Direct Appeal
El Salvador Buena Vista is one of Target’s Direct Trade coffees.?
Target appeals to social consciences in dealings with growers – and to trendy taste with flavored coffees.
First it was Fair Trade. Now it’s Direct Trade. Cut out the middleman and deal with the people who actually grow the coffee. Target, Minneapolis, MN, has recently added Direct Trade coffee to its Archer Farms mix.
“Archer Farms Direct Trade coffee program is about paying fair prices for higher quality beans,” the discount retailer explains on the packaging. “Through fully transparent buying relationships, farmers have the incentive – and the means – to produce coffee using good farming practices.”
Target gets specific about the farms and the coffee they produce. Of El Salvador Buena Vista, it notes: “In the Apaneca-Ilamatepec Mountains of El Salvador, the Menendez family has grown coffee for almost 50 years near the Cerro las Ranas (Mountain of Frogs). This bourbon varietal from the Buena Vista Farm is one of their finest selections. The Direct Trade pricing helps support the conservation of natural rainforest on the farm.”
Packaging also touts Archer Farms’ support for Save the Children. But of more immediate appeal to shoppers may be that the Direct Trade coffees are flavored. El Salvador Buena Vista promises a “well-rounded cup featuring chocolate, citrus and toasted almond notes.” Nicaraguan El Paraiao offers brown sugar, apples and chocolate, while Peru San Ignacio is infused with a floral aroma, tropical fruit notes and bittersweet cocoa. Target sent a bag of El Salvador Buena Vista to “Bill” at Pure Coffee Blog for review:
Contrary to my fears, Target’s El Salvador did not arrive stale but actually pretty close to the date of roasting. Getting straight to the punch line, I brewed up the coffee in the usual three methods of french press, drip and siphon. The drip delivered notes of wheat grass, maple bacon, elderflower, a little ginger and oats within a subtle, medium body. The french press held similar flavors, with the wheat grass and elderflower dominating the ginger and oats. And while there was also a smacking of maple syrup, bacon did not show up here in this medium bodied pressed brew. The siphon brought back the maple bacon, along with elderflower, wheat grass and oats in a medium body.
Another bag he actually bought at the store wasn’t as good; “it seems the problems of mass production still keep quality, fresh coffee from stores like Target. BUT, if you are a person that only buys their coffee at massive stores, definitely try out Archer Farm’s Direct Trade coffee (whole bean only). Amidst the lesser options on the adjoining racks, at least there’s a good chance you’ll get some good coffee.”
But it’s ground coffee that is actually showing the strongest gains in private label, according to Symphony IRI Group, Chicago, IL, which for the 52 weeks ended 10/30/2011 reported an increase of 21.9% to $293.1 million (Whole bean coffee was up only 6.6% to $40.3 million). A significant factor seems to be a wave of flavored coffees, which has led to a slight decline in flavored shelf-stable coffee creamers.
A number of retailers are positioning their coffees against national brands from coffee emporiums and foodservice outlets that are now appearing on supermarket shelves. Donut Shop blend and Seattle Style are the most common, put out to challenge Dunkin’ Donuts and Seattle’s Best coffee. Wegmans, Rochester, NY, goes beyond that by offering single source coffee in its Donut Shop blend. Kroger, Cincinnati, OH, calls its Seattle version Seattle Café. Strangest of all is that private label coffee from convenience store chain Wawa, Wawa, PA, is being marketed elsewhere – Private Label spotted a display at an Acme in Clifton, NJ.
Pumpkin Spice is the latest flavored coffee entry under the World Classics Trading Company brand from Topco Associates, Skokie, IL. Kroger offers flavors like Cinnamon Bun and Caramel Truffle in its Private Selection brand. Rich Chocolate Fudge is part of the Central Market Classics line at Price Chopper, Schenectady, NY. Other varieties at Wegmans include Pumpkin Pie, Gingerbread and Egg Nog. Swiss Chocolate Almond is one of the options at Weis, Sunbury, PA. Hazelnut is common in bagged ground coffee, but Giant Eagle, Pittsburgh, PA, now offers that in cans.
Beyond flavored coffees, some retailers are coming up with varieties that are apparently intended to sound impressive, like Safeway Select Founder’s Blend at Safeway, Pleasanton, CA, and President’s Choice Special Occasion Dark Roast at Loblaws, Toronto, ON. Others aim to be atmospheric, like Morning Fog Cutter at Weis; or offer regional appeal like the Ultimate Coffee Adventure line at Wegmans that features not only Colombian Supremo but relatively unknown single origin coffees like Ethiopian Harrar and Sumatra Madheling.
It’s still only a tiny segment in private label, but single-cup coffee is going places – reported sales of $525,000 represent an increase of 6,850%! According to Packaged Facts, Rockville, MD, overall volume five years ago was “scarcely worth tracking,” but the segment now represents 7.5% of all retail coffee sales. Dunkin’ Donuts began marketing K-Cup portion packs in August, and Starbucks followed in November. Meijer, Grand Rapids, MI, is out with a 19-count bagged House Blend of ground and soluble coffee; conventional and microwave brewing instructions appear on the back panel.
Flavored teas aren’t exactly new, but Weis is treating tea more like coffee in bagged items like Candy Cane Land decaf green tea with peppermint, vanilla and cinnamon. Wegmans is a bit more conservative with Just Tea Rooibos Herbal and Chamomile. But the biggest innovation this past year has been the My Cup line at H-E-B Foods, San Antonio, TX, which comes in pyramid-shaped teabags that are said to offer a more premium tea experience as well as antioxidants and less caffeine than coffee.
Want a blissful way to welcome the day or unwind after a busy afternoon? H-E-B My Cup of Tea specialty teas combine exceptional flavor with delicate hints of fruits and flowers. With many enticing tea varieties, you can choose from black, green, white, herbal and decaffeinated tea blends. Savor full flavor in every cup. If you're not drinking tea yet, below are ways tea does your body good. It's never too late to enjoy the many health benefits of tea!
Varieties debuted thus far are:
- My Cup of Balance – Green tea with hibiscus, cranberries and blueberries
- My Cup of Bliss – Herbal tea with hibiscus, ginger and orange
- My Cup of Comfort – Black tea with ginger and southern peach
- My Cup of Delight – White tea with calendula flowers, sweet orange and natural fruit flavors
- My Cup of Harmony – Black tea with cranberries and blood orange
- My Cup of Joy - Green tea with jasmine
- My Cup of Leisure – Herbal tea with hibiscus, rosehips and a touch sweet apples, blackberries, black currants and raspberries
- My Cup of Serenity – Herbal tea with lavender and mint
- My Cup of Tranquility – Black tea with mango.
