Seattle’s Best Coffee announced today that it has entered the $1.4 billion ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee category in the U.S. with a new line of Seattle’s Best Coffee-branded iced latte coffee drinks, which leverage the brand’s most popular coffee drinks from its cafes. Through the North American Coffee Partnership (NACP), a joint venture between Starbucks Corporation and Pepsi-Cola North America Beverages, the new ready-to-drink coffees will be available in major grocery, convenience, and other retail stores, initially in the Western U.S.
This expansion of the Seattle’s Best Coffee brand into the RTD coffee category, along with the recent appointments of the brand’s president, Michelle Gass, and vice president of franchise development, John Wuycheck, demonstrate the importance the brand plays in the growth of Starbucks Corporation.
“We are well-positioned to continue the growth of Seattle’s Best Coffee by broadening our overall portfolio and awareness in new channels, bringing new customers to the brand,” Gass says. “By entering the growing ready-to-drink coffee category, Seattle’s Best Coffee is able to meet the needs of more specialty coffee consumers looking for a high-quality, uncommonly smooth, ready-to-drink coffee experience.”
The new Seattle’s Best Coffee® Iced Latte drinks are inspired by the handcrafted versions of guest-favorite lattes, available in the cafes. These beverages are available in Iced Latte, Iced Vanilla Latte, and Iced Mocha flavors and have a suggested retail price of $1.49 for a single can and $4.99 for a four-pack. These drinks offer consumers another way to enjoy the Uncommonly Smooth™ taste of Seattle’s Best Coffee’s signature beverages when they cannot get to a cafe.
Consumers can purchase the coffees initially at major grocery, convenience and other retail stores in Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.
