Britvic Soft Drinks's acquisition of Orchid Drinks could lead to a spate of new launches in the adult lifestyle and organic drinks sectors. The company is likely to leverage Orchid's expertise in herbal drinks ­ such as Amé, Aqua Libra, Purdey's and Norfolk Punch ­ and exploit its knowhow in organics. The Orchid factory that makes organic drinks for the Duchy Originals brand has Soil Association approval. Britvic has already identified the adult market as a key opportunity for growth in its Right Choice category management programme. Marketing director Andrew Marsden said the acquisition was a logical fit that would help consolidate and drive Britvic's presence in this sector. Other Britvic products targeted at adults include R Whites lemonade and Robinson's Barley Water and High Juice. Marsden said the Orchid brands had been underutilised and he aimed to move them from being niche products (albeit with a loyal following) to mass market products. In particular Britvic aims to push distribution of the Orchid portfolio in the impulse sector and in the on-trade. Current distribution is primarily through multiple retailers. "We bring resources and scale, as well as a strong brand focus, and we will apply our marketing nous to really make this category hum," said Marsden. The Orchid porfolio is worth £16m with year on year value growth of 28%. Marsden said the aim is to double sales ­ though he did not reveal a timescale on this. "We wouldn't buy it if we couldn't drive it," he said. The adult soft drinks category is a profitable one for retailers, often offering up to 50% better margins than the average soft drink. Amé and Aqua Libra retail at £1.99 and Purdey's at 99p. {{NEWS }}