Nestlé Nespresso corporate PR manager, Dianne Duperret, said the brand accounted for $300m in US portioned coffee sales (large or espresso) in 2013 due to 40% year-over-year growth in a market that Nielsen data shows is worth $4.9bn
“Over the past 12 years, we’ve enjoyed double-digit growth and we see this trend accelerating, particularly as we pioneer a new premium coffee segment in the US,” she said.
“Between 2011 and 2013, we actually doubled in size,” she added.
VertuoLine system promises ‘accelerated growth’
Duperret said Nespresso had found early adopters in the US among premium coffee lovers in particular.
“We now have flagship Boutiques in NYC, Boston, Miami, San Francisco and LA and we are evaluating entering malls more actively with our Boutique concept,” she said.
“We’ve made strong inroads into the North American market but with our significant investment into VertuoLine, we now have the right product to make an impact on the market resulting in accelerated growth.”
Describing the new system as a “game changer for Nespresso and is one of the most important innovations for the company in the last 25 years” Duperret said there were no current plans to launch the machine beyond the US and Canada.
‘Higher quality home coffee experiences’
Talking more generally of US coffee trends, she said consumers were looking for higher quality coffee experiences in the home.
Citing a Mintel report from September 2013, she said that single-serve coffee sales had tripled since 2011 with such drinks increasingly popular among 18-34 year olds.
“We believe the quality of our product and premium nature of our brand are key differentiators. Those seeking a high-quality, large-cup coffee experience will find it in VertuoLine and nowhere else,” she said.
“Portioned coffee continues to be one of the fastest growing segments in consumer goods in North America, and is by far the fastest growing segment in the coffee market,” Duperret added.
More to follow…