After almost 60 years on the shelf, Coca-cola has announced that they will be discontinuing the company’s first diet cola, TAB. Coca-cola ending the sales of TAB is just one of many drinks the company plans to discontinue in efforts to trim it’s offering.
According to CNBC.com, the Coronavirus Pandemic has accelerated Coke’s efforts to trim down their portfolio. Coke saw a 33% decline in sales during the pandemic. Coke’s CEO James Quincey, who has served as CEO since 2017, is hopeful to exit the pandemic stronger than before.
“It’s about continuing to follow the consumer and being very intentional in deciding which of our brands are most deserving of our investments and resources, and also taking the tough but important steps to identify those products that are losing relevance and therefore should exit the portfolio,” Cath Coetzer, Coke’s global head of innovation and marketing operations, said in a statement.
Coke is also ending production of Zico coconut water, Odwalla products, Coca-Cola Life, and Diet Coke Fiesty Cherry. Coke is now betting on Diet Coke and Coke Zero Sugar as the company’s premier sugar-free offering.