Starbucks and Nestlé Bring Starbucks Refreshers to Consumers’ Homes
Nestlé and Starbucks are expanding the reach of one of the coffee brand’s fastest-growing beverage platforms with the launch of Starbucks Refreshers Concentrates, giving consumers a new way to enjoy coffeehouse-inspired refreshment at home.
Developed through the Global Coffee Alliance between Nestlé and Starbucks, Starbucks Refreshers Concentrates are designed to offer the fruity, refreshing experience associated with Starbucks Refreshers in a convenient format for home consumption. The concentrates can be mixed with water, milk or lemonade and served over ice, allowing consumers to create customized beverages based on their individual preferences.
Made with green coffee extract, the beverages contain light caffeine and are positioned as an alternative to traditional coffee for consumers looking for refreshment, flavor or an afternoon boost. The launch reflects a broader shift in beverage consumption, as consumers increasingly move between different types of drinks throughout the day and seek products that can fit a variety of occasions.
Expanding Beyond Traditional Coffee
Coffee continues to be an important part of consumers’ daily routines, but beverage preferences are becoming increasingly diverse. Consumers are looking for drinks that offer different flavors, levels of refreshment and opportunities for customization.
Starbucks Refreshers have benefited from this changing landscape. Over the past decade, the platform has developed from a seasonal-style offering into a major beverage category for Starbucks. The Refreshers platform is now valued at approximately $2 billion and has become the second best-selling beverage platform in Starbucks coffeehouses, behind espresso-based beverages.
The drinks have gained particular popularity because of their fruity flavor profiles, colorful appearance and versatility. Unlike traditional coffee beverages, Refreshers can appeal to consumers who want a beverage that feels lighter and more refreshing while still providing caffeine.
The introduction of Refreshers Concentrates extends that experience beyond Starbucks coffeehouses and into consumers’ kitchens.
“Consumers today move between different beverage occasions throughout the day, looking for recharge, refreshment, or enjoyment, depending on their needs,” said Ethel Touitou, Nestlé’s Global Category Lead for Starbucks.
According to Touitou, the popularity of Starbucks Refreshers has highlighted an opportunity to reach consumers beyond traditional coffee occasions. What began as a popular warm-weather beverage has developed into a broader refreshment choice, including for consumers looking for a midday pick-me-up.
With Refreshers Concentrates, Nestlé aims to give consumers a simple way to recreate a Starbucks-inspired beverage at home while supporting the continued expansion of the Starbucks brand into additional beverage occasions.
Strong Early Consumer Response
The new product has already generated significant consumer interest since its launch in the United States earlier this year.
Starbucks Refreshers Concentrates reportedly sold out on Amazon within one day of launch. The products also sold out in more than 1,000 Target stores within three days, highlighting the strong initial demand for the new at-home beverage format.
The early response indicates that consumers may be receptive to products that combine recognizable coffeehouse brands with the convenience and flexibility of consumer-packaged beverages.
The concentrates are currently offered in three fruit-forward flavors. Strawberry Açaí and Mango Dragonfruit are based on two popular Starbucks coffeehouse favorites, while Lime Watermelon was developed exclusively for the consumer-packaged goods market.
The three flavors provide consumers with different options for creating refreshing beverages at home. Depending on their preferences, shoppers can mix the concentrates with water, milk or lemonade and serve the drinks over ice.
This flexibility also supports the broader trend toward personalized beverage experiences, where consumers increasingly want to control the flavor, ingredients and preparation of their drinks.
Bringing Starbucks Experiences Into the Home
The launch represents another step in Nestlé and Starbucks’ strategy of translating popular coffeehouse products into consumer-packaged goods.
“Through the Global Coffee Alliance with Nestlé, we’re continuing to bring Starbucks coffeehouse favorites into consumers’ homes in innovative new ways,” said Nik Dhodi, Vice President Global Coffee Alliance at Starbucks.
Dhodi said the strong response to Starbucks Refreshers reflects growing consumer interest in refreshing, fruit-based beverages that can be enjoyed on different occasions.
Refreshers Concentrates are intended to make that experience more accessible outside Starbucks locations. The format also gives consumers greater control over how they prepare their drinks, allowing them to customize beverages according to their preferred taste and occasion.
For example, consumers can create a lighter beverage by mixing the concentrate with water, add milk for a different texture and flavor profile, or combine it with lemonade for a more vibrant and refreshing drink. Serving the beverages over ice further reinforces their positioning as an anytime refreshment option.
Building on the Global Coffee Alliance
Starbucks Refreshers Concentrates are part of a larger portfolio of Starbucks-branded products developed through the Global Coffee Alliance between Nestlé and Starbucks.
Established in 2018, the alliance combines Nestlé’s global scale, manufacturing capabilities and expertise in consumer-packaged goods with Starbucks’ established coffeehouse brand, product portfolio and heritage.
The partnership has enabled Starbucks-branded premium products to expand beyond the company’s coffeehouses and reach consumers through consumer-packaged goods and foodservice channels.
Today, Starbucks-branded products are available across CPG and foodservice channels in nearly 80 markets worldwide. The breadth of the portfolio demonstrates the potential for Starbucks to reach consumers during more occasions while giving Nestlé additional opportunities to grow the brand across international markets.
A Broader Beverage Opportunity
The launch of Refreshers Concentrates also highlights the increasing convergence between coffee, refreshment and flavored beverage categories.
Consumers are no longer necessarily choosing a single type of beverage throughout the day. Morning coffee may remain an important ritual, while fruit-based drinks, iced beverages and lightly caffeinated products can serve different occasions later in the day.
Starbucks Refreshers are well positioned within this evolving landscape because they combine recognizable flavors, caffeine and refreshment. By introducing the products in concentrate form, Nestlé and Starbucks are extending those characteristics into the home.
The early sales performance suggests that consumers are interested in having more Starbucks-inspired beverage options available through retail channels. The introduction of an exclusive consumer-packaged goods flavor, meanwhile, demonstrates how the companies can use the CPG channel to develop products that complement the existing coffeehouse portfolio.
As beverage occasions continue to diversify, Starbucks Refreshers Concentrates give Nestlé and Starbucks another opportunity to connect with consumers beyond the traditional coffeehouse visit. The launch strengthens the Global Coffee Alliance’s consumer-packaged goods portfolio while bringing a fast-growing Starbucks beverage platform into a convenient at-home format.
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