Somersby, a market leader in the modern cider segment, is introducing an innovation new product to the market: Somersby Zero. This is the first alcohol-free cider with no sugar and no calories, now available in Germany.
With the Beyond Beer category continuing to thrive, this launch reflects the Carlsberg Group ability to align with key consumer trends, offering a carefree alternative for those who want to enjoy consciously – without compromising on taste.
More freedom, more enjoyment, more options
Under the motto “Zero means more”, Somersby Zero represents a new era of carefree enjoyment: more ease in social gatherings, more variety for nutrition-conscious consumers and more trend awareness. The new Zero range consists of two flavours:
Apple – The popular classic in the cider portfolio
Yuzu & Lemon – A refreshing flavour with the extraordinary taste of the Asian citrus fruit yuzu, characterised by an intense fruitiness with a slightly tart taste that combines notes of grapefruit and tangerine
Gunnar Fischer, CMO Carlsberg Germany, says: “With Somersby Zero, we are delighted to launch a product on the German market that is not only unique, but also a real game changer in the modern cider sector. Somersby embodies the joy of life, lightness and special moments of delight – exactly what Somersby Zero is all about. We are proud to be the first market within the Carlsberg Group to launch this promising product, ensuring we have the right choice for every taste in our portfolio.”
Pioneer of the Zero trend
With Somersby Zero, the brand is positioning itself as a pioneer of a growing wellbeing trend. More and more people are seeking alcohol-free, sugar-free and calorie-free alternatives that align with a modern, active lifestyle. According to a YouGov survey, 49 % of 18 to 24-year-olds have already chosen to abstain from alcohol. At the same time, demand for low-calorie and sugar-free products continues to rise. Somersby Zero is not only the first alcohol-free cider – it also sets new standards for enjoyment without compromise.
Market launch with a major media campaign
The launch of Somersby Zero will be accompanied by the brand’s most extensive marketing campaign in Germany to date. This includes a high-impact out-of-home presence at highly frequented locations in focus cities as well as targeted digital activations on platforms such as Snapchat, YouTube and Instagram. Activations at major festivals in summer and the CSDs in Hamburg and Berlin, a summer roadshow and extensive sampling campaigns put the new product directly into the hands of consumers. Additional attention will be created by eye-catching zero mix displays in stores and a free trial campaign, which will be extended through digital media.
The launch is part of a global plan to introduce Somersby Zero, starting with Germany as the lead market in 2025, followed by expansion into broader markets in 2026, beginning with Poland and Sweden.
Explore how different food and beverage categories in Germany are developing
Germany, known for its love of hearty meals and indulgent treats, is experiencing a fascinating shift in its food and beverage landscape. While Germans remain a nation of food lovers, they are increasingly prioritising health and sustainability. Here, through our 360 research into the German food and beverage market, we explore how these values are influencing purchasing decisions across various categories, from beverages to snacks and meal preparation.
Beverages in the German Market
German consumers want to reduce their alcohol intake; however, alcoholic beverages are still at large within the country. When asked why they want to control how much alcohol they drink, the most common consumer response was “because it is unhealthy.” Some consumers are turning to non-alcoholic beverages as replacements. Beer is the dominant non-alcoholic beverage in Germany, but variety and novelty is helping drive other non-alcoholic beverage purchases. Indulgent is the top claim for non-alcoholic beverage drinkers, chosen as most important by 25 % of consumers. A further 16 % look for low/no/reduced sugar claims, so healthy indulgence should be a target of note for innovators.
In soft drinks, bottled water consumption is on the rise, with more than one in five Germans increasing their intake in the past year. Two in three named its healthy image as a driver of consumption. For other key soft drinks subcategories, such as carbonated beverages, energy drinks, iced coffee and iced tea, the combination of low/no/reduced-sugar claims with indulgence positionings are the most influential claims for consumers …
Please learn more under: www.innovamarketinsights.com
There are new developments at BIOFACH, World Leading Lrade Trade Fair for Organic Food. In July 2023, Steffen Waris took on the role of Exhibition Director for the trade fair, reinforcing the team led by Danila Brunner, Executive Director Exhibitions. Brunner will continue to have overall responsibility for the combined BIOFACH and VIVANESS trade fair.
Steffen Waris has wide-ranging experience in trade fair and event management. For more than a decade, he held various roles at Mineralientage Munchen (the trade fair for minerals, fossils, gemstones, and jewellery in Munich). These included positions in marketing, leading the technical services, and event management. He will now give BIOFACH the benefit of his extensive expertise.
“After a brief excursion into the logistics segment, I am very pleased to be finally breathing in the trade fair atmosphere again. Bringing people together and helping them to network is what drives me. I also live and love team spirit, which is why the close contact to our customers, exhibitors, visitors, and media representatives is so hugely important to me,” says Waris.
“In Steffen Waris we have gained an experienced trade fair expert,” explains Brunner. “I am looking forward to working with him and our entire team as we continue to successfully develop BIOFACH and VIVANESS and create inspiring experiences for our customers.”
Waris made a conscious decision in favour of BIOFACH and the organic food sector. Not only does it match his personal values and expectations; it also aligns with his professional objectives. “BIOFACH offers an incredibly fascinating environment. The segment is facing some challenges due to both market forces and political decisions, and there is a lot of movement within it. It is an honour to be part of such an exciting and dynamic sector!”
GEA will invest around EUR 50 million in the modernization of its German centrifuge production facilities in Oelde (North Rhine-Westphalia) and Niederahr (Rhineland-Palatinate) by the end of 2024. The engineering group made the announcement at a press conference marking the 130th anniversary of GEA separation technology at its Oelde site. By investing in sustainable production, digitalisation and automation, GEA is targeting further growth in its key markets, which include the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries.
GEA centrifuges are used in more than 3,500 different processes in a wide range of industries. Growth drivers include applications for alternative protein production and global demand for dairy products. The investment package for the centrifuge plants is based on four pillars: sustainability, digitalisation, automation and modern manufacturing technologies.
Climate-friendly production through the use of renewable energy
Already today all GEA production sites are powered by green electricity. In the long term the electricity supply for GEA’s sites will come from local renewable energy sources. At the Oelde facility, several large-scale photovoltaic systems will cover about one-tenth of the site’s electricity requirements, including the provision of electromobility. An in-house combined heat and power plant already generates around 30 percent of the electricity required. Since waste heat is also used, 94 percent of the primary energy utilised is recycled. Process heat generation, which is important for production, will also be converted to alternatives such as electric steam generation, which will enable the Oelde and Niederahr sites to operate without gas in the near future.
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) has announced that its Genshagen manufacturing site near Berlin is the latest to be certified as carbon neutral, in line with the international PAS 2060 standard.
This is CCEP’s first carbon neutral site in Germany, and one of six across its markets.
The certification follows a range of significant efforts to drive down emissions at Genshagen, which were reduced by around 70 % between 2014 to 2021 following improvements to energy and water efficiency along with recycling.
Genshagen is one of six CCEP sites to be certified as carbon neutral, as part of CCEP’s ambition to reach Net Zero by 2040 and reduce our GHG emissions across our entire value chain by 30 % by 2030 (vs. 2019). Sites are selected to apply for certification based on their previous carbon reductions and, once certified, will continue to work to reduce emissions year-on-year in line with PAS 2060 requirements.
The Genshagen site is one of 14 CEP plants in Germany, with around 180 people working to bottle 21 different beverages on three production lines including Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and Fanta.
The news follows CCEP Germany’s recent investment into reusable packaging, with a commitment of 140 million euros for returnable bottles. The investment will fund a new filling line in Lüneburg, Northern Germany, along with a new packaging machine for glass bottles in Mönchengladbach, West Germany, boosting CCEP’s plans to expand the availability of drinks sold in returnable glass bottles.
Refresco opened its new high-bay warehouse at the Calvörde production site in Germany. At this manufacturing facility, Refresco, one of the leading independent providers of beverage solutions in Germany is setting new standards for efficient logistics and future-oriented quality delivery. With a total capacity of more than 41,000 pallet spaces, this is now Refresco’s largest fully automated warehouse.
Refresco invested over 20 million euros in the construction of this new high-bay warehouse. The largest single investment of the German business unit to date, this new warehouse is of strategic importance for the production and logistics at this location for the future. Thanks to the modern conveyor technology and increased storage capacity, Refresco expects significant annual efficiency improvements for the production environment as well as for the transportation of finished products. The new state-of-the-art warehouse gives Refresco the opportunity to continue to grow dynamically with their customers and to acquire new business. In addition, the fully automated logistics system will increase occupational safety at the site.
Milestone
“The new high-bay warehouse is a milestone for us and makes this one of Refresco’s most advanced locations worldwide,” says Till Alvermann, Managing Director Refresco Germany. “Among other things, the complete automation of our logistical handling allows us to load quickly and safely and improves our competitive advantage. We also strengthen the service level for our customers. We are therefore very pleased to be able to officially commission the high-bay warehouse today.”
Refresco invests a substantial portion of their profit in their manufacturing facilities, to improve and/or expand capacity and technological capabilities. The investment in this new warehouse at a strategically important site for Refresco, is but one example of Refresco’s continued investment in their network of production sites.
At Calvörde, on 800 metres of conveyor line, 42 double aisles of an electric overhead conveyor connect all product lines and the shipping area to the high-bay warehouse. 36 gravity roller conveyors provide up to 400 pallets per hour at twelve loading ramps. The high throughput capacity also enables the simultaneous loading of ten trucks per hour.
Other high-bay warehouses
Refresco has four other high-bay warehouses across their European footprint, located at production sites in the Netherlands, Germany, and France. They are all similar in the way they were designed and are operated: production lines are connected to the warehouse, with the help of a stacker crane finished products are controlled and stored within the racks, and the pre-staging of pallets is fully automated all the way to the docking area, where trucks pull up to quicky and smoothly load beverages for delivery.
Refresco, a global independent beverage solutions provider for A-brands and retailers in Europe and North America, announced it has completed the acquisition of HANSA-HEEMANN, following the receipt of regulatory approval from competition authorities.
Refresco announced that it had entered into an agreement with HANSA-HEEMANN, a family-owned independent beverage manufacturer, to acquire its five production sites in Germany. Now that the acquisition has been completed, Refresco has nine bottling facilities strategically located in Germany, resulting in national coverage to serve customers’ demands. With this acquisition, Refresco also further enhances its position in terms of product and brand portfolio.
Hans Roelofs, CEO Refresco Group: “I am very pleased to add HANSA-HEEMANN to the Refresco Group, as it further diversifies and strengthens our business in Germany, which will benefit our customers. Through this acquisition, we significantly expand our offering in mineral water and soft drinks, and we are going to accelerate our operational excellence through HANSA-HEEMANN’s know-how in the water category. In addition, we will be able to improve transport efficiencies and leverage our global scale to further drive change in improving the sustainable use of resources.”
German consumers have been turning away from juices in the last five years* as these drinks are considered to have a high sugar content. Therefore, juice makers are turning towards innovations in wellness drinks that are clear about their ingredient and nutritional benefits. Leading data and analytics company GlobalData says prebiotic juices with ingredients such as banana, garlic, apple and cocoa have the potential to be the next big thing in Germany.
Holly Inglis, Beverages Analyst at GlobalData comments: “The German juice market has seen a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) wane of 1.6 % in terms of volume over the last five years, spelling bad news for manufacturers. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel in the introduction of prebiotic juices.
“While we haven’t (yet!) seen garlic-flavoured drinks on the shelves, German producers have already started to focus their efforts on juices that promote immunity such as private label brand Dirk Rossmann, whose new launch combines prebiotic apple, mango, vegetable extract, shiitake mushroom and coconut juice. There is long-term potential for German juice manufactures to limit the declines witnessed in the category over the last few years, with the potential to capitalise on novel, innovative and trendy flavours – that in all, promote health and wellness.”
As we have seen before, reformulating products to remove sugar doesn’t always cut it. Experimenting with prebiotic ingredients such as ginger and turmeric emphasise unique ‘added benefits’, as well as being new to the market and appealing to experimental consumers.
Inglis continues: “GlobalData’s latest survey tells us that 55 %* of German consumers find ingredients that claim to improve digestive health somewhat or very appealing. That’s a large proportion of the market engaged in improving their digestive health. It is also noteworthy that, since the onset of COVID-19, a number of consumers have increased their focus on how these ingredients can improve their mental and physical wellbeing.”
In 2020, the German juice market witnessed a number of innovations from producers such as Hitchcock turmeric juice shot and Innocent ginger power shot; both of which have an ‘on-the-go’ pack size, which appeals to time-short consumers who are seeking to boost their immune system.
Inglis adds: “In the same survey, 49 %* of consumers highlighted that immunity-boosting ingredients are somewhat or very appealing. Producers could benefit from innovating beverages that boast these claims and sell at premium prices.”
*GlobalData’s Q2-21 Consumer Survey Results – Germany – Combined responses: “Somewhat appealing” and “Very appealing”
Refresco, one of the world’s largest independent bottlers for retailers and A-brands in Europe and North America, today announces it has entered into an agreement to acquire HANSA-HEEMANN. This transaction is subject to regulatory approval.
HANSA-HEEMANN, headquartered in Rellingen, Germany, is a family-owned, independent beverage manufacturer with five production sites spread across Germany. Its operational excellence, industry expertise and integrated value chain enable HANSA-HEEMANN to offer customers best-in-class service. The vast majority of HANSA-HEEMANN’s volume (60 %) is in mineral water, with the remaining 40 % of its volume in carbonated soft drinks (CSD). HANSA-HEEMANN serves three different market segments: private label, own brands, and contract manufacturing for A-brands. HANSA-HEEMANN employs over 800 people with an annual revenue of approximately €300 million.
Strategic rationale
Today’s announcement is a continuation of Refresco’s successful buy-and-build strategy which is a key driver of the company’s ongoing growth and value creation. With this acquisition, Refresco further enhances its position in terms of product and brand portfolio, and geographical coverage.
Acquiring HANSA-HEEMANN will bring Refresco:
- Diversification of its business with additional products and capabilities, while maintaining a well-balanced business mix and customer base
- Strong brands such as Fūrst Bismarck, hella and St. Michaelis
- Expansion of its offering in water and CSDs
- Increased presence in Germany, now offering nationwide coverage to retail customers
- Acceleration of its operational excellence through HANSA-HEEMANN’s know-how in the water category
A changing market
Water is the largest category within the non-alcoholic beverage market. The landscape is highly competitive and rapidly changing with many smaller local and regional players who maintain a strong foothold. Branded players with a wide range of water products are looking for opportunities to grow with retail discounters.
In addition, the focus on sustainability continues resulting in for example, increased demand for recycled PET and reduction in operational carbon footprint.
Within this highly competitive and changing market, the acquisition of HANSA-HEEMANN will enable Refresco to enhance its presence in Germany – not only broadening relationships with German retailers, but also improving transport efficiencies and reducing CO2 emissions. Furthermore, Refresco will be able to leverage its global scale to further drive change in improving the sustainable use of resources.
Over the last days and weeks, a diverse array of press and media outlets have featured information about the amended version of the packaging act in Germany entering into force. In particular, there is confusion about the contents of the amendments, which will enter into force in three stages. To create transparency regarding the changes that relate to the duties of the Zentrale Stelle Verpackungsregister (Central Agency Packaging Register – ZSVR), an overview of key amendments is available here. Further information can be found in the ‘Overview of amendments‘ knowledge base.
