Coca-Cola’s Minute Maid brand is phasing out its frozen juice products due to shifting consumer preferences. The discontinuation includes popular items like frozen canned orange juice, lemonade, Fruitopia fruit punch, and Five Alive juice blend in both Canada and the U.S. This decision aligns with the company’s strategy to focus on products that better align with customer demands.
The move by Coca-Cola follows a trend in the juice industry, with Lassonde, a Canadian juice producer, also exiting the frozen concentrate juice market last year. The withdrawal of major players like Coca-Cola and Lassonde could mean a lack of availability of frozen concentrated juice in Canada, marking the end of an era for these products.
Zhe Zhang, an assistant professor of marketing at Western University’s Ivey Business School, noted that the exit of prominent brands signals low market demand rather than branding or pricing issues. The decline in consumer interest in frozen juice products is attributed to changing tastes and preferences over the years.
Emma Balment, a director of market strategy at Ipsos, highlighted that while other beverage segments have evolved with innovative offerings, frozen juice products have remained stagnant. Factors such as increased consumption of tap water, concerns about sugar intake, and the rise of functional beverages have contributed to the decline in traditional juice consumption.
The discontinuation of Minute Maid’s frozen juice line presents an opportunity for smaller Canadian companies to fill the gap left in the market. Gary Sands from the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers emphasized the potential for local businesses to develop new product lines and cater to evolving consumer needs following the exit of multinational brands.
For many Canadians, the end of frozen juice products may evoke nostalgia, especially for those who used them in traditional recipes like “slush.” While some lament the change and the need to adjust recipes, others, like grocery store owner Munther Zeid, believe the disappearance of frozen juice may go unnoticed as the category has been in decline for some time.