Britvic Expands US Distribution of Fruit Shoot Brand
Britvic has signed agreements with three of the top four bottlers of Pepsi in the United States to expand the distribution of its leading soft drinks brand, Fruit Shoot. The agreements will see the manufacture of Fruit Shoot in the US for the first time, starting in Spring 2012.
Since its launch in the UK over ten years ago Fruit Shoot has gone on to become a leading brand in both Britain and Ireland and has been launched this year in France under the Teisseire brand. It is also sold in Australia through an agreement with Bickford’s.
Fruit Shoot was first introduced to the US in 2008 through a distribution agreement with Buffalo Rock, the fourth largest Pepsi bottler in the States, and the new agreements reflect the success of the brand to date. The new agreements mean Britvic now has distribution agreements with all four top bottlers.
Britvic has just entered a long term manufacturing and distribution agreement with Pepsi Bottling Ventures, a joint venture company owned by Suntory and PepsiCo and the second largest US Pepsi bottler, which will see Fruit Shoot being manufactured in the USA for the first time in North Carolina from May 2012. Britvic will supply proprietry beverage compounds from its manufacturing facilities in Dublin, Ireland, operated by Britvic Worldwide Brands.
A distribution agreement with Gross & Jarson, the third largest and privately owned US Pepsi bottler, will see Fruit Shoot being distributed in Kentucky and Ohio.
A distribution agreement has also been signed with Pepsi Beverages Company, the wholly owned subsidiary of PepsiCo, responsible for the majority of Pepsi bottling and distribution in the US, and which is now distributing Fruit Shoot in Florida and Georgia.
These agreements mark a new phase in the development of the Fruit Shoot brand in the USA, with local manufacturing allowing more ambitious expansion than has previously been possible. As a result, Fruit Shoot will now be available to consumers in more than 10,000 convenience stores, independent grocery stores and food service outlets in six states in the Eastern USA – Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Kentucky.
