Coca-Cola's Spiced new flavor lasted only 6 months
Just six months after its Spiced soft drink hit shelves in the U.S. and Canada, Coca-Cola has announced that it will discontinue the flavor.
The Coca-Cola (KO) Spiced and Coca-Cola Spiced Zero Sugar flavors, announced in February, were seen as a marketing technique to excite younger generations about its signature cola. Coca-Cola’s North American marketing chief Shakir Moin told The Associated Press at the time that the brand wanted to “dial up” its lineup and introduce a formula that could be “interesting and unique” for the next generation of consumers.
Coca-Cola promoted the addition as a rare new “permanent” flavor, which was joined by its flagship formula as well as cherry and vanilla. The brand introduced the new variety as a way to intrigue Gen-Z drinkers who were craving spicier flavors.
In a statement from Coca-Cola about pulling its Spiced flavor from its lineup, the company said it is “always looking at what our customers like” and continues to “adjust” its flavors, per CNN.
Coca-Cola has been facing a decline in sales over the past year. While the company posted robust second-quarter earnings in July, volume sales declined by 1% for the quarter. CEO James Quincey said at the time that volume decline for its U.S. division was driven by “softness in away-from-home channels,” which include its water, sports, coffee and tea, and soda products.
Recently, the brand partnered with large food chains like McDonald’s to include its soda as part of its combo meals as a way to offset the decline in sales.
