Starbucks & Danone Join Forces to Create Specialty Yogurt

Seattle, WA-based Starbucks Coffee Company and Danone, Paris, France, have joined in a strategic agreement to offer a jointly created and developed selection of new specialty yogurt products in participating Starbucks stores and in grocery channels. This will advance Danone’s ambition to expand yogurt consumption in the U.S., while growing Starbucks’ health and wellness offerings for its customers under the company’s Evolution Fresh brand. A new portfolio will include ready-to-eat Parfait Greek yogurt products co-created by Starbucks and Danone for exclusive distribution in the U.S. Starbucks will offer the products through its stores in spring 2014, and Danone in grocery channels in 2015. The companies are planning to extend distribution to include targeted markets around the world in a second phase that builds upon the success of the U.S. initiative.

Beyond this initiative, Starbucks and Danone will seek additional ways to leverage joint opportunities across other products and markets.