We spotted a wide range of exciting new beverages at the recent C&I NZ Expo in Auckland, from canned coffees and Oreo-flavoured Coca-Cola to Dilmah’s iced teas and Arepa’s Uplift pink ginger variant.
We also talked to the Foodstuffs team, to find out what’s driving sales in New Zealand supermarkets right now.
Carbonated soft drinks maintain hold of the majority share within cold beverages and the key driver in this segment is multipack cans. Foodstuffs Category Manager for Cold Beverages Chaan Clifton says Covid had a real impact and changed how customers shop their beverages, with this takehome offer becoming more appealing than the traditional PET plastic bottles.
Chaan says, “Energy drinks are in significant growth and are forecast to outperform soft drinks in percentage growth. We have seen some real innovation in this space with the introduction of more permissible sugar free and all natural options, as well as the recent launch of Celsius Energy drinks.”
The overwhelming trend in cold beverages is the better-for-you alternatives to the traditional soda. Low and no sugar continue in strong growth and drinks with functional benefits like nootropics, or cognitive enhancers have become more of a staple on supermarket shelves.
Gut health is becoming more prevalent in this category. “A few years ago we saw the emergence of Kombucha. This trend has now evolved into better-for-you sodas, which in some cases include both pre and probiotics,” says Chaan.
A product that has recently achieved the “Highly Commended” title at the Foodstuffs Emerge Small Supplier Awards is Firebird Protein Coffee. Coffee in a can has been building throughout the Gen Z market and this new product has the added benefit of protein, which has been a significant trend throughout the rest of the supermarket over the past few years and has also made its way into cold beverages.
Meet New Zealand’s first canned protein coffee
Firebird Energy Protein Coffee was created to help regular, everyday people win the day with real nutritious energy that’s convenient to grab on-the-go. With almost half of all Kiwis too busy to make breakfast and lunch every day, and many others battling the midday slump, Firebird Energy makes clean energy as easy as a morning cuppa.
Each can contains a double shot of real coffee for an instant energy kick, as well as 16 grams of protein to keep that energy rolling through the day. Better yet, their Original and Toffee flavours both contain less than 1 gram of sugar, meaning no carb crashes and no empty calories.
Their story begins just last year, when founder Shaun Winstanley was seriously injured while working in the New Zealand Police Force. Throughout his recovery, while he couldn’t eat solid food or drink hot fluids, he searched for a way to get protein and coffee into his diet, without loading up on sugar. After searching high and low to no avail, he started brewing his own – and that’s how Firebird Energy was born. Recently awarded as a “Highly Commended Startup Supplier” at
Foodstuff’s Emerge Competition, Firebird Energy has earned rapid momentum throughout New Zealand as a convenient option for Kiwis who need fuel on the go.
Firebird Energy is excited to bring clean and healthy energy to more New Zealanders across the country, helping them rise up and win the day. For more information or to place an order, contact info@firebirdenergy.co.nz
