Starbucks launches rival single-serve system Verismo

Starbucks Coffee Company announced on 8 March that it will launch an at-home premium single cup machine the Verismo system this fall.  “The premium single-cup segment is the fastest-growing business within the global coffee industry,” said Howard Schultz, Starbucks Chairman, President and CEO, in a statement. ”We have long believed that the biggest prize within the segment is a high-pressure system that would give us the opportunity to deliver Starbucks-quality espresso beverages at home and at work for customers who desire the Starbucks espresso experience outside of our stores.” The system is being created through a strategic relationship with privately-held, Germany-based Krueger GmbH & Co. KG. The company says it will market and sell the premium Verismo system by Starbucks and Starbucks-sourced 100 per cent Arabica coffee and milk pods starting this fall. Just in time for the upcoming holiday season, Verismo system by Starbucks will be sold online and at select Starbucks retail stores, as well as specialty retailers across the United States, Canada, and in select international markets. Espresso and brewed coffee pods will initially be available in a full range of Starbucks roast spectrums, along with a variety of milk pods. “The combination of Starbucks coffee authority and our technology and development expertise will enable Starbucks to deliver the quality and taste expectations in the cup that millions of people all over the world have come to expect from Starbucks,” said Marc Krueger, Member of the Krueger GmbH & Co. KG management board.  Starbucks stated that its introduction of Verismo system advances the company's plan to offer a full portfolio of premium single cup alternatives and experiences to customers. Starbucks entered the premium single-cup market with Starbucks VIA Ready Brew instant coffee in 2009 through a relationship with Green Mountain Coffee Roasters to provide Starbucks K-Cup packs beginning last fall. In the first eight weeks following that launch, Starbucks shipped more than 100 million Starbucks K-Cup packs. “We now have the opportunity to reach millions of customers who have been looking and waiting for a uniquely Starbucks solution in the fast-growing premium single cup coffee market with a coffee quality, taste, roast variety and design sensibility that is consistent with Starbucks brand and reputation,” said Jeff Hansberry, President, Channel Development for Starbucks.