Starbucks has just announced that it will be partnering with Dannon (actually, Danone, the parent company of Dannon) to launch a new line of healthy yogurt products called, “Evolution Fresh, Inspired by Dannon.” I don’t usually just pass on links without have more information, but this one is intriguing! Take a look:
The plan, as per the above article, is to introduce these new yogurts into the retail stores in 2014, and then into the CPG category in 2015. This is a great example of how CPG is exploding! Coincidentally, I just was writing about the variety of Starbucks-branded products at your local grocery store. I suggested the idea of a new Starbucks CPG Passport.
Of course, the other very significant thing about this is that this will be co-branded with Evolution Fresh. I wish I had a better idea of what that will really look like. (As a reminder, there are four actual Evolution Fresh juice bars at this time.)
From the Starbucks official press release, Howard Schultz is quoted as follows:
“Starbucks is committed to evolving and enhancing our customer experience with innovative and wholesome food offerings. Today’s announcement underscores this commitment through the transformation of our existing yogurt offerings and our multi-year agreement with Danone,” said Howard Schultz, Starbucks chairman, president and chief executive officer. “We are energized by the strong customer response to Evolution FreshTM offerings, and believe a strategic agreement with Danone, the world leader in fresh dairy products, affords us the perfect opportunity to grow – and elevate – the Evolution Fresh brand both in our stores and in CPG channels.”
So what do you think of this idea? Are you ready for a new Greek yogurt made in partnership with both Dannon and Evolution Fresh?
I want to try it! 🙂 My suggestion would be that Starbucks could probably refresh their smoothie lineup by adding in the option of a yogurt-based smoothie. About one year ago (in Northern California), Starbucks did a very small test of yogurt-based smoothies. I always thought that sounded like a great idea to be able to get a smoothie with yogurt in it. Maybe that could really be in the long-term future? (Of course, I don’t really know. I’m just having fun speculating.)
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interesting, I love Evolution juices, but Dannon not so much.
Sounds interesting for sure. Hope there is no gelatin in these yogurts. BTW I got an Evolution Fresh juice this am at my local SB and found out you cannot use the rewards to buy it. Why? Anyone have an answer?
@purple1 – rewards are good for any handcrafted beverage *or* food item. I’m not sure why bottled beverages are not included, but at this point they aren’t – perhaps it has something to do with the fact that some of the bottled beverages are not owned or produced by Starbucks (Jones soda/Naked juice in some stores), and therefore wouldn’t be eligible as per their manufacturer’s instructions? And if not all bottled beverages are eligible, then it is simpler not to include them?? That’s my guess 🙂
@purple1 – I know it’s been that way since the switch to new rewards in October – Evolution Fresh is not eligible. In one of my older blog posts, I think I mentioned that, but I can’t find it right now, and in any event, I think it was just something mentioned in passing.
I suspect that the lower profit margins, and higher average price point of the Evolution Fresh juices make it not practical to offer those as a free reward. I don’t know.
I know that all the Evenings food is supposed to not eligible for rewards, though I have heard that they will actually work on the flatbreads.
Thanks for your comments Rebecca and Melody. I can say that watching people try samples of the Evolution juices and seeing them take them off the shelves, I feel they should add them to the rewards option. I understand why they choose not to but feel they are making a mistake.
I don’t know where I stand on this…it has potential to be good but at the moment I think of Dannon as terrible yogurt. It’s all runny, artificial and not what I want in a yogurt in order to consider it good. I also don’t like that they make a variety of kids products with a list of terrible ingredients.
What I want in a yogurt is simple and fresh. I want thick Greek texture and natural sweeteners. I prefer the sweetener to be honey, or fruit based vs Sucralose or HFCS. There’s one I buy that’s sweetened with coconut and brown sugar and one that’s got honey and lemon.
At the moment yogurt is one of the products I need to buy “premium” to get what I want and avoid unnatural ingredients. I this partnership will allow Dannon to see that the consumer is willing to buy a product that lives up to what Evolution Fresh should demand the yogurt to be.
Should say “I hope”
I’ll give it a try…but seems odd that dannon would want to bother to cross sell
@AmazonV – I think I got it wrong – It’s weird but technically, Starbucks seems to be partnered with Danone, which, as far as I know, is the French parent company of Dannon.
The Wikipedia article on it is really interesting – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groupe_Danone – And it at least provides some logical reasons why they might want to partner with Starbucks. (Strength through joint ventures, avoiding a larger company likely Nestle wanting to take them over??) In any case, I don’t know enough about Danone to say anything definitive.
But I’m like you – I was surprised, and I want to try it!
This is very interesting news. Howard said a major plank of his transformation agenda was to substantially increase the CPG offerings.
One thing to note is the company is Danone and they have brands other than Dannon, including the organic Stonyfield brand. Hopefully they will pair it with a more upscale brand rather than bringing the Evolution Fresh down.
I had Evolution Fresh food today for the first time, and if that is going to play a role in stores, I am all for it! Especially with this news – I love greek yogurt!
@CD – I didn’t consider that it could Evolution Fresh – Stonyfield! Not a bad idea.
@Dylan – I’d really like to see a refresh of the smoothies. My gut impression is that managing bananas for 12,000 Starbucks is a little more difficult than what they thought it would be, and it might be easier to manage a yogurt-based smoothie. And a smoothie with Evolution Fresh juices would be amazing – though I think the price tag could go up!
@Melody – there is an opportunity to co-brand or create a new brand, but the real test will be the choices they make with ingredients (organic, no HFCS, no articificial stuff, etc.)
Regarding your point on bananas: There was an interesting article in Business Week a week or two ago about McDonald’s and their new wraps. The article discussed the addition of cucumbers to the wraps and the logistical issues McDonald’s has to go through to ensure they have enough supply for all of their stores. Starbucks is getting to that scale now too.
P.S. Are you sitting down? I’m actually writing this from a Starbucks!
How about a mocha smoothie !
Interesting partnership, although I’m not quite sold on it. Dannon is definitely one of my least favorite yogurt brands…would have preferred them partner with Fage or Chobani for their deliciously, creamy Greek yogurts. But to be honest, I’ll probably never purchase a yogurt parfait from Starbucks. Now if I could blend up some Greek yogurt and make a mocha coffee smoothie of sorts, I’d be all for that product offering. 😀
This is great news! If it were Dannon, I would have been greatly disappointed (not a fan of artificial, GMO stuff, not that it could be due to Starbucks’ food standards), but Danone has so many brands under it, like others have mentioned. An organic Greek yoghurt co-created by Stonyfield and Evolution Fresh sounds heavenly! Just hope there isn’t any gelatine.
I really would like a few new smoothies too, and either for them to bring back the cool Vivanno cups, or make them Evolution Fresh smoothies.
Oh, and I should add, I nearly squealed yesterday at my Whole Foods Market; Evolution Fresh juices are finally in Texas! I bought an Organic V to nourish me a bit whilst I recover from my wisdom tooth extraction. 🙂
@Ryan Carteret – I wish the best recovering from having your wisdom tooth out! Now is the time for juices for you – I am a little surprised. I didn’t realize that Evolution Fresh was just now being sold in Texas Whole Foods stores. We’ve had them in Seattle Whole Foods since before they were bought by Starbucks!
Of course, I agree the smoothie lineup needs some refreshing. I admit, I’ve never tried the Stonyfield yogurt, and I don’t buy the Dannon yogurts ever.
I always look for this brand yogurt – http://www.wallabyyogurt.com/ – It’s my favorite. Though I never see any advertising for it anywhere.
I’m looking very forward to it, will keep my eye out for it (but 2014, why make us wait so long?). I don’t really like Dannon’s yogurt that much. I hope it will be similar to Wallaby Organic or Yoplait’s Simplait line of yogurts-which is made simply, with whole/full fat milk & only a handful of pure ingredients-and no unnecessary junk or gelatin (I’d like my yogurts, cereal, sweets/desserts, etc. to be vegetarian). I’d also like a drinkable, smoothie type version of the yogurt in small single serve bottles, in packs (like the Danimals we used to drink as kids).
@Melody – Thanks! I’m feeling better already. 🙂
Yep, the only Evolution Fresh products I’ve seen in Texas up until yesterday were the big multiple-serving jugs of orange and tangerine juices, and they were here before Starbucks acquired the brand. But I’m certainly happy the smaller bottles are here now!
Stonyfield is pretty good, but I like Wallaby more! They make a velocities like of Greek yoghurts now, and their regular Aussie style is yummy too.
Wow! I must be the only person that doesnt like Greek Yogurt.
I was eating the old strawberries and blueberries and gronola
several times a week. I would like to find out where I can purchase the old yogurt. Anyone have any ideas.
Thanks