The “de-powderization movement” is underway at Huel, as the British meal replacement brand reaches into the red-hot greens category for its next and widest RTD release.
Huel Daily Greens arrives online today on both sides of the Atlantic as a lightly carbonated three-SKU line in 12 oz. slim cans, each offering the requisite variety of vitamins, minerals and adaptogens, plus four grams of dietary fiber and 25 calories each. A wide retail rollout will follow this fall at partners like Sprouts, Target and LifeTime Fitness, plus Amazon.
“Personally, I think that if you look at the U.S., I think there’s been what I like to call ‘de-powderization movement’ afoot,” Tyler Noyes, Head of U.S. Sales for Huel, told BevNET last week. “Consumers have been inundated with borderline unlimited powders to incorporate into their days and their diet– protein, creatine, colostrum, electrolytes, greens. I think that’s why you’re seeing brands innovate in their delivery formats.”
Though still best known for its large-format bagged powders, Daily Greens adds to Huel’s steady drumbeat of retail-ready RTDs: along with its flagship Black Edition meal replacement — a nutrient dense shake clocking in at 400 calories and 35 grams of protein per 12 oz. bottle — there’s also the three-SKU Huel Energy+ line in 12 oz. cans. But while those products have moved through wellness chains like The Vitamin Shoppe and GNC, the new Daily Greens aims to serve as a bridge towards mainstream retail across channels like natural, mass, conventional grocery and fitness centers.
In RTD form, Daily Greens is expected to both complement and extend its powdered version, attracting new users to the brand and giving existing fans a more convenient, mobile option. Yet as many consumers noted with the meal replacement RTDs, the taste experience with Daily Greens will be different to shaking up a scoop of powder — in a good way, ideally. A 30-serving bag of Daily Greens powder sells for a one-time price of $56.50 on Huel website (or $45 with a subscription).
“I think that these Daily Greens cans are going to be able to tap into some consumers who perhaps aren’t traditional greens powders folks, and that comes a lot to do with the taste and texture of this product,” Noyes said. “There’s a consumer who probably wasn’t mixing their greens powder, who’s now going to execute on that greens ready to drink.“
For consumers who do fit that bill, the next question is where to find the product in stores. Sitting at the intersection of multiple categories, Daily Greens will have options: store buyers have explored placement within functional beverages, powders, grab-and-go endcap fridges and produce, Noyes said. The line will also be seeded into airports through British retail group WH Smith, which operates over 300 travel-focused outlets in the U.S.
Daily Greens also has an important role to play in Huel’s growth strategy; while Noyes deferred comment on specific targets or metrics, he acknowledged that RTDs are the “most convenient way to drive trial,” a critical focus in particular for a primarily online brand. With Energy+ and now Daily Greens, Huel’s expanded RTD platform is expected to pull its own weight and also help boost awareness for its powders (which just entered retail this spring) and other ecomm-focused offerings. If successful, that shift may lead to a new business paradigm in the near future.
“I think you’re probably going to see a higher percentage of powders online, and maybe a flip in retail (with RTDs),” said Noyes. “ It just depends on where consumers are purchasing the product.”
Huel’s deepening in RTD comes as digital-native powder brands from the turn of the decade like AG1 and MUD\WTR are evolving their products with new flavors and formats.