In 1991, apple juice was seen as ‘poor man’s orange juice’, which had an 85% share of the marketplace. Yet, apple juice is steadily stealing that share.
Tropicana did a huge amount for the apple juice market, and by the time it sold Cawston Vale, the market share had increased from 1% to 7%. Apple juice now has a 17% market share and is very much a growth sector. This is reflected across Europe (in Germany, they drink more apple juice than orange juice) and the US. This can be attributed to apple juice containing lower sugar than orange juice, being less acidic than orange juice and having a low GI compared to other juices.
Product Chain (PC), which specialises in developing brands in the UK, first started working with Cawston Vale (CV) between 1987-1990. The original product was an apple juice made from concentrate, which was sold in 250ml cans by the catering industry (mainly in restaurants, cafes and trains). PC worked with CV to maintain the existing business as well as add new lines and develop the company into a successful niche brand readily available in foodservice outlets across the UK.
In 1997, Copella acquired Cawston Vale and both these brands were bought by Tropicana in 1998. 2000 saw CV returned to PC as a client following its purchase by Seagrams. Picking up where they left off, PC capitalised on the ‘100% Englishness’ of the CV brand and began selling the juice in one-litre glass bottles in major supermarkets.
However, the advent of Magners and the Euro exchange rate significantly increased the price of English apples, and Cawston Vale began using European apples to create uniquely flavoured blended apple juices and had to forgo the 100% tagline in order to retain its competitive price.
2007 saw new blends taken to market: apple and elderflower and apple and ginger in a new carton design called ‘Prisma’. Following investment, the brand then went on to launch apple & rhubarb, apple & beetroot and apple & blackcurrant, all of which were successful in supermarkets.
In March 2009, a London-based design agency completely redesigned the packaging and the name was changed to Cawston Press. Both these things had a huge effect on shelf presence and sales. PC and CV were then forced to remove the juices from two of the big supermarkets, as they were unwilling to work with CV on recommended price rises. They are now working with one supermarket chain which has seen a dramatically increased brand proposition and turnover.
Their success lies in the fact that, thanks to their ultra-clean packaging process, they’re able to produce a ‘not from concentrate’ ambient juice. Consumers and critics alike rate the juices; Cawston Press scooped three awards in the Great Taste Awards 2010.
Product Chain specialises in developing and selling brands throughout the UK. With in-depth coverage of all important UK grocery buying points, it’s an agency business rather than a distributor or wholesaler, working in partnership with the brand owners to develop their products and build sales in the UK and as far as New Zealand and California. Product Chain looks after all the processes, from warehouse to the final shelf destination, and manages the retailer relationship at all levels on behalf of clients.
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