Ready-to-Drink Coffee and Tea Shine

Ideal for summertime merchandising, packaged coffee, lattes and teas are an opportunity that retailers don’t want to squander. Ready-to-drink (RTD) coffees and iced lattes are the fastest-growing category in coffee and will represent 29% of the consumer coffee market by 2025, according to the Mintel U.S. Coffee Report 2020.

Additionally, the global nonalcohol beverage market size is expected to reach $363.1 billion by 2030, expanding at a compound annualized growth rate of 5.6% during the forecast period, according to a new report by Grand View Research Inc. The top three nonalcohol drinks includes tea/coffee—following behind carbonated soft drinks and bottled water.

Recognizing the potential, some Chicago-area Amazon Fresh stores recently handed out free 12-ounce cans of Coca-Cola With Coffee to help recruit new loyalists.
Click through for a snapshot of four recently released RTD coffee and tea options.

Illycaffe, a leader in sustainable, premium coffee, has launched two new RTD products: Cold Brew Cappuccino and Latte Macchiato. Both varieties come in 8.45-ounce slim cans, representing “the newest innovations from illy” and delivering on the company’s “unwavering commitment to superior taste, quality and sustainability,” Jack Edwards, president of illycaffè North America, said in a release. Illy Cold Brew Cappuccino and Latte Macchiato combine milk with a signature blend of nine single-origin coffees for a smooth, rich taste, with no added preservatives, colors or flavors. The Cold Brew Cappuccino variety has 90 calories per serving, while Latte Macchiato has 110 calories.  

Community Coffee launched a new grab-and-go iced latte in two flavors: Mocha White Chocolate and Vanilla Waffle Cone. The drinks come in 13.7-ounce plastic bottles and are made with Community Coffee’s 100% Arabica beans. “Our new iced lattes are the perfect way to treat yourself with a rich latte anywhere. They are shelf-stable, meaning you don’t have to keep them in the refrigerator, which makes them great coffee options for people on the go,” said Leah Herrington, VP of sales and marketing for Community Coffee Co.

 

Red Diamond Coffee and Tea expanded its offerings with a new 11-ounce bottle of ready-to-drink tea. Available in 40-count cases in sweet, sugar-free with Splenda or unsweet, the teas are made with two or three simple ingredients: water and tea leaves—plus sugar or Splenda for the sweetened product. Red Diamond ready-to-drink tea is also available in gallons, half gallons and pints.

Halfday Iced Tea is a canned sweet tea that comes in three flavors: Peach Green Tea, Lemon Black Tea and Green Tea With Honey & Ginseng. With 8 grams of plant fiber to promote gut health, Halfday Iced Tea also contains 4 to 6 grams of net carbs and 35 to 40 calories per can. It is also low in sugar, the company says.