Setting the Pace

IRI has once again announced the product introductions over the past year that qualify as New Product Pacesetters.

April 17/Chicago/Business Wire -- In 2011-12, nearly 1,900 new CPG brands hit retail shelves across the U.S. multi-outlet geography, which includes traditional grocery, drug and mass market retailers, as well as sales from dollar and club channels, Walmart and military commissaries. Information Resources Inc. (IRI) announced that only 11% of those launches met the stringent, industry-recognized benchmarks of exceptional first-year sales success required to achieve 2012 New Product Pacesetter status.

The 200 top-selling CPG launches of the year, dubbed “IRI’s New Product Pacesetters,” each captured more than $13 million in year-one sales across the multi-outlet geography, with an individual average of $39.5 million in first-year revenues.

“IRI’s 2012 Pacesetters are best-in-class products that have truly beaten the daunting new product odds,” says Larry Levin, executive vice president, general manager, Insights and Thought Leadership, IRI. “In fact, the manufacturers of these Pacesetter brands showed a quiet resolve and determination to stimulate growth despite a challenging economic environment in 2012.”

Among food and beverage champions, average year-one dollar sales for the top-100 brands were $43.4 million. New food and beverage brands addressed long-standing trends around wellness, indulgence and convenience. Importantly, though, the most powerful launches of the year also delivered more to today’s finicky, frugal and fast-moving consumers. They provide new options that serve cross-occasion eating behaviors, support proactive wellness efforts and satisfy desires for intelligent indulgence.

2012 New Product Pacesetters: Top 10 Food and Beverage Brands ($ millions) (Total Year-One Dollar Sales, Multi-Outlet)
1. Dannon Oikos    $283.8
2. Starbucks K-Cups   $198.9
3. Bud Light Platinum    $162.2
4. TruMoo       $158.3
5. Breyers Blasts!    $147.3
6. MiO          $127.6
7. Sparkling ICE    $122.7
8. Nature Valley Protein Bars $95.7
9. Orville Redenbacher’s Pop Up Bowl   $92.1
10.Daily’s Frozen Pouches $89.2
Source: IRI New Product Profiler