Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. struck a deal with Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. to offer Snapple iced teas in single-serve packs for its Keurig and Vue brewers, the companies announced today.
The deal, which complements similar ones with Starbucks, Dunkin' Brands Group Inc.and Caribou Coffee Co., comes as Green Mountain is working to fend off competition from lower-cost rivals, including private-label manufacturers.
The addition of Snapple "demonstrates Green Mountain's ability to attract and align itself with the best consumer brands, further bolstering its variety of offerings and relevance to consumers," said Lazard Capital analyst Matthew DiFrisco.
The Snapple K-Cup pack iced teas will be available in the United States and Canada in spring 2013, with Vue packs to follow, the companies announced in a joint statement.
Green Mountain's stock has been under pressure as investors have been concerned that recent rebates on coffee brewers would hurt the company's profit margins. But DiFrisco said those concerns appear "overblown," citing conversations with management in which they affirmed that the rebates were planned and factored into the company's previous forecast.
Single-serve coffee pods are expected to reach $959.1 million in retail sales this year — up 32 percent, according to Euromonitor International. That would account for about 10 percent of the overall coffee market, which is expected to grow by only 6 percent this year.
Green Mountain shares rose 24 cents, or 1.1 percent, to $22.77 in midday trade on the New York Stock Exchange. Dr Pepper shares were down 12 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $43.93.
