Seen at the 2015 NACS Show: Beverages

LAS VEGAS — Sixty-five percent of purchases come out of the cold vault, making it “the most valuable real estate,” Scott Tillman, group director, commercial operations for The Coca-Cola Co., told Convenience Store News. So, it was no surprise that this year’s NACS Show floor showcased a plethora of new beverage products and flavors, once again proving the prominence of beverages.

Coca-Cola in 2016 plans to introduce new flavors to the market for its Gold Peak, Powerade, Fanta and illy brands. “We’re continuously adding new products to our portfolio to drive category incidence,” the company said.

Another beverage company adding to its portfolio is Talking Rain Beverage Co., maker of Sparking Ice, which announced the addition of a Black Cherry flavor. Chosen by fans via a social-media initiative, Black Cherry deviates from the traditional bright-red cherry color and delivers a bold, dark color that has real fruit flavor with a light, refreshing fizz.

“We’re thrilled to launch our new products and initiatives to convenience store retailers … and we look forward to continuing our growth by increasing our convenience store partnerships,” said Kevin Klock, Talking Rain’s president and CEO. 

For more insights gained from the 2015 NACS Show expo floor, look in the November issue of Convenience Store News.