Depot live: Tropicana – No need to chill
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In addition to delivering on taste, trust and value, Tropicana’s bestselling juice range also makes life easier for wholesalers and retailers with ambient format
Photography: Roy Kilcullen
There is no doubt that fruit juice is a staple product in households up and down the UK. A fact that is backed up by data, as a Mintel survey revealed earlier this year that half of UK adults drink fruit juice at least once a week. Hardly surprising, then, that for wholesalers, retailers and out-of-home operators, stocking the right juice brands results in a tasty sales opportunity for the entire supply chain.
Established in 1947, Tropicana was founded with one goal: to make the freshest juice available to everyone. Now, almost 80 years later, the brand continues to choose just four varieties of orange, all of which are handpicked at the optimum moment and squeezed within 24 hours to prioritise taste and freshness.
And this focus has paid off, as Tropicana has not only been voted the best-tasting juice by UK consumers [1], but it has also been voted the most-trusted fruit juice brand [2]. For wholesalers, it’s no surprise that Tropicana is also the top-selling juice brand in independents and symbols [3], making it an essential brand to be stocking to support retailers to deliver what customers want.
However, what wholesalers and their customers may not realise is that Tropicana has changed its format to make life easier to stock and sell its products. As a result, its bestselling core range of single serve and take-home packs of juice are now available in ambient format.
“By making our bestselling products ambient, not only does this remove the need to keep products stored in chillers in the depot and then in store, but it also means it offers a longer shelf-life,” says Emma Sutton, Shopper Marketing Manager – Impulse, Tropicana Brands (pictured above).
“Wholesalers can now stock Tropicana products alongside other soft drinks in the depot, making it easier for retailers to navigate and shop the category,” she continues. “And to make life easier, retailers can also stock up, especially when products are on promotion, to ensure they always have availability. Add in the longer shelf life, and it’s a win-win for everyone, especially as we know that one of the continuing trends in convenience is for on-the-go refreshment, which Tropicana single serve juice and Sparkling cans deliver.”
The brand’s bold decision to shift to ambient makes perfect sense. While chilled juice has seen a decline in sales, the ambient juice category has seen sustained growth since the pandemic and this shows no sign of slowing down. Now worth more than £907m [1], the ambient juice category is growing twice as fast as its chilled juice counterparts. [2] Since the launch of the new ambient range, Tropicana has been named as the fastest growing ambient juice brand in the UK.
“The success of the range proves that taste remains the number one driver when it comes to soft drinks,” says Emma. “With health and wellbeing influencing purchasing decisions, as well as the shift towards all-natural ingredients, Tropicana is the perfect choice as it ticks all of the boxes that are important for consumers right now.”
It makes a great choice for retailers to stock up on too, as not only does it deliver what consumers want, but as the packs are available plain and pricemarked, retailers can be assured that the range communicates value to customers.
SPARKLING SALES
To spread the word about its ambient range, Tropicana took its bestselling single-serve orange and apple juice and Tropicana Sparkling out on the road, visiting wholesale depots including Bestway’s Park Royal depot to talk to independent retailers and let them try the range for themselves.
For convenience retailer Josh, the news that Tropicana was available ambient came as a surprise: “I’ve always bought Tropicana and stored it straight in the chiller. I’ve noticed lots of consumers are opting to drink less alcohol and my soft drinks sales have taken off in a big way, including fruit juice. Customers love the taste of Tropicana, and they love the price, so this is great news that I can stock up rather than buy one case at a time.”
“When I think of fruit juice, I don’t think of any other brand than Tropicana,” says Naz, an independent convenience retailer (pictured above). “My customers don’t look for any other brand in store, and when I’ve tried other brands, I’ve gone back to Tropicana every time. In fact, I even drink Tropicana orange juice every day – I love it!
“By moving to ambient packs, Tropicana still offers the same great taste and the same great value for my customers, but it’s so much easier for me to stock, so I’m happy!”
Sources: [1] Most trusted brand – BrandSpark and Newsweek, 2025; [2] Fastest-selling ambient juice brand – Nielsen Value/Volume Independents & Symbols Longlife Fruit Juices FC/ NFC 52 w/e 24/08/24; [3] Number 1 juice brand in independents and symbols: The New Fieldwork Company, 2024
activation Depot Emma Sutton retailers Soft Drinks Tropicana video
