Why Dunkin' Donuts K-Cups Aren't Selling
K-cup demand is on the rise, but Dunkin' Donuts can't quite conquer the market
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Sales of K-cups, those little plastic pods for Keurig single-serve coffee brewers, have been on a tear in recent years. Which makes it all the more surprising that Dunkin' Donuts, beloved across the U.S. for its coffee, is struggling to sell K-cups of its own.
Despite the launch of a new dark roast variety in the fall, Dunkin' Brands Chief Executive Officer Nigel Travis said at a conference on Monday that the company's K-cups "had double digit negatives" last quarter. In other words, sales fell by more than 10 percent. K-cup sales by Keurig Green Mountain, in contrast, increased 13 percent in fiscal year 2014.