Challenger coffee brand TrueStart is to grow its retail distribution footprint by 168%, having sealed a nationwide listing with Asda.
It will roll its Barista Grade, Decaf Barista Grade, Lightly Caffeinated and Super Blend Instant Coffee into 300 Asda stores as part of a gondola-end activation from 5 December (rsp: £5.50/100g).
The products will then launch more widely in aisle in February next year, taking TrueStart’s total number of grocery distribution points to more than 3,700.
The supplier has sealed new listings with Ocado, Costco and WH Smith this year. It is also stocked in Booths and Co-op.
TrueStart’s growing retail distribution came amid rising demand for less caffeinated and decaffeinated instant coffee, said co-founder Helena Hills.
The brand launched what it claimed was the UK’s first lower-caffeinated instant coffee – containing just 35mg of caffeine per serving – in 2023.
Some 39% of UK consumers were looking to reduce their caffeine consumption, Hills said, citing Mintel data. One in five shoppers were also regularly choosing decaffeinated options, she added.
“We want people to enjoy their coffee how they want it and when they want it, so for us making a range that matched that mission was a necessity,” she said. “It is clear in the data that more people are reaching for a decaffeinated option.”
The supplier’s decaffeinated coffee is made using an organic solvent to create a chemical-free product.
“We’re proud to lead the way in offering real choice to caffeine-conscious consumers,” Hills said. “Everyone deserves coffee that fits their lifestyle and leaves them feeling amazing.”
TrueStart offered “something truly innovative to the grocery hot beverages market,” said Asda hot beverages buyer Jennie Large.
Its products provided “consumers with more choice and consumption opportunities with refreshing and exciting branding,” she added.
“They are fast-moving with innovation and understand what is expected from the Asda customer.”
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