Leftovers is our look at a few of the product ideas popping up everywhere — some are intriguing, some sound amazing and some are the kinds of ideas we would never dream of. We can't write about everything that we get pitched, so here are the leftovers pulled from our inboxes.
Yoplait's just desserts
Just in time for New Year's resolutions around healthy eating, Yoplait is launching new yogurt flavors that will literally allow consumers to have their cake and eat it too.
Social media users have spotted new Dunkin'-inspired flavors of the General Mills yogurt on store shelves and in the Instacart app. Consumers can now enjoy yogurt tasting like Dunkin's French Vanilla Latte, Cinnamon Coffee Roll, Apple Fritter and Boston Kreme Donut.
Not to be outdone, Yoplait's Go-Gurt children's line features new products flavored like the watermelon and green apple varieties of Jolly Rancher candies.
While the yogurt market continues to be oversaturated, manufacturers are constantly introducing new flavors and products to stand out on the shelf. In particular, General Mills has seen consistent drops in yogurt sales. In the most recent quarter, the manufacturer's U.S. net sales were down 4%, CFO Don Mulligan said, according to a transcript of the earnings call.
To fight declines, General Mills has consistently tried to reenergize its yogurt segment by launching different styles and interesting flavors. A crowdsourced ranking of Yoplait flavors — started before the Dunkin' and Jolly Rancher flavors hit shelves — includes 87 varieties.
While the new flavors haven't officially debuted on Yoplait's website and don't have nutritional information available online, it's almost certain that they contain less sugar and fat than their counterparts at Dunkin' and in the candy aisle. That's good news for both health-conscious consumers and General Mills.
Even better news for General Mills? These unconventional flavors may actually lead to category growth. Although they sound strange, they've succeeded recently. In General Mills' last earnings call, CEO Jeff Harmening cited one specific flavor that brought an increase in retail sales in: Sour Patch Kids-flavored Go-Gurt.
— Megan Poinski
CBD infiltrates coconut bites
From wine to candy and iced tea to ice cream, a rapidly growing array of manufacturers are including CBD in their products.
Now Weller, a Colorado maker of CBD-infused food and beverage products, has included the non-psychoactive compound in three coconut bite varieties: dark chocolate, caramel and original flavor.
Weller said its goal is to bring "ground-breaking products to the (food) market that will change the way consumers can access the power of CBD." The company not only has the lure of CBD to tempt consumers to nibble on in its bites, but it has tapped into the growing demand for better-for-you products using clean, simple and sustainably sourced ingredients.
"Wellness through diet and lifestyle is second nature for us all and hemp CBD has played a part in each of our wellness journeys in a deep way,” John Simmons, co-founder of Weller, said in a statement.
CBD is playing a role in many consumers' wellness stories nowadays. New Frontier Data estimated that U.S. CBD sales jumped almost 40% in 2017, hitting $367 million. They are forecast to hit nearly $850 million this year. According to the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center, the total retail value of all U.S. hemp products in 2017 was estimated at $820 million.
— Christopher Doering
Kisses to say 'I lava (cake) you'
It's a new year and the countdown is already on for chocolate brands to begin preparing for Valentine's Day.
Hershey has a jump start, having already launched new Lava Cake Hershey's Kisses. The chocolates feature a melted cocoa center surrounded by a dark chocolate plume. With bright pink packaging, regular-sized bags of the Kisses are being sold for about $3.89 and can be found in candy aisles nationwide.
"Love is in the air and Hershey's Kisses knows there's nothing like the first cut into a rich chocolate lava cake after a romantic dinner with your loved one. But since every day can't be date night, they're introducing a new flavor this Valentine's Day season," Hershey said in an email to Food Dive.
Launching new products around this time is common practice. In previous years, Hershey introduced products like Kit Kat Miniatures Red Velvet and Hershey's Kisses White Cookie Cupcake for Valentine's Day.
This holiday celebrating love is a big season for candy makers. Last year, more consumers planned on purchasing candy for the holiday. If this year is the same, Hershey could have the advantage by introducing its holiday products before many of its competitors.
— Lillianna Byington