IRI released its annual list of New Product Pacesetters yesterday. In order to be considered for the list products must have earned at least $7.5 million in year one sales and have over 30% national distribution.
The number one new food or beverage product in 2009 was Campbell's Select Harvest with a whopping $202 million in food, drug and mass sales (excluding Wal-Mart), followed by Bud Light Lime, with an impressive $133 million in first year revenue. Not too shabby, especially considering that over the past 15 years 70% to 80% of new products never saw $7.5 million in sales, according to Anne Berlack of IRI. This year the field of qualifiers was even smaller with only about 12% meeting the sales criteria.
Also on the list of top new foods and beverages is Arnold Select Sandwich Thins with $87 million in sales. The bread alternative contains 100 calories per serving. It's followed by Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers ($85 million), Dreyer's/Edy's Fun Flavors ($72 million) and a product discontinued 14 months after its release: Gatorade Tiger/Focus ($65 million). MGD 64 ($53 million), Mountain Dew Dewmocracy ($52 million), Bush's Grillin' Beans ($45 million) and Kellogg's FiberPlus Bars ($45 million) are also on the list.
The product's marketers should be commended for achieving impressive results during a time of scaled back spending. But none did as well as the top new seller in the c-store channel. Camel Crush took the top spot with $374 million in first-year sales.
The customizable cigarettes have a special menthol capsule within the filter, that when crushed, turns a regular cigarette into a menthol cigarette.