Millie Bobby Brown’s Florence By Mills Coffee is making its brick-and-mortar retail debut at select Walmart stores nationwide with dairy milk lattes, the brand’s first ready-to-drink offering.
The new line from the “Stranger Things” actress’ coffee brand comes in four flavors – Original Chill, Vanilla Bliss, Mocha Delight and Caramel Drizzle – in 11 oz. cans, each of which contains approximately 70mg of caffeine. The lattes are currently available on Walmart.com for $14.88 per 6-pack and will be available in-store later this month for $2.48 per can.
In a press release, Brown said her on-the-go lifestyle inspired her to create something that is the “perfect creamy, delicious and naturally sweetened pick-me-up for any time of day.”
As canned coffee is the most consumed format among Gen Z and Millennials (per Mintel), Florence By Mills’ target audience, the brand is confident its new product can capture greater wallet share with an affordable price point. The launch expands the brand’s partnership with Collab Coffee, a specialty coffee partner working with creators and businesses to develop brands from source to shelf.
“There’s a lot going on in the coffee space. The big stand out for us is we try to make the price point better. You’ll find that on-shelf, we’re probably going to be undercutting most other iced coffee brands,” said Danny Wright, founder and CEO of Collab Coffee.
Launched in 2023, Florence By Mills Coffee is an extension of Brown’s Florence By Mills brand, which began with a line of cosmetics in 2019. The Florence By Mills Coffee portfolio also includes concentrates, brew bags and beans.
According to Wright, Walmart was the perfect place for the brand’s retail debut as “they understand exactly what the consumer wants” and are “really leaning into the creative space which has been a huge benefit.” In 2023, the mass retailer onboarded creator-founded and led Chamberlain Coffee’s debut RTD line of dairy-free lattes.
Florence By Mills Coffee’s canned lattes will initially roll out to 650 Walmart stores this month, with 600 slated to onboard the line in May. Additionally, the brand has another (undisclosed) major retailer lined up for June.
Coinciding with the RTD launch is a rebrand across the entire Florence By Mills Coffee portfolio, which, according to Wright, will provide on-shelf appeal and a stronger connection with its core demographic.
“The old packaging was very much from the beauty side of things. The feedback was that when it sat on [the] shelf in retail, it wouldn’t fit great. But we’ve seen what [this new packaging] will look like against other cans and it sticks out,” said Wright.
Over the past few years, creator-fronted coffee brands like the aforementioned Chamberlain Coffee and Top of the Mornin’ have made inroads with younger coffee drinkers who may find the space intimidating or unwelcoming. A 2022 Pew Center research study found that 54% of 18- to 29-year-old social media users say influencers impact their purchasing decisions “a lot or a little.”
“There’s a lot going on at the moment with creator-led brands, but what we don’t want them to be is slapping a name or a can on the product. That’s not what Collab does. We build these brands for longevity and we’re really trying to make a statement within the coffee industry,” said Wright.