Keurig Green Mountain’s long awaited single-serve cold beverage system is officially on the market.
The company says beginning today, the Keurig Kold system is for sale on its website and will be available from select retailers in six cities beginning in October.
The company’s announcement did not provide information about when the system would go into more widespread distribution.
With a price tag $369.99, the Kold system is significantly more expensive than its hot beverage counterpart.
Speaking to a meeting of investors and industry analysts in May, Keurig CEO Brian Kelley said, “We’re very confident in the pricing. Consumers see this very, very differently than a coffee machine.”
Analysts have expressed concern that the price may be prohibitively high.
Keurig is hoping to tap into a cold drink market that is considerably larger than the market for hot beverages.
The system will dispense both carbonated and non-carbonated sodas, flavored waters, iced teas and sports beverages, using single-serve pods. The company says the 8-ounce drink pods will retail for $4.49 - $4.99 for a box of four.
In 2014, Keurig announced a partnership with Coca Cola, which made Coke the company’s largest shareholder. Keurig is also building a large manufacturing facility to produce KOLD systems in Coca Cola's home state of Georgia.
In addition to Coca Cola, Keurig has partnered with the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group to produce beverages for the new system.
Keurig Green Mountain’s fortunes have flagged recently as hot system sales have slowed, also affecting K-Cup sales.
In August the company cut 330 jobs at its North American operations, including 200 positions in Vermont.
