As the market for cold-pressed juice continues to expand, there is certainly no shortage of companies wanting to take part in its growth. The recently held 2015 Natural Product Expo West featured over 20 exhibiting at the event, however, as BevNET CEO John Craven noted, “at this point, we’re beyond the ‘hey, I have a cold-pressed juice company.”
“Everyone is trying to figure out what to do to differentiate,” Craven said. “That seems to be the immediate issue for all of these brands, whether or not they’re start-ups or established.”
Amid a constant flow of new entrants to the category, cold-pressed brands, as expected, continue to lean on new and trendy ingredients as a way to innovate and differentiate. From broccoli leaf shots and avocado-infused smoothies to cashew milks and raw honey elixirs, companies showcased their latest wares in what became a veritable game of one-upmanship.
However, it was clear that many cold-pressed brands are also attempting to distinguish themselves via price and package variety. It’s a strategy in which Suja is fully immersed, with the category leader tailoring its three product lines to meet the needs of consumers in a range of retail channels.
The San Diego-based company now markets over 40 SKUs (with several more in the pipeline) ranging from three-bottle set of “one-day renewal” juices sold exclusively at Target, to a 59 oz. jug of its blends for sale in the club channel, to new everyday prices of $5.99 and $7.99 for varieties within its “Classic” 16 oz. products.
Along the same lines, a number of emerging regional brands, including Lumi and Daily Greens, unveiled new products and smaller package sizes with formulations and price points that are more in line with mainstream juice offerings and clearly intended to introduce cold-pressed juice a new cadre of consumers.
The rapid evolution of the category is remarkable. Consider that only two years ago, pioneers like BluePrint and Suja positioned themselves as cleanse-focused brands, with prices that topped out at $12-13 per 16 oz. bottle. At Expo West, however, “cleanse” was barely (if at all) mentioned by exhibiting brands, most of which preferred to promote their products as “better-for-you” contributions to overall daily health or as meal replacement beverages.
Meanwhile, a tier of value-priced offerings — most around $3.99 mark — has emerged and appears to be chipping away at natural channel shelf space for super-premium juice stalwarts Naked and Odwalla.
In this video, filmed on location at the Anaheim Convention Center, Craven and BevNET Managing Editor Ray Latif offer a deep dive on news and developments in the cold-pressed juice category as seen at Expo West, including updates on new ingredient trends and marketing strategies.