As consumer demand for premium ready-to-drink (RTD) cold coffee increases, suppliers are encouraging retailers to offer a range that contains less sugar and focuses on provenance to increase sales.

Simon Harrison, customer marketing director at Coca-Cola European Partners, said the RTD UK coffee market is growing at 20% year on year, and its new premium Honest Coffee range has organic credentials to appeal to shoppers looking for natural coffee drinks.

“The 42.5% coffee content and lower sugar delivers a taste profile that is less sweet than some RTD coffees, appealing to consumers who want a more authentic cold coffee,” he said.

A spokesperson for cold coffee manufacturer Minor Figures, said millennials are more educated on the provenance of coffee and “coffee terminology” than ever, and are therefore looking for RTD cold coffee that boasts better quality.

Harvinder Singh Thiara, of Marty’s Convenience in Birmingham, said he stocks Starbucks’ RTD coffee cans because people are willing to spend money on premium, well-known coffee brands.

“In the past 12 to 18 months, people have become more health-conscious, so they’ll check the label to look at the sugar content,” he said.