Capri-Sun has been squeezed out of Co-op stores and Nisa wholesale as part of a commercial spat between the firms, Better Retailing understands.

Capri-Sun Group began taking over distribution of its products from Coca-Cola European Partners at the end of March. While all other major supermarkets and wholesalers secured new commercial agreements to continue stocking the brand, sources confirmed Co-op has so far failed to do the same.

Retailers told Better Retailing nearly all Capri-Sun products had disappeared from Nisa’s ordering platform while the products were also missing from several Co-op stores.

A message from a Nisa employee, seen by Better Retailing confirmed: “Capri-Sun has been removed from the range for commercial reasons and a review of the brands performance within the market. We are continuing to monitor the brand’s performance over the coming months post this change.”

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Despite Nisa blaming the brand’s performance, Better Retailing’s What To Stock guide, based on data from thousands of independent stores, shows Capri-Sun was the fourth best-selling juice line in 2023, generating £5.06 in sales for the average local shop. Capri-Sun Cherry 330ml also featured in the top 25 best-selling lines.

One Nisa retailer told Better Retailing: “Three or four weeks ago they were delisted just as we were going into the key season. Capri-Sun is one of our standout performers out of thousands of soft drink lines, so for them to say it’s due to poor performance just doesn’t ring true.

“I spoke to Capri-Sun and they told me that Co-op were pushing them hard on the commercials, putting the squeeze on them.

“The questions are, why are Nisa delisting the product because of a co-op dispute? is there not autonomy in Nisa buying any more? And what will the benefits be of this dispute for Nisa stores now missing some of their best selling lines?”

Asked about the disagreement, a Capri-Sun Group spokesperson told Better Retailing: ““We’ve sold millions of pouches annually with Co-op throughout our partnership together. We are on the start of our journey as an independent supplier and of course we would love to have them with us as we work towards growing the kids drinks category.”

The Co-op declined to comment.

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