CHICAGO – IRI announced last year’s most successful consumer packaged goods launches in its 2016 New Product Pacesetters report, a benchmark analysis of first-year CPG sales success for newly launched products. Thousands of new brands hit retail shelves during 2016, with 80% of the top-ranking brands hailing from small and midsized manufacturers. Overall, the top-selling 200 new brands captured cumulative year-one sales of more than $5.8 billion across IRI’s multi-outlet geography.
In the convenience store arena, median year-one sales across the top 10 IRI New Product Pacesetters were an astounding $23.4 million, demonstrating the power behind consumers’ ongoing quests for both healthy and indulgent personalized experiences.
2016 New Product Pacesetters: Top 10 Convenience Store Brands
($ millions; Total Year-One Dollar Sales, Convenience Store Channel)
1. DairyPure $385.9
2. Red Bull The Summer Edition $149.0
3. Quest Bar $78.4
4. Nut Harvest $60.2
5. BODYARMOR $55.0
6. RockstarBOOM! $53.3
7. Rockstar Freeze $51.7
8. Not Your Father's Root Beer $44.2
9. Monster Energy Ultra Black $39.5
10. AMP Energy Zero $25.0
Four energy drinks made the top-10 ranking, reinforcing the notion that Americans want energy-packed solutions that can be consumed on the go. New energy launches provide an array of flavor experiences, but there are several new options for those seeking healthier alternatives.
“A 360-degree approach to health and wellness is yet again expanding the competitive set for food and beverage and non-food consumer packaged goods,” said Susan Viamari, vice president of thought leadership for IRI. “Marketers must adopt a solution-oriented mindset and keep in mind that the consumer is in charge. The key is to educate and draw interest in a product with a powerful and personal marketing story, rather than just throwing a product out there and expecting the shopper to come.”
For the top 100 food and beverage champions, median year-one dollar sales were $11.4 million, down from $19.6 million in 2015. Prevention played a key role in driving the success of these top-performing products as consumers turn to CPGs for help in meeting their nutritional goals.
2016 New Product Pacesetters: Top 10 Food and Beverage Brands
($ millions; Total Year-One Dollar Sales, Multioutlet)
1. DairyPure $1,163.1
2. Dunkin' Donuts K-Cups $204.1
3. Not Your Father's Root Beer $114.6
4. OREO Thins $110.2
5. Artesano $102.4
6. Screamin' Sicilian $73.2
7. Oscar Mayer Natural $61.7
8. DairyPure Creamers $54.9
9. Sargento Balanced Breaks $54.2
10. Henry's Hard Soda $50.3
Consumers want fresh, unprocessed, simple foods that are made with ingredients that they can understand, because nutrition has become a first line of defense for living well, says IRI. Antibiotic-free foods (ABF) are becoming increasingly more popular, particularly in meat, poultry and dairy products.
The sweet snacks sector is offering powerful new options in indulgence. While there were only four sweet snack Pacesetter brands this year, down from seven in 2015, some of these brands made a big splash in the market by providing indulgence with a healthier-for-you twist.
To download the full report, visit IRIWorldwide.com.