US Smoothies Market: Trends and Opportunities

US Smoothies Market: Trends and Opportunities

The US smoothie market has grown rapidly over the last five years, driven mostly by the consumption habits of Americans who skip meals and often depend on snack foods as a substitute. Since smoothies offer healthier treat than other snack options, tastes good and also offer convenience and portability, the market is expected to grow at a rate of 10-13% in the next five years.

The smoothie market has lower barriers to entry because of lower capital investment. But in order to grow, what is required is the quality of the product and brand awareness. Jamba Juice, the leader in the US smoothie market has clearly taken a lead over its competitors in terms of market share and most important, brand awareness.

As a result of tremendous growth, many food chains, quick service restaurants and beverage companies are entering the smoothie segment by opening new stores. The growing interest of large beverage companies in this segment is mostly driven by the declining sales of soft drinks in the United States. There is a possibility of consolidation of the smoothie market, particularly resulting from the inevitable fallout of smoothie brands which will happen as the market starts to settle.

The report is a study of the growth of smoothies market in the United States. It analyzes the factors that are driving the growth, the market trends and opportunities that are attracting the global beverage companies to this segment. The report further presents the competitive landscape in which leading players operates in this highly fragmented market. It also assesses the performance and strategies of the five leading players in the US smoothie market – Jamba Juice, TCBY Systems, Smoothie King, Orange Julius and Surf City Squeeze.

1. US Smoothies Market: An Overview

1.1 Smoothies: An Introduction
1.2 Market Size and Growth

2. Market Trends

Most preferred flavors for smoothies
Acai – a popular ingredient in smoothies
Popularity among ultra-health-conscious consumer
Consumption of smoothies skewed towards warmer months
Smoothies more popular among youths
Growing interest of global drinks players in the smoothie market

4. Growth Opportunities

Leveraging snack occasions
Increasing intake of smoothies in US schools
Lassi – a smoothie popular among the Asian community in US

4. US Smoothie Market: Competitive Landscape
This section analyzes nine leading smoothie companies in terms of their sales, AUVs and store counts

5. Leading Smoothie Companies: Performance and Strategies

5.1 Jamba Juice
Company Profile
Business Strategies

5.2 TCBY Systems
Company Profile
Business strategies

5.3 Smoothie King
Company Profile
Business strategies

5.4 Orange Julius
Company Profile
Business strategies

5.5 Surf City Squeeze (Kahala)
Company Profile
Business strategies

Figures and Tables

Figure 1.1: US Smoothies Market Size - Current and Projected: 2006-2011
Figure 1.2: Preference of flavors for smoothies
Figure 2.1: Consumption frequency of smoothie
Figure 3.1: Traffic for snacks in the US Quick Service Restaurants
Figure 4.1: Sales of leading smoothie companies: 2006
Figure 4.2: Average unit volume (AUV) and Store count of Smoothie companies
Figure 5.1: Sales of Jamba Juice: 2003-2006
Figure 5.2: Franchise and company owned stores of Jamba Juice
Figure 5.3: Monthly visits of light, medium and heavy customer segments to Jamba Juice
Table 4.1: Top Players in the US Smoothie Market