28 Jan 2008


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Barr Soft Drinks buys Taut sports drinks range

Barr

Taut

soft drinks

Source : Barr Soft Drinks
Barr Soft Drinks has announced another exciting addition to its rapidly growing portfolio with the acquisition of Taut International Ltd, which includes the Taut (UK) Ltd business.

Taut

This is the second acquisition announcement for the company in as many weeks, following the addition of the VitSmart vitamin water range.

Taut is the sports drink range that offers superior physical performance without artificial sweeteners, preservatives, colours or flavours.

The brand already has a strong foothold in the sports drinks market with wide distribution across a number of sales channels including grocery multiples, the impulse sector and also Health and Fitness Clubs.

Available in three flavours of isotonic- Cranberry and Blackberry, Orange and Mandarin, Lime and Grapefruit, plus the Lemon flavoured Taut Endurance – the addition of Taut to the Barr business reflects the importance and growth potential in Still Sports and Energy Drinks.

This segment of the soft drinks market is valued at £162m and has grown by more than £60m in the last two years at a growth rate of 59%, with £100m of the market value through impulse sales.

Jonathan Kemp, Commercial Director of Barr Soft Drinks believes the purchase of Taut further broadens the company’s portfolio in high growth areas, he commented: “Taut is an established brand within the fastest growing segment of the soft drinks market plus it’s also completely unique by being a ‘clean’ sports drink, which sets it apart from its competitors. It offers us a fast entry into this market sector and through our strong distribution channels has great potential for further growth across the UK.”
Taut joins the Barr Soft Drinks range alongside Irn-Bru, Tizer, Orangina, Strathmore Water, St Clements, and Rockstar Energy drink as well as its most recent addition – Vitsmart.

The acquisition of Vitsmart from Chartered Brands was announced in early January. Vitsmart is one of the first functional waters in the UK, a small but growing market segment which has tremendous potential.

The introduction of functional waters to the American market in recent years has proven a runaway success, with vitamin water brands enjoying dramatic growth through their appeal to busy people striving for a healthier lifestyle. In line with the U.S, Barr Soft Drinks predict that this consumer trend will be increasingly reflected here and view Vitsmart as a key brand in developing this emerging market segment.

The brand comes in 3 flavours in both 500ml and 1 litre sizes and can currently be found in Tesco, J.Sainsbury and Wm Morrisons stores, in addition to other retail outlets throughout the UK.

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