Coca-Cola is being rolled out in a new slimline 250ml can as CCE attempts to stem a decline in impulse purchases of soft drinks.
Over the past three years, the number of shoppers buying soft drinks on-the-go has fallen 6.7% [Kantar Worlpanel 52w/e 17 March 2013], prompting CCE to launch Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Coke Zero in the new format, which will be available to convenience retailers from the middle of this month.
The cans will have a 49p rsp compared with the 65p rsp for 330ml Coke, and will also be available in 45p price-marked cans. The move follows the roll-out of 1.75-litre bottles of Coke to c-stores in January to differentiate their offer from the two-litre packs in the mults, and the launch of 59p price-marked 330ml cans.
The 250ml launch will be backed with a TV ad and outdoor and online activity. CCE is also leveraging its partnership with online music provider Spotify, and has worked with augmented reality platform Blippar to allow consumers to access music tracks.
CCE said growing pressure on disposable income had contributed to the fall in convenience shoppers buying soft drinks, while BrandView.com data shows eight-packs of cola have been available for as little as £1.99 - 25p a can - in the supermarkets.
“The 250ml can reflects CCE’s ongoing commitment to offering pack sizes that meet specific shopper missions or consumption occasions,” said CCE cold channel director Wes McKenna.
Last March, CCE rolled out a 375ml ‘pocket pack’ aimed at lunchtime consumers, particularly at the multiples.
The launch of Coke’s 250ml format comes two years after Britvic rolled out multipacks of 250ml cans of Pepsi. The format, which is aimed at the take-home market, has since been extended to 7up and Tango.
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