a-z indexhelp
  
  
  
  
curve

not logged in

report cover
buy now »
back »
Smoothie Shops - US - December 2009
Drink: USA, Mintel Reports: USA - Foodservice Price: £1995 / $3995 / €2995
Contents
Scope and Themes
Executive Summary
Market Size and Forecast
Competitive Context
Market Drivers
Leading Smoothie Shop Sales and Units
Restaurant Analysis: Jamba Juice
Restaurant Analysis: Freshëns
Restaurant Analysis: Smoothie King
Restaurant Analysis: Planet Smoothie
Restaurant Brand Qualities: Smoothie King
Advertising and Promotion
Innovations and Innovators: Menu Innovation
Innovation and Innovators: Other
The Smoothie Drinker
Smoothie Shop Usage Overview
Smoothie Shop Ingredients
The Hispanic Smoothie Drinker
The Regional Smoothie User
Additional Consumer Tables
Appendix: Trade Associations
 
  Research Methodology
Latest news updates to this report
  Fruit Juice and Juice Drinks: The Market - US - February 2010
  Social Networking - US - February 2010
  Fruit Juice and Juice Drinks: The Consumer - US - January 2010
  Soup - US - January 2010
  Attitudes Towards Dining Out - US - January 2010
...more »
About this report

Smoothie Shops, as a relatively new concept, have been finding their way in the world, and although they have found niche appeal with younger consumers, this limited market combined with economic and climate woes in the recent past have hindered growth and caused many market leaders to reevaluate their core business strategies.

While the current picture for the market appears grim, a number of opportunities emerge to help attract customers and regain footing. This report provides insights and analysis to help players move forward in a challenging environment, with a focus on the following themes:

  • In depth analysis of the core smoothie demographics, and how to continue to foster loyalty among these groups
  • Ways that the competition is luring away customers and how to battle back
  • How to address the needs of young smoothie drinkers as they age
  • The importance of sending the nutrition message, and how to better attract customers through functional offerings
  • How crucial social networking is, and how to “do it right”
  • How to overcome the weather-centricity of the market
  • The impact that product pricing has had on sales in a down economy
  • How smoothie shops can combat the rising competitive pressure from proliferation of smoothies at quick-service-restaurants
  • Do packaged smoothies offer competition or opportunity for smoothie shops
If you want more details about this particular report, please contact the Mintel information team on  +1 312-932-0400 in the U.S.,  +44 028-90-241-849 in Northern Ireland,  +353 048-90-241-849 in the Republic of Ireland or  +44 (0)20-7606-6000 in the UK and the rest of the world, or email info@mintel.com.
Key words and phrases within this report

Jamba Juice; Smoothie King; Hispanic; Planet Smoothie; Twitter; Tropical Smoothie Café; Facebook; Nutritionists; Refreshers; Jamba; Foodsters; Orange Julius; California; Superfruits; LTO; LSR; RTD; University; Bananaman; Feel Good Bucks; Baskin-Robbins; Dunkin’ Donuts; Suite; New York; West; Freshëns; Amazon Cherry; Advertising creative; LSRs; Implications; Los Angeles; On November; On October; Television advertising; Coffee and tea; Dairy Queen; Reasons for not using smoothie shops; Base smoothie ingredients; Opportunity; Please; Who they are; IFDA; IFIC; NRA; CPI; English; BFY; Coldbuster; Competitive Context; Doing it right; Hour Fitness; QSR; Banana Chocolate; Caribou Coffee; MTO; Orange Mango Banana; Original; Red Mango; Strawberry Banana; Michigan; Adina; Building; Nestlé; Supplement; Aquatica; Petrus Brands; Bucks; California Flatbreads; Jamba Feel Good Bucks; San Francisco; Tropical Smoothie Café, 2009; Warner Bros; Amazon Energy; JavaFit; Sambazon; Northwestern University; Midwest; Northeast; Frullati Café; Surf City Squeeze; OTA
Contents

Scope and Themes

What you need to know

Definition

Data sources

Market size and forecast
Mintel Menu Insights
Consumer survey data
Advertising creative

Abbreviations and terms

Abbreviations
Terms

Executive Summary

Smoothie sales struggle against the negative forces of weather and the economy

Opportunity exists to engage more customers

Broadened smoothie availability hinders growth

A closer look at leading brands

Advertising and promotion

Broadened menus and selection top the innovation trend

The smoothie drinker

Smoothie shop usage overview

Smoothie shop ingredients

The Hispanic smoothie drinker

The regional smoothie user

Market Size and Forecast

Key points

A young market, battling weather and the economy

Steps must be taken to reverse downward shift

Figure 2: Leading U.S. smoothie shop sales and forecast, at current prices, 2004-14
Figure 3: Leading U.S. smoothie shop sales and forecast, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2004-14

Competitive Context

Key points

RTD and DIY smoothies compete on convenience and value platform

DIY innovation kicks it up a notch
RTD smoothies embrace “superfruits”…
… and move into “superfood” realm

LSRs hop on smoothie bandwagon

Figure 4: Top 15 QSR and fast casual chains with smoothies on menu, Q3 2009
Figure 5: Average smoothie price, top 15 QSR and fast casual, Q3 2009

“Fro-yo” regains popularity as healthy snack

Market Drivers

Key points

Restaurant industry recession continues, but the bottom may be in sight

Consumer confidence undermines willingness to spend at restaurants
Figure 6: Consumer Sentiment Index, by quarter, 2001-09

Commodity prices favorable for smoothie market

Unco-operative weather for smoothie sales

18-24s drive market, but age creep is evident

Figure 7: Types of smoothies drunk, by topline and age, September/October 2009
Growth in youth population set to slow
Figure 8: U.S. population of teens aged 12-17, 2004-14
Figure 9: Population aged 18 or older, by age, 2004-14

Hispanics

Figure 10: Child population (aged 0-12), by race/Hispanic origin, 2004-14

Leading Smoothie Shop Sales and Units

Key points

Sales and unit growth widespread through 2008

Figure 11: Leading smoothie shop sales, 2006 and 2008
Figure 12: Leading smoothie shop units, 2006 and 2008

Restaurant Analysis: Jamba Juice

Putting up a good fight

Product branding

Moving beyond smoothies

Figure 13: Jamba Juice Q3 2008 and 2009 average beverage prices
Figure 14: Jamba Juice top 10 menu items, by ingredient and beverage flavor, Q3 2009

Restaurant Analysis: Freshëns

Freshëns goes “back to basics”

Restaurant Analysis: Smoothie King

Smoothie King continues to focus on smoothies and wellness

Restaurant Analysis: Planet Smoothie

A transfer to Petrus Brands

Celebrating with LTOs
Figure 15: Planet Smoothie Q3 2008 and 2009 average beverage prices
Figure 16: Planet Smoothie top 10 menu items, by ingredient and beverage flavor, Q3 2009

Restaurant Brand Qualities: Smoothie King

Helping customer live healthier lives…

… or not?

Figure 17: Smoothie King top 10 menu items, by ingredient and beverage flavor, Q3 2009

And at what price?

Figure 18: Average smoothie price, top 15 QSR and fast casual restaurants, Q3 2009

Advertising and Promotion

Key points

Jamba Juice

“Feel Good Moments”

Tropical Smoothie Café

A well rounded portfolio of promotional activity
Television advertising
Figure 19: Tropical Smoothie Café, 2009
Figure 20: Tropical Smoothie Café, 2009

Innovations and Innovators: Menu Innovation

Key points

Beyond smoothies

Coffee and tea

Focus on function

Superfruits

Figure 21: Açaí new product introductions, 2004-09
Figure 22: Açaí menu items at leading smoothie shops, Q3 2009

Innovation and Innovators: Other

Key points

Keeping up with the “breakfast Joneses”

Non-traditional locations bolster visibility

The Smoothie Drinker

Key points

Types of smoothies

Figure 23: Types of smoothies drunk, by topline and age, September/October 2009
Figure 24: Types of smoothies drunk, by presence of children, September/October 2009

Reasons for drinking smoothies

Figure 25: Main reason for drinking smoothies, 2005, 2006, and 2007
Figure 26: Reasons for drinking smoothies, by topline and age, September/October 2009

Smoothie Shop Usage Overview

Key points

Leading smoothie shops usage

Figure 27: Leading smoothie shop usage, by topline and gender, September/October 2009
Figure 28: Leading smoothie shop usage, by presence of children, September/October 2009

Reasons for not using smoothie shops

Figure 29: Reasons for not drinking made-to-order smoothies, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009
Figure 30: Reasons for not using smoothie shops, by topline and age, September/October 2009
Figure 31: Reasons for not using smoothie shop smoothies, by presence of children, September/October 2009

Smoothie Shop Ingredients

Key points

Base smoothie ingredients

Figure 32: Smoothies base ingredients, by presence of children, September/October 2009

Fruit used in smoothies

Figure 33: Fruit used in smoothies, by topline, September/October 2009

Smoothie “add-ins”

Figure 34: Smoothie add-ins, by topline and age, September/October 2009

The Hispanic Smoothie Drinker

Key points

Types of smoothies used

Figure 35: Types of smoothies drunk, by race/Hispanic origin, September/October 2009

Smoothie shop ingredients

Figure 36: Smoothies base ingredients, by race/Hispanic origin, September/October 2009

The Regional Smoothie User

Key points

Types of smoothies drunk

Figure 37: Types of smoothies drunk, by region, September/October 2009

Reasons for drinking smoothies

Figure 38: Reasons for drinking smoothies, by region, September/October 2009

Leading smoothie shops usage

Figure 39: Leading smoothie shop usage, by region, September/October 2009

Reasons for not using smoothie shops

Figure 40: Reasons for not using smoothie shops, by topline and region, September/October 2009

Smoothie “add-ins”

Figure 41: Smoothie add-ins, by region, September/October 2009

Additional Consumer Tables

Ready-to-drink smoothie usage

RTD smoothie brand usage
Figure 55: RTD smoothie brands used, by topline and presence of children, September/October 2009
Reasons for not using RTD smoothies
Figure 56: Reasons for not buying a RTD smoothie, by topline and age, September/October 2009

Appendix: Trade Associations