Britvic unveils juice launch to corner schools market
Britvic Soft Drinks is launching a range of natural juices that aims to get around the ban on soft drinks in schools. It claims it has launched a product specifically for that market.
The Really Wild Drinks Co., which will be launched at the start of January, will be available only in school vending machines and canteens. It will be packaged in slim 250ml cans to appeal to teenagers.
It will be available in six flavours and is 100% pure juice with no added sugar, colouring or additives. The range is preservative free although Britvic claims it has a six-month shelf life.
Legislation banning the sale of sugary soft drinks during lunch hours was introduced last September and will be applied to the rest of the school day from September next year. It will mean the only drinks allowed in schools will be water, skimmed or semi-skimmed milk, pure fruit or vegetable juices, soya, milk or yoghurt drinks and tea, coffee and low-calorie hot chocolate.
Prior to the legislation, vending machines accounted for 9% of Britvic’s sales, and the school market was a large part of that business. But according to one industry source, the schools market has become “very closed and difficult to get into.”
The source adds it is every manufacturer’s intention to corner the schools vending market and so far only Innocent Drinks has attempted to do so. The smoothie-maker signed a distribution deal with Surrey Schools for its Innocent Smoothies for Kids range and has been working on plans to roll out the range to schools across the country (MW July 6).
