Shelf-stable juices flow at mass - at mass merchants; includes related article on orange juice

Discount Store News, May 1, 1995 by Laurie Freeman

Shelf-stable aseptic juice boxes, a $778 million category in 1994, according to Information Resources Inc., Chicago, is growing fastest in mass merchandise outlets. Discount stores garnered $43.6 million in sales last year, a 22% increase, while sales fell 21% to $10.1 million in drugstores, IRI reported.

The top sellers in all trade classes were Hi-C from Coca-Cola Foods and Capri Sun from Kraft General Foods. In some stores, Hi-C commanded upwards of 20 or more facings for its juice boxes, with Capri Sun holding on to six to 10 facings.

This spring, Hi-C is packing new punch in the juice aisle with its introduction of kid-approved packaging for its Hi-C drink box and a new kid-sized Hi-C aluminum can.

Chains such as Kmart and Caldor already have added Hi-C's new look to their shelves. A manager at a Pharmhouse deep discount store confirmed that the new packaging was attracting more sales to his juice box business.

Hi-C's new 7.7-oz. cans are the "first packaging of its kind targeted to kids," said Kerry Brooks, Hi-C marketing director. "This is a fun size, something that can be a treat for those times when younger kids, who like to emulate their older siblings and their parents, want to drink out of aluminum cans, too."

Hi-C's new neon-yellow packaging is intended to jump off store shelves, and when placed next to other juices, it certainly achieves that goal, retailers and Hi-C confirmed.

"What we found by talking to kids is that our image had slipped substantially on the `fun and cool' index," Brooks said. "The sense was that there were a lot of alternatives now to juice boxes and that Hi-C hadn't kept up with the times."

The first thing the brand did was to have kids help with the graphics redesign. The new graphics feature action-packed comic strip illustrations on an electric yellow background. According to Brooks, both the new package design and the 7.7-oz. can introduction, which retailers are giving additional space to without deleting Hi-C items, are key elements in a comprehensive $67 million initiative to "recharge" the Hi-C brand. The new packaging also allows retailers to stack the products in several directions without losing the impact of the graphics.

Hi-C has been able to win new shelf facings, Brooks believes, because the aluminum cans themselves appeal to a slightly older age group, 10- to 13-year-olds, who think they are too old to be seen drinking from a drink box. Already, more than 85% of aseptic juice drinks are consumed at school among the 6-year-old to 12-year-old set, but rather than replace the Hi-C drink box, the new can will "extend the consumption of Hi-C into more after-school and weekend time periods," Brooks said.

At the same time as the graphics change, Hi-C also is packing an additional juice box into the aseptic box packs. "If a family has two kids, that's 10 juice boxes they need for the week," Brooks said. "The new 10-pack will be priced the same as the nine-pack, so it delivers a great value."

The new Hi-C cans come in five flavors and will be packed in six-can packs with a suggested retail price of $2.19. More than 6 million cans will be distributed through in-school sampling programs in May and September. More than 12 million cans will be made available as single-serve cans priced at 39 cents. Special promotional coolers are available to retailers for the launch.

In addition to luring more young shoppers, the repackaging of Hi-C differentiates it from its sister company, Minute Maid.

Retailers said other firms such as McCain's are also tapping the childrens' market. McCain's is introducing a new size of its junior juice designed to serve the family. The Chicago-based supplier has just debuted a 46-oz. aseptic box of juice. It is offering a two-pack (two boxes shrink-wrapped together). Discount and drug chains play a key role in the rollout of the larger package, said Peter Reijula, vice president and general manager of McCain's. He said discounters and drugstores do well with larger 10- or 12-packs as well as cases of McCain's.

Other juice firms acknowledged stepped up efforts to reach children. Retailers reported a sharp rise in white grape juice sales in March following research from Welch's that it was easier on childrens' stomachs than orange or apple juice.

Others noted that they were also making sure adults' needs were reached. New sizes in Veryfine, for example, are intended for single-serve big thirsts.

Capri Sun, although a major player in this category, does not specifically market to young customers, a company spokeswoman a Kraft said.