For those of you who just want your morning jolt, but have yet to build up the tolerance to deal with a line, a barista, or virtually any form of human interaction, you’re in luck! Dunkin’ Donuts has announced their bottled ice coffees. On their news release, they stated:
We have introduced Dunkin’ Donuts Bottled Iced Coffee at thousands of retailers and participating Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants nationwide. From your local convenience store to the supermarket, you can enjoy the great Dunkin’ flavor anytime with Dunkin’ Donuts Bottled Iced Coffee wherever you go.
Perhaps the second most shocking fact in that announcement is that Dunkin’ Donuts apparently has restaurants. I’m imagining it looks a lot like a burger place with donut buns, and a lot of diabetes, but maybe that’s just me (well, it’s probably not entirely just me, as Hello Giggles, the hard-hitting news outlet, reports that each of their 4 flavors have 48-49 grams of sugar).
You might find yourself wondering if selling ready-made coffee in bottles all over the place would cut into their sales, but the Dunkin’ Donuts CEO Nigel Travis says that’s not the case:
Our research has clearly shown that ready-to-drink coffee consumption is a separate occasion from the purchase of our restaurant-brewed iced coffee. That same research also shows that having a ready-to-drink coffee product builds brand loyalty. We strongly believe that this product launch is good for customers and for our franchisees. -Nigel Travis, CEO
And, I suppose that makes sense. It’s similar to why our subscription business probably isn’t going to take a hit if a Starbucks or 7-11 is down the street from you. Although it seems that each fills the same need (caffeination/not hating the world), they’re filling the same need in different ways for different people.
