Member Article

C7 Brands aims to bring fizz to the coconut water market

C7 Brands, one of the UK’s leading independent drinks companies, is aiming to inject fizz into the coconut market with an ambitious plan to more than treble turnover by 2019. Founded in 2013, C7 Brands completed a reverse takeover of Prime Active Capital PLC last year and is now geared for an aggressive expansion of its Coco Fuzion 100 range.

The brand has secured substantial retail listings within the UK, including TK Maxx, WH Smith, with excess of 3500 Leisure & Gym outlets. C7 Brands is also looking at acquisitions and further expansion internationally. Already performing well in Ireland, (SuperValu, Centra, BWG), Scandinavia and Spain, the company has planned the US launch for November.

With the sugar tax coming into force in April 2018, the brand’s market entry is perfectly timed. Coconut water is the fastest growing category in the US and UK ready-to-drink market, and global sales are to set to double from $2.7bn to $5.4bn by 2020[1]. In the UK, the coconut water market is worth $352m and is expected to grow to $464m in 2018, and $616m in 2019. London has just become the largest consumer per capita of coconut water in the world.

A key aspect of C7 Brands’ growth plan is broadening the audience for coconut water, making it a more mainstream product. CEO Stephen Barton explains: “The boom in coconut water consumption to date has been driven by AB1 females mainly consuming litres of coconut water from retail. We believe the opportunity is much more mainstream, hence the importance of all-natural flavourings and pack size. Not only is coconut water a healthy alternative to fizzy drinks, it’s naturally isotonic, making it a great upgrade for the sugary sports drinks out there at the moment.”

To help give the brand immediate profile in the sports drink space, Coco Fuzion 100 has signed up over 20 leading athletes as brand ambassadors. These include England rugby star Chris Robshaw, boxer Chris Eubank Jr., Shaun Wright Philips and former British and Irish Lions coach and rugby legend Sir Ian McGeechan.

Barton concludes: “Coco Fuzion 100 has been growing under the radar, gearing up for rapid growth. Now’s it’s time to push the button on our explosive and high-profile growth strategy that we believe will treble our business in just over 24 months. The coconut water market is going from strength to strength and we’ve got the right product, at the right price point to take full advantage.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by C7 Brands .