Starbucks Jumping Into Greek Yogurt Craze

Starbucks is looking to get in on the Greek yogurt craze. The Seattle-based coffee company will partner with French food and beverage company Danone to offer Greek yogurt parfaits. Starbucks will begin selling the ready-to-eat cups in spring 2014 in its U.S. cafés, replacing the yogurt cups currently sold by the coffee chain. The financial terms of the multi-year deal were not disclosed. Greek Yogurt has a thicker texture and a tarter flavor and has gained popularity over the past few years. According to Bernstein Research, it now accounts for a third or more of the overall market. Greek yogurts are more nutritious and have less sugar than those sold in American supermarkets. It introduced Oikos Greek Yogurt in 2011. Starbucks Corp. and Danone claim that distribution will eventually be expanded to targeted markets outside the U.S. Companies did not disclose pricing information or product details. The move builds on Starbucks’ efforts to improve its food. The company has introduced Evolution Fresh juices and plans to introduce new baked goods this year. Recently, new sandwiches and salads have been introduced.