Capitalizing on consumer demand for healthy options, Jamba Juice accelerated the rollout of its new fresh-squeezed juicing platform, completing the nationwide expansion by June 2, several months ahead of schedule.
To ensure optimal freshness, Jamba Juice enhanced its supply chain to minimize food spoilage issues, says Susan Shields, chief innovation officer at Jamba Inc. “Our new supply chain system is set up to provide our stores with two deliveries of produce per day, so our stock is always fresh,” she says. “In many cases, the produce that goes into the consumer’s juice or smoothie will have been in the ground only a few days before.”
The freshness factor is key for brands focusing on providing healthy choices to quick-serve consumers, says Rachel Kalt, a senior strategist with restaurant consulting company The Culinary Edge.
“Consumers want fresh, and that means they want to know that the product was made for them,” Kalt says. “It also means being able to show that the product was made in front of them or very close to the time they arrive.”
For Jamba Juice, the move means offering more products with a health halo, something for which consumers are turning to the beverage segment, Shields says.
“Consumers are looking more and more to beverages as a way to get the requirements of fruits and vegetables, so we provide a convenient, affordable, nutritious, and great-tasting way for them to do so,” she says.
