METRO and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. Partner to Add Irresistibles K-Cup® packs to the Keurig® Single Cup Brewing System Français
MONTREAL, Sept. 18, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (GMCR) (NASDAQ: GMCR), a leader in specialty coffee and coffeemakers with its innovative Keurig® brewing technology, announced that it will be the exclusive producer of METRO's Irresistibles brand K-Cup® packs for Keurig® Single Cup Brewers bringing together the great popularity and excellent value of METRO's Irresistibles brand, and the exceptional quality and convenience of the Keurig® Single Cup Brewing System.
With a 66% growth in the last 52 weeksi, single serve coffee pods are among the product categories experiencing the largest increases in terms of annual sales in the Canadian food industry.
GMCR Canada has created three exclusive blends for METRO made from 100% Arabica coffee.
- Le Café Colombian Blend, a medium roast coffee which offers a balanced, fruity and light taste;
- Le Café Metropolitan Blend, a dark roast coffee, the perfect blend for those fond of strong and bold notes; and,
- Le Café Good Morning Blend, a light roast coffee, a mellow blend to start the day.
"The addition of METRO's Irresistibles K-Cup® packs enhances the already wide variety of GMCR's Keurig Brewed family of beverage brands and brings the benefits of GMCR's single cup expertise and our excellence in beverages and brewing systems to the brand", said Sylvain Toutant, President of GMCR Canada Holding Inc. (GMCR Canada). "Our collaboration with METRO is a prime example of our strategy to partner with prestigious brands to increase consumer awareness and adoption of the Keurig® Single Cup Brewing System", added Mr. Toutant.
"This agreement is in line with METRO's local purchasing policy announced in May, 2013. This policy rests on three guiding principles, one of which intends to make METRO a partner of choice of Aliments du Québec. In addition to expanding our Irresistibles product offer of more than 1,100 products, these K-Cup® packs will allow our Quebec customers to find innovative, quality products manufactured here, at very competitive prices," explained Serge Boulanger, Senior Vice-President, National Procurement and Corporate Brands at METRO.
The exclusive METRO Irresistibles K-Cup® pack varieties, to be produced by GMCR Canada in Montreal's Saint-Michel neighborhood, will be available in 12-count boxes over the next few days in the entire METRO food store network in Quebec and Ontario, including the Metro, Metro Plus, Super C and Food Basics banners. They will be certified Aliments préparés au Québec, and will be easy to find on the Metro and Super C shelves thanks to the blue label with the distinctive blue and yellow logo.
The Irresistibles K-Cup® packs augment the GMCR Canada K-Cup® pack brand assortment already available in the METRO food store network, including Van Houtte®, Timothy's World Coffee®, Barista Prima Coffeehouse®, as well as Green Mountain Coffee®, Tully's® and Café Escapes®.
The Keurig Brewed® Seal of Quality, printed on the packaging of all authorized Keurig® products, will appear on the packaging of the Irresistibles K-Cup® packs certifying their authenticity. The seal of approval guarantees compatibility with the Keurig® Single Cup Brewing System and that the product meets GMCR's highest standards of quality, taste and safety. The Keurig Brewed® Seal of Quality and K-Cup® trademark are only found on single serve packs produced exclusively by GMCR or its licensed partners.
About METRO INC.
With annual sales of over $11 billion and over 65,000 employees, METRO INC. is a leader in the food and pharmaceutical sectors in Québec and Ontario, where it operates a network of more than 600 food stores under several banners including Metro, Metro Plus, Super C and Food Basics, as well as over 250 drugstores under the Brunet, The Pharmacy and Drug Basics banners.
About Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc.
As a leader in specialty coffee and coffee makers, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (GMCR) (NASDAQ: GMCR), is recognized for its award-winning coffees, innovative Keurig® single cup brewing technology, and socially responsible business practices. GMCR supports local and global communities by investing in sustainably-grown coffee, and donating a portion of its pre-tax profits to social and environmental projects. For more information, please visit www.GMCR.com, www.greenmountaincoffee.com, or www.keurig.com.
GMCR routinely posts information that may be of importance to investors in the Investor Relations section of its website, including news releases and its complete financial statements, as filed with the SEC. The Company encourages investors to consult this section of its website regularly for important information and news. Additionally, by subscribing to the Company's automatic email news release delivery, individuals can receive news directly from GMCR as it is released.
About GMCR Canada Holding inc.
GMCR Canada Holding Inc. (GMCR Canada) is the Canadian business unit of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. The company's Canadian principle office and management team are located in Montreal, with roasting plants in Montréal and Toronto.
The company offers a wide range of premium coffees in a variety of formats. GMCR Canada also offers Keurig® Single Cup Brewers and many beverages for use in the brewer. Consumers can enjoy GMCR Canada products whether they are at home, at work, in a café-bistro and in other selling points. GMCR Canada markets flagship brands such as Keurig®, Van Houtte®, Timothy's World Coffee®, Barista Prima Coffeehouse®, as well as Green Mountain Coffee®, Tully's® and Café Escapes® to highlight a few.
In addition to being one of the leaders of the Canadian coffee marketplace, GMCR Canada is also a leader in sustainable development thanks to its programs supporting coffee communities and local communities, and its initiatives to reduce its environmental footprint.
For more information, visit gmcrcanada.ca, gmcr.com, Keurig.ca, VanHoutte.com, Timothys.com and baristaprima.ca.
GMCR Forward looking statements
Certain information contained in this filing, including statements concerning expected performance such as those relating to net sales, earnings, cost savings, acquisitions and brand marketing support, are "forward-looking statements". Generally, these statements may be identified by the use of words such as "may," "will," "would," "expect," "should," "anticipate," "estimate," "believe," "forecast," "intend," "plan" and similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements may relate to: the expected impact of raw material costs and our pricing actions on our results of operations and gross margins, expected trends in net sales and earnings performance and other financial measures, the expected productivity and working capital improvements, the ability to maximize or successfully assert our intellectual property rights, the success of introducing and producing new product offerings, ability to attract and retain senior management, the impact of foreign exchange fluctuations, the adequacy of internally generated funds and existing sources of liquidity, such as the availability of bank financing, the expected results of operations of businesses acquired by us, our ability to issue debt or additional equity securities, our expectations regarding purchasing shares of our common stock under the existing authorizations, and the impact of the inquiry initiated by the SEC and any related litigation or additional governmental inquiry or enforcement proceedings.
These and other forward-looking statements are based on management's current views and assumptions and involve risks and uncertainties that could significantly affect expected results. Results may be materially affected by external factors such as damage to our reputation or brand name, business interruptions due to natural disasters or similar unexpected events, actions of competitors, customer relationships and financial condition, the ability to achieve expected cost savings and margin improvements, the successful acquisition and integration of new businesses, fluctuations in the cost and availability of raw and packaging materials, changes in regulatory requirements, and global economic conditions generally which would include the availability of financing, interest, inflation rates and investment return on retirement plan assets, as well as foreign currency fluctuations, risks associated with our information technology systems, the threat of data breaches or cyber-attacks, and other risks described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly, any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law.
GMCR - M
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i Source: AcNielsen MarketTrack, National GB+MM, period ending July 27,2013
SOURCE: GREEN MOUNTAIN COFFEE ROASTERS, INC.
Canadian media:
Cynthia Shanks
Senior Manager, Corporate Communications and Workplace Excellence
GMCR Canada Holding Inc.
[email protected]
T : 514.789.4535 | 1.877.593.7722 # 7894535
Marie-Claude Bacon
Senior Director, Corporate Affairs Department
METRO INC.
[email protected]
T: 514.643.1086
Investors and US media:
Suzanne DuLong
VP of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc.
T: 802.488.2600/[email protected]
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