Dr Pepper & Cream Soda was the top-selling new product of 2021, and the top seven products all were beverages, most of them with bubbles, according to the annual New Product Pacesetters report from Information Resources Inc. (IRI).
Another drink, Minute Maid Zero Sugar, came in 10th, making the Impossible Burger and Nestle’s Life Cuisine the only non-beverages in the top 10.
A separate list for the convenience store market had similar names and about as many bubbles. Truly (hard) Lemonade was No. 1 there, with Dr Pepper & Cream Soda right behind. Two hard seltzers (Corona and Michelob Ultra), Truly’s Hard Iced Tea, Java Monster 300 and Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew slaked the thirsts of the stop-and-go crowd, with Jack Link’s Cold Crafted meat sticks providing the only solid food in the top 10.
“The unpredictability of the pandemic made the work of manufacturers even more difficult than in 2020, as COVID-19 and the resultant behavior of shoppers ebbed and flowed during 2021,” said the IRI report. “Despite this and other challenges, this year’s New Product Pacesetters delivered an impressive $6 billion in aggregate Year 1 sales across food and beverage and nonfood products.”
A third IRI list identified likely 2022 Pacesetters, called Rising Stars. That list included Ben & Jerry’s Topped line, Topo Chico hard seltzer, Chick-Fil-A sauces from Lancaster Colony and Tru Fru frozen fruit desserts.
This is IRI’s 27th annual New Product Pacesetters report. To be considered a Pacesetter, the product must have completed a full year of sales some time in calendar year 2021. IRI starts tracking year-one sales after a product reaches 30% of national distribution across multi-outlet geography. This means grocery, drug, mass, dollar, club and convenience store channels.
The full report is available here from IRI.
The top 10 food and beverage New Product Pacesetters for 2021
(sales figures in millions of U.S. dollars)
1. Dr Pepper & Cream Soda ($137M)
2. Aha Sparkling Water ($129M)
3. Corona Hard Seltzer ($114M)
4. High Noon Sun Sips ($103M)
5. Oatly ($99M)
6. Truly Iced Tea ($91M)
7. Michelob Ultra Organic Seltzer ($87M)
8. Impossible Burger ($86M)
9. Life Cuisine ($73M)
10. Minute Maid Zero Sugar ($71M)
Top 10 in C-store Sales
1. Truly Lemonade ($131M)
2. Dr Pepper & Cream Soda ($79M)
3. Corona Hard Seltzer ($73M)
4. On! (smokeless tobacco) ($72M)
5. Rogue (smokeless tobacco) ($61M)
6. Truly Iced Tea ($54M)
7. Michelob Ultra Organic Seltzer ($52M)
8. Java Monster 300 ($48M)
9. Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew ($47M)
10. Jack Link’s Cold Crafted ($41M)
Rising Stars
(in alphabetic order)
Alani Nu (energy drink)
Ben & Jerry’s Topped
Bubly Bounce
Chick-Fil-A Sauces
Mtn Dew Energy
Rancho La Gloria Skinny Margarita
Tattooed Chef frozen entrees
Topo Chico
Tru Fru
Truly Punch
