Americans have enjoyed juices, especially orange juice, as a major diet staple since the end of World War II. Recent trends in nutrition and health, however, have greatly shifted when and why Americans consume juice. This shift is a benefit for those juice franchises that can connect with the next generation of juice lovers.
Not for breakfast
Research results published in Quartz revealed that breakfast has become less vital to the American way of life. The number of Americans who regularly consume breakfast has fell by 7 percent between 1971 and 2002. It is likely that even less Americans eat breakfast in 2014. Successful juice franchises like Robeks have responded to this trend by marketing their smoothies as a refreshing afternoon treat. Robeks locations operate out of food trucks and this mobility allows franchise owners to directly target locations with high midday foot traffic, says Restaurant News.
Fun over function
Bloomberg Businessweek notes that consumers have turned away from popular juices to reduce their sugar intake. Quartz theorizes that orange juice will become a novelty item as prices rise and the market shrinks. This trend should not worry juice franchises, however.
In fact, popular juice bar Jamba Juice has recently announced a push for franchise expansion that CEO James White described to to Entrepreneur as "the most significant growth-initiative franchising incentive plan in the history of the brand." It is clear that Jamba Juice, along with the greater industry of fruit juice franchises, are unphased by declining American interests in juice.
This confidence comes in part from Jamba Juice's success in establishing its brand identity. The company has been able to position its low-calorie offerings as alternatives for health-conscious juice lovers while selling its wider selection of smoothies to trend-loving Millennials as a lifestyle experience. Those franchisees interested in working with Jamba Juice or investing in another juice bar franchise can benefit from these branding lessons.