Attention, sellers of lemonade stands: This summer, you will need to use fresh juices as Minute Maid is phasing out its range of frozen juices due to declining consumer demand and changing tastes. The company was possibly the only one still offering concentrated products in the Canadian market.
The frozen canned orange juice, lemonade, Fruitopia fruit punch, and Five Alive juice blend from the brand will be discontinued by April, confirmed a spokesperson for parent company Coca-Cola to CBC News.
Coca-Cola is exiting the frozen can sector in both the U.S. and Canada to align with evolving consumer preferences, focusing on products that better meet customer needs.
Not only Coca-Cola but other juice makers are also realigning priorities. With Coca-Cola’s departure, following another major Canadian juice producer leaving the market last year, Canadians may soon find it challenging to purchase frozen concentrated juice after it has been available for decades.
Lassonde, the Canadian company behind juice brands like Oasis, Kiju, and Rougemont, mentioned to CBC News that it exited the category last year due to dwindling demand for frozen-from-concentrate juice.
Aside from its own labels, Lassonde produces items for retailers such as Sobeys, Metro, Loblaw, and Walmart. The company also owns and previously manufactured Old South frozen-from-concentrate orange juice in Canada. Old South and the store brands of major Canadian retailers are reported as unavailable at several stores.
According to Zhe Zhang, an assistant professor of marketing at Western University’s Ivey Business School, when both major brands and competitors exit a market, it indicates low consumer demand rather than branding or pricing issues. This signals the nearing end of the product’s lifecycle.
“Why consumers aren’t as enthusiastic about juice anymore”
Frozen juice from concentrate was developed during World War II to enhance food and beverage quality for American soldiers. However, a partnership between Bing Crosby and Minute Maid in the late 1940s transformed the product into a household essential and a profitable item.
Emma Balment, director of market strategy and understanding at Ipsos in Toronto, noted that after almost 80 years, consumer interest in juice, whether frozen or not, has decreased. Juice brands are losing market share, particularly in the frozen and canned segments, with only about seven percent of Canadians’ juice consumption coming from frozen concentrate.