% YoY to 552 million.

One standout was Guayaki Sustainable Rainforest Products. The Sebastopol, Calif.-based company, the No. 5 seller in the subcategory, saw sales rise by 20% YoY to $225 million, pairing nicely with a similar 19% unit sales gain to nearly 63 million.

As for RTD cappuccino/iced coffee, the subcategory experienced tough sledding for the 52 weeks ending July 13. The subcategory’s dollar sales suffered a 6% YoY drop to $3.3 billion, while unit sales nosedived by 8% YoY to 835 million. North American Coffee Partnership was also the No. 1 seller in this subcategory, posting a 9% YoY loss to $2 billion, with unit sales dropping 10% YoY to 469 million, Circana reported.

Finding a double-digit YoY dollar sales gainer in this subcategory proved difficult but was found in No. 9 seller Slate Craft Goods LLC. The Westwood, Mass.-based company’s dollar sales gained 65% YoY to $12.4 million, along with a 64% unit sales rise to 4.2 million.

Next up on the list is RTD kombucha, which had a tough year. Overall dollar sales plummeted by 19% YoY to $12.1 million, with unit sales suffering an even greater 24% YoY loss to 2.83 million. The No. 1 seller in this subcategory was Bend, Ore.-based Humm Kombucha, whose dollar sales rose by 194% YoY to $3.55 million, but unit sales declined by 37% to 201,443.

A major star in the RTD kombucha subcategory for the period ending July 13 was No. 4 seller Torrance, Calif.-based Health Ade. The brand’s dollar sales skyrocketed by 209% YoY to $363,494, while unit sales rose 161% YoY to 78,588, according to Circana.

Refrigerated RTD beverages

Switching gears to refrigerated RTD coffee and tea beverages, the overall category enjoyed a solid year, with dollar sales picking up 5% YoY to $3.8 billion. Unit sales increased by 1% YoY to just shy of 1 billion. The overall category encompasses the refrigerated tea, refrigerated RTD coffee and refrigerated kombucha subcategories.

Refrigerated teas posted mixed results, as dollar sales gained 5% YoY to $1.75 billion, but unit sales dipped by a small 0.1% YoY to 584 million. The No. 1 seller in this subcategory, Milos Tea Co. Inc., had the strongest dollar sales advancement among the Top 10 manufacturers. The Bessemer, Ala.-based company’s dollar sales jumped by 18% YoY to nearly $714 million, as well as an 11% unit sales increase to 225 million, Circana data reveals.

Refrigerated RTD coffee posted a strong year, as dollar sales enjoyed a 7% YoY pop to $1.3 billion, pairing well with a 5% YoY rise to 232 million. Top among sellers in this subcategory for the period ending July 13 was Danone North America. The Denver, Colo.-based company’s dollar sales lifted by 6% YoY to $565 million, along with unit sales surpassing the 100 million milestone, good for a 1% YoY gain.

A highlight among refrigerated RTD coffee sellers was Rowland Coffee Roasters. The Miami, Fla.-based company is now the No. 9 seller in the subcategory, thanks to dollar sales of $13.6 million, an impressive 3,137% YoY gain, as well as 2.3 million units sold, good for a 3,101% YoY advancement, according to Circana.

Lastly, the refrigerated RTD kombucha eked out a positive year. The subcategory’s dollar sales gained 2% YoY to $768 million, while unit sales improved by 0.5% YoY to 182 million. No. 1 in this subcategory was GTS Living Foods. However, the Beverly Hills, Calif.-based company’s sales declined by 6% YoY to $334 million, while unit sales dropped by 5% YoY to 76 million.

A standout in this subcategory was Humm Kombucha. The company is now the No. 4 seller in RTD kombucha, thanks to dollar sales skyrocketing by 103% to $53 million, as well as an 18% improvement in unit sales to just shy of 9 million, Circana reports.