SharkNinja’s kitchen appliances brand, Ninja, is venturing into the beverage category with the introduction of the Ninja Thirsti drink system. Ninja Thirsti offers customers the option to customise their beverages. They can choose between still or sparkling water and have the choice to enhance their drinks by adding flavour, vitamins, electrolytes or caffeine according to their preferences. In addition, the system offers over 20 flavoured water drops across four lines: Splash, water with a hint of fruit flavour; Vitamin, contains vitamins B3, B6 and B12; Hydrate, flavoured and sweetened beverages that are hydrating; and Energy, has 50mg of caffeine per 12oz serving. The flavoured water drops are sugar- and calorie-free. Neil Shah, chief commercial officer at SharkNinja, said: “We are excited to introduce the Ninja Thirsti and officially join the fast-growing beverage category. Through significant consumer research, we identified the challenge of many households to find better drink options that meet their family needs and wants without having to buy a shopping cart full of drinks.” Shah continued: “By delivering a better beverage experience with our newest innovation, consumers have the freedom to create their own personalised drink by function, flavour, carbonation and size. With thousands of different combinations and flavour fusions, the Ninja Thirsti possibilities are endless.” Ninja Thirsti is currently available for pre-order for $179.99 at the company’s website. It will also be available for purchase at major retailers, including Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy and Kohls soon.

Beverage giant Britvic has announced the acquisition of UK-based ready-to-drink iced coffee brand Jimmy’s Iced Coffee. According to Britvic, Jimmy’s Iced Coffee is “the fastest growing RTD iced coffee brand in the segment,” generating a retail sales value of £17 million in the year to June 2023, a 43% increase from the previous year. Jimmy’s coffees have fewer calories per serving than the category average, come in fully recyclable packaging and are HFSS-compliant. Simon Litherland, Britvic’s CEO, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Jimmy’s Iced Coffee to our portfolio of much-loved Britvic brands...We have a long track record of acquiring and developing brands, and I am confident in our ability to quickly expand our position in the iced coffee category – which is an exciting and fast-growing market segment.” Britvic intends to accelerate the growth of Jimmy’s by leveraging its customer relationships to drive new listings and increase distribution while increasing cost efficiency through Britvic’s supply chain expertise and procurement capability. Jim Cregan, co-founder of Jimmy’s Iced Coffee, added: “We are so delighted with this deal which is the culmination of twelve years of monumental hard work by my sister and I. We have poured our heart and souls into making this business what it is today, and we feel so fortunate that Britvic is now able to take Jimmy’s to places about which we could only dream. We are excited to watch the next chapter of the journey unfold and look forward to Jimmy’s Iced Coffee becoming even more well-known and enjoyed.” Jimmy’s founders, brother and sister Jim Cregan and Suzie Owen, will continue to be involved in the business as ambassadors for the brand, helping to support the transition while providing advice on brand direction and future innovation, to ensure that Jimmy’s core values and ethos continue to drive the brand. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Monster Beverage has won US bankruptcy court approval to acquire Bang Energy owner Vital Pharmaceuticals (VPX Sports) out of Chapter 11 for $362 million. Monster and VPX Sports entered into an asset purchase agreement on 3 July 2023 under which a Monster subsidiary would acquire all of Bang Energy’s assets. The acquisition includes Bang’s performance beverages and related businesses and a beverage production facility located in Phoenix, Arizona, US. The sale means Bang will survive bankruptcy, however, it follows VPX Sports’ plans to make more than 450 of its employees redundant. VPX Sports filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Florida, US, in October 2022 to help the company recover from multiple lawsuits that had impacted its “short-term outlook” and a cost impact of “reconstituting the company’s national distribution network that resulted in a summer revenue gap”. Bang told FoodBev: “As we move forward with this transaction, we are required to comply with the federal WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) Act to inform a group of our employees that they may be impacted by a future workforce reduction. We are communicating with our teams openly and transparently.” It also said that it welcomed the Federal Trade Commission’s decision to end its merger review process early on 3 July. The judgement is subject to further customary closing conditions.

Nestlé-owned brands #Nescafé and #Aero have partnered to create a limited-edition Nescafé Gold Aero golden honeycomb mocha. The new flavoured mocha, which was inspired by Aero golden honeycomb chocolate bar, is made using fresh British milk with chocolate and contains notes of golden honeycomb. Mia Beverley, Nescafé Gold’s frothy coffee brand manager, said: “We are beyond excited to have partnered with Aero, one of the UK and Ireland’s most loved confectionery brands”. She continued: “The Nescafé Gold Frothy Coffee and Aero collaboration combines the products we know our fans love, quality frothy coffee and a delicious golden honeycomb flavour chocolate, to create a bubbly and indulgent coffee treat”. The golden honeycomb mocha will be available at supermarkets, including Asda, Sainsbury’s, Iceland and Aldi, and in variety store chains, such B&M, Poundland and Home Bargains from next month.

Victoria Arduino, a coffee machine manufacturer owned by Simonelli Group, has extended its E1 Prima range with the launch of a new model. E1 Prima EXP boasts an additional feature that allows for the extraction of PureBrew. PureBrew is a new three-phase coffee extraction method without the pressure of a traditional espresso machine. This technology incorporates a patented conical double-mesh filter, delivering the enjoyment of a filter coffee with unique qualities, setting it apart from alternative methods of filter extraction. E1 Prima EXP also features New Engine Optimization (NEO) technology, which is a new approach to water heating for coffee extraction with reduced energy consumption. With this technology, E1 Prima EXP ensures rapid water heating and improved energy efficiency. The boilers feature a compact design and are equipped with insulation and a coating that effectively minimises energy loss.

AquiSense Technologies has released what it believes to be the world’s smallest UV-C LED water disinfection system, the PearlAqua Micro A. PearlAqua Micro A incorporates AquiSense’s patented reactor technology and high-volume manufacturing capabilities, all within a “very small” footprint for dispensing applications. The device relies on UV-C LED technology as its core component, which alongside innovative reactor design features, achieves a pathogen reduction rate of over 99.99% at a flow rate of 1/2 gallons per minute, making it ideal for water servers and dispensers. PearlAqua Micro A features an integrated LED driver, a visible “blue glow” option, low power consumption and unlimited on/off cycling. Oliver Lawal, AquiSense’s president and CEO, said: “The industry has expressed a need for a smaller unit, treating dispensing flow rates, but at high UV Dose levels. The challenge was also to simplify the product design to reduce assembly time and cost for very high-volume OEM customers.”

Stora Enso-owned Selfly Store has introduced a new smart vending freezer for the unattended retail market. The Selfly Freezer offers customers frozen treats all season long. Customers are able to make contactless payments, select multiple products at one time, as well as touch and feel each product before making their purchase. The freezer is part of the brand’s Selfly Store Model 3 product family, which offers a self-service solution through hardware, cloud-based software, RFID (radio frequency identification) tags and a service network.

Primo Water Corporation has announced that Tom Harrington, the company’s CEO and member of the board of directors since January 2019, intends to retire. Harrington’s target end date is 31 December 2023, and to ensure a smooth transaction he will continue to serve as CEO and on the board of directors until the board has identified and appointed a successor. Harrington said: “It has been an honour to lead Primo Water’s talented team through a critical and transformative period during my tenure as CEO. Our strategy is clearly working, we’re pleased with our past accomplishments and we’re even more excited about our future. With our strategy in place and exciting prospects for the future, now is the right time to begin the transition to Primo Water’s next phase of leadership.” He continued: “Together, we have built a powerful pure-play water platform that benefits from a large and growing revenue base. I am confident in our team’s ability to build on our momentum to drive long-term growth and value creation.” Jerry Fowden, chairman of the board, commented: “On behalf of the board, I want to thank Tom for his significant contributions and dedicated years of service to Primo Water. Since his appointment as CEO in 2019, Tom has played an instrumental role in transforming Primo Water into a leading pure-play water company, leading our response to the Covid-19 pandemic and meaningfully engaging with our stakeholders, shareowners, customers, communities and associates.” The board has initiated a search to identify the company’s next CEO and says that it “has engaged a leading executive search firm to assist in the process”. In order to facilitate a comprehensive process, the board will consider both internal and external candidates. Fowden added: “The board and management team are committed to ensuring a smooth transition, and we are grateful that we’ll continue to benefit from Tom’s experience and perspective throughout this process. As the board conducts its search for Tom’s successor, we are focused on identifying a strong leader with a proven track record of operating successfully at scale while defining and executing a growth strategy driven by operational excellence and world-class talent development.”

Kraft Heinz has unveiled its first customisable and IoT-enabled digital sauce dispenser, Heinz Remix. Heinz Remix enables consumers to personalise their sauces, offering over 200 potential sauce combinations. The digital sauce dispenser is available for the foodservice channel and took just six months to build. The machine is touchscreen-operated, offering a range of four bases: Heinz Ketchup, Ranch, 57 Sauce and BBQ Sauce. Consumers are then able to personalise further with one or more enhancers – which currently include: Jalapeño, Smoky Chipotle, Buffalo and Mango – at their preferred low, medium or high intensity level. Alan Kleinerman, VP of disruption at Kraft Heinz, said: “As a company, we’re transforming through innovation by making bigger, more intentional bets to fuel our growth and create new experiences for consumers. Kraft Heinz is a great example of this consumer-first approach to innovation. We’re changing the game for foodservice operators and sauce lovers – dipping will never be the same.” “With Heinz Remix, it’s more than a sauce dispenser; it’s an insights engine and business model enabler that will help Kraft Heinz understand and respond to consumer trends and flavour preferences in real-time.” Peter Hall, president of US away from home at Kraft Heinz, commented: “The launch of Heinz Remix is a first for the sauce category and foodservice industry. It’s a great example of how we’re leveraging culinary insights and category knowledge to drive greater value for our customers and consumers. Our ambition is to be the leader for taste, flavour and experience anywhere you’re eating, and we’re delivering on that goal with category-leading innovations like Heinz Remix.” Kraft Heinz is set to debut Heinz Remix at the 2023 National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, and then in restaurants in late 2023 to early 2024.

Keurig Dr Pepper has expanded its iced coffee portfolio with the introduction of the Keurig K-Iced family of brewers, featuring three new coffee makers and five new Iced K-Cup pod varieties. The brewers feature a ‘Brew Over Ice’ option that automatically adjusts the brew temperature, starting hotter to extract the full flavour of the ground coffee. It then cools down to minimise the ice melt. The functionality features on the front of the coffee maker console via a newly designed blue button. The Keurig K-Iced family features three new brewers, including K-Iced Single Serve Coffee Maker, which is available on Keurig.com, Amazon and other major US retailers for a MAP of $99 and features 6, 8 and 10 hot and iced brew sizes, a 42 oz removable reservoir and two fresh colourways. The K-Iced Essentials Single Serve Coffee Maker is available exclusively at Walmart at an MSRP of $79 and features 6, 8, or 10 oz hot and iced brew sizes, a 36 oz removable reservoir and an iced tumbler package. Finally, the K-Iced Plus Single Serve Coffee Maker is available exclusively at Target for an MSRP of $129 and features 8, 10 or 12 oz hot and iced brew sizes, a 46oz removable reservoir, three unique colourways and a drip tray to accommodate tumblers and travel mugs up to 7″ tall. Becky Opdyke, senior vice president, coffee marketing at Keurig Dr Pepper, said: “Understanding that Gen-Z is leading the way in iced coffee consumption, with an astounding 73% of consumers between 18-24 drinking iced coffee weekly, we’re excited to further expand our brewer and coffee portfolio to meet the needs of our consumers,” She added: “With the new K-Iced line, consumers not only get that full-flavoured hot coffee they expect from Keurig but also a refreshing iced coffee at the touch of a button – all in one coffee maker”. Additionally, Keurig has expanded its Iced K-Cup pod offerings within the new system, with new K-Cup pods, including The Original Donut Shop Iced Duos Cookies + Caramel, McCafé At Home Iced One Step Mocha Frappe, McCafé At Home Iced One Step Hazelnut Latte, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Iced Vanilla Caramel and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Iced Hazelnut Cream. The new Iced K-Cup pod SKUs can be purchased on Keurig.com and in select US retailers.

We are currently operating in a fast-paced world in which consumers demand new solutions that integrate with the latest devices for at-your-fingers’ convenience. However, with a growing portfolio of locations, vendors are in search for the same quality of convenience and support that the retail industry has awarded consumers. As such, the industry has transitioned from facilitating convenient retail transactions for consumers and grown into selling convenience to vendors. In today’s ever-changing vending landscape, operators need to be able to spend less, sell more and gain control of operations. Additionally, they need to rinse and repeat that streamlined process for multiple locations, all while keeping pace with the latest payment acceptance methods. This leaves vendors scrambling to find a technology provider that truly offers an all-in-one, holistic solution—especially if they also manage micro market or dining businesses. 365 Retail Markets works to remain a premier partner in the vending business by providing a suite of solutions that empower vendors to not only facilitate quick, convenient transactions for consumers but also to minimise inefficiencies in day-to-day operations. Vendors looking to streamline their process and improve consumer experiences should consider the following 365 Retail Markets solutions: ConnectedCampus: This first-of-its-kind, fully integrated consumer experience ecosystem seamlessly connects a location’s 365-based micro market, office coffee service (OCS) and vending technology. Leveraging a Global Market Account (GMA), consumers can create and fund accounts, view purchase history, scan and pay for products, and connect to any location’s 365 devices, all with the flexibility between direct kiosk interaction or the mobile app – 365Pay – for an easy, contactless approach. This level of consumer convenience extends to the operator by eliminating account support tasks operators may otherwise have to execute. Vending Management Software (VMS): 365 Retail Markets offers a multitude of VMS features with inter-connected systems allowing vendors to manage their business end-to-end by: Receiving real-time alerts regarding jams or device failures Cutting inventory costs by ordering precise amounts with pre-kitting Tracking products from warehouse to restock with warehouse management capabilities Eliminating unnecessary stops with dynamic routing capabilities Reducing theft, remotely monitoring cash meters and tracking money bags Menu management and food compliance software: 365 Retail Markets’ most recent menu management solution empowers vendors and food service operators to manage menus, including nutritional data and allergy compliance. Additional functionality includes: Automatically calculate nutrition, allergens and costs of your recipes Organise recipes, create menus and menu cycles See at-a-glance how to make recipes healthier or reduce costs Minimise food waste and report on popular dishes Reporting and dashboards for cost per dish, cost per day or cost per menu Easily report on allergens via digital data sheets Direct link with your suppliers to ensure correct data As technology advances, so too, does vendor and operator work styles. Vendors are not stagnant for eight-hour workdays. They are remote, mobile workers who move between countless locations, devices and concerns rendering many of their patterns unpredictable. Therefore, much like consumers, vendors also require frictionless transactions, mobile-accessible market management functions and data that will help them make the best business decisions for each of their individual and unique needs. 365 Retail Markets offers a variety of solutions that can easily be tailored to each vendor’s specific business needs – empowering them to manage their business succinctly from an office or through mobile devices while on the go. Convenience for your company and your consumer is just one call away. Contact a 365 Retail Markets account manager to learn more today.

Under its Nescafé brand, Nestlé has launched Ice Roast, it’s first soluble coffee designed especially for use in iced coffee beverages. The product was crafted by experts at Nestlé’s coffee R&D centre in Orbe, Switzerland, in response to rising demand for products that allow people to recreate “café-style” cold coffee experiences in the home. Nestlé says that today, 15% of coffee in the world is consumed cold. Nescafé Ice Roast is made with 100% Robusta coffee beans that are grown and produced sustainably, with a tailored roasting profile to provide a lightly roasted soluble coffee without harsh or bitter notes. The company states that the extraction process was optimised to give a refreshing taste and clear appearance in the cup, with a coffee granule structure that dissolves quickly and easily. Damien Tissot, head of Nestlé’s product technology centre for coffee in Orbe, said: “With Ice Roast, we’ve created a light-medium roast that’s ideal to drink cold, with a smooth texture and cocoa notes that unlocks new sensory territory. By applying an innovative mindset, our teams have created a new sensory experience in cold coffee.” The Ice Roast coffee is launching in China this month, with Mexico to follow.