CANTON, Mass., ORRVILLE, Ohio, and WATERBURY, Vt., Feb.
26, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc.,
(NASDAQ: DNKN), The J.M. Smucker Company (NYSE: SJM) and Keurig
Green Mountain, Inc. (Keurig) (NASDAQ: GMCR) today expanded their
partnership by signing agreements for the manufacturing, marketing,
distribution and sale of Dunkin'
K-Cup® packs at retailers nationwide in the U.S. and Canada, and online. Dunkin' K-Cup® packs are presently available
in Dunkin' Donuts restaurants in
the U.S. Keurig is the exclusive producer of Dunkin' K-Cup® packs and will remain so with
the expansion of the partnership. The J.M. Smucker Company
currently manufactures and distributes Dunkin' Donuts® brand premium bagged coffee
where groceries are sold under license from Dunkin' Donuts.
Under the new, multi-year agreement, Smucker will distribute and
market Dunkin' K-Cup® packs
exclusively to grocery chains, mass merchandisers, club stores,
drug stores, dollar stores and home improvement stores. Keurig will
distribute and market Dunkin'
K-Cup® packs to specialty stores and office superstores.
Dunkin' K-Cup® packs will continue
to be available in Dunkin' Donuts
restaurants in the U.S. The expanded retail program launches in the
middle of 2015 with five varieties of Dunkin' Donuts' signature coffee initially
available in K-Cup® packs, including Original Blend, Dunkin' Decaf, French Vanilla, Hazelnut and
Dunkin' Donuts Bakery Series
Chocolate Glazed Donut flavor. Also beginning this spring,
Dunkin' K-Cup® packs will be sold
online on www.DunkinDonuts.com, www.OnlineStore.Smucker.com,
www.Keurig.com and other online retailers.
"This exciting new agreement with two trusted and long-standing
partners, The J.M. Smucker Company and Keurig, will make
Dunkin' K-Cup® packs available at
thousands of additional retail outlets nationwide, as well as
online, and will enable us to further tap into the growing consumer
demand for single-serve at-home coffee," said Dunkin' Brands Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer Nigel Travis. "Not only will
this increase the consumption of Dunkin' Donuts coffee, it will help us
continue to build our brand relevance with new and existing
customers, which we believe will, in turn, drive incremental visits
to our restaurants."
"The wait is nearly over for the many Dunkin' Donuts coffee fans who have requested
we add Dunkin' K-Cup® packs to our
at-home single-serve coffee offerings," stated Richard Smucker, Chief Executive Officer of The
J.M. Smucker Company. "The expansion of our relationship with
Dunkin' Brands and Keurig allows
us to satisfy this consumer need by bringing Dunkin' K-Cup® packs into new retail channels,
including wherever groceries are sold. The addition of Dunkin' K-Cup® packs will further strengthen
our Smucker coffee portfolio as we work with our retail customers
to continue to bring excitement and new growth opportunities to the
coffee category."
"Expanded availability of Dunkin' K-Cup® packs will make it possible for
even more consumers to experience and enjoy this great-tasting,
beloved coffee while at the same time building consumer awareness
and passion for the Keurig system," said Brian Kelley, Keurig President and CEO. "Our
unique ability to partner with Dunkin' Brands, J.M.
Smucker and more than 60 other brands has helped Keurig, an
innovative technology-driven personal beverage system company, to
revolutionize the at-home and away-from-home beverage experience,
bringing more than 400 high-quality beverage varieties to Keurig
consumers with the consistent simplicity and convenience they've
come to expect from the brand."
Terms of the respective agreements with The J.M. Smucker
Company, Keurig Green Mountain and Dunkin' Brands were not disclosed.
Dunkin' Brands announce
franchisee profit-sharing program
Concurrent with its expanded partnership with Smucker and
Keurig, Dunkin' Brands also
announced today details of a new franchisee profit-sharing program
as part of a long-term deal under which Dunkin' Brands will equally share with
qualified U.S. Dunkin' Donuts
franchisees its net profits from the sale of its K-Cup® packs and
packaged coffee from outlets outside of its restaurants.
"When we introduced Dunkin'
K-Cup® packs as a retail item in our restaurants in 2011, we said
we would only consider allowing this product to be sold at other
retailers if we could do so in a way that benefitted both us and
our franchisees," Travis said. "In keeping with that commitment, I
am delighted to announce that we have been able to reach a
profit-sharing agreement with our domestic Dunkin' Donuts franchisees that we believe
will drive incremental, profitable growth for both Dunkin' Brands and our franchisees."
About Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc.
With more than 18,800 points of distribution in nearly 60
countries worldwide, Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:
DNKN) is one of the world's leading franchisors of quick service
restaurants (QSR) serving hot and cold coffee and baked goods, as
well as hard-serve ice cream. At the end of fiscal 2014,
Dunkin' Brands' nearly 100
percent franchised business model included more than
11,300 Dunkin' Donuts restaurants and more than
7,500 Baskin-Robbins restaurants. Dunkin' Brands
Group, Inc. is headquartered in Canton, Mass.
About The J.M. Smucker Company
For more than 115 years, The J.M. Smucker Company has been
committed to offering consumers quality products that bring
families together to share memorable meals and moments. Today,
Smucker is a leading marketer and manufacturer of fruit spreads,
retail packaged coffee, peanut butter, shortening and oils, ice
cream toppings, sweetened condensed milk, and natural foods
products in North America. The
Company remains rooted in the Basic Beliefs of Quality,
People, Ethics, Growth, and Independence established by
its founder and namesake more than a century ago. For more
information about the Company, visit jmsmucker.com.
About Keurig Green Mountain, Inc.
As a leader in specialty coffee, coffee makers, teas and other
beverages, Keurig Green Mountain (Keurig) (NASDAQ: GMCR),
is recognized for its award-winning beverages, innovative brewing
technology, and socially responsible business practices. The
company has inspired consumer passion for its products by
revolutionizing beverage preparation at home and in the
workplace. Keurig supports local and global communities
by investing in sustainably-grown coffee and by its active
involvement in a variety of social and environmental projects. By
helping consumers drink for themselves, we believe we can brew a
better world. For more information
visit: www.KeurigGreenMountain.com. To
purchase Keurig® products
visit: www.Keurig.com or www.Keurig.ca.
KGM-G
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SOURCE Dunkin' Brands Group,
Inc.