Juicero: We cannot go on as a standalone business

By Elaine Watson

- Last updated on GMT

Juicero: We cannot go on as a standalone business
“You’ve validated that there is national demand for easier access to fresh produce and hassle-free cold-press juicing,” said Juicero in a letter to ‘loyal customers and partners’ posted on its website on September 1. 

Not sufficient demand, however, to keep the company in business, admitted the company, which is suspending the sale of its Juicero press and produce packs and seeking a buyer “with an existing national fresh food supply chain who can carry forward the Juicero mission."

While the mess-free countertop juicer brand had seen a five-fold increase in consumer adoption after dropping its price tag from $699 to $399 earlier this year, and was apparently working on a second iteration with an even “more attractive​” price point, “It became clear that creating an effective manufacturing and distribution system for a nationwide customer base requires infrastructure that we cannot achieve on our own as a standalone business,” ​said the letter​.

Speaking to FoodNavigator-USA in March​, CEO Jeff Dunn acknowledged that the initial price tag of the wifi-enabled juicers – which allowed consumers to select a refrigerated pack of finely chopped fresh organic fruits and veggies and ‘cold-press’ an 8oz cup of juice with zero mess –  was too high, but claimed that the new $399 ticket price had put it “in the game​.”

The price tag per produce pack ($5-7 depending on the juice), would also come down “across the board”​ as the 'Keurig for juice' business built scale, predicted the company, which was widely mocked after reporters revealed​ that the packs could just as easily be squeezed by hand, without a $400 press.

According to Crunchbase​, Juicero has raised $118.5m in four rounds from investors including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Campbell Soup Company.

Reader Juicero's statement in full HERE.

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1 comment

Flawed approach

Posted by HJ,

The approach has flaws from beginning, it seems to be delivering the crushed/chopped or shredded veggies (I am not sure as I never used it, only saw pictures), but if someone can squeeze out juice with bare hands it has to be some sort of finely shredded mush – right. Now if there was pulp of some kind then enzymes come out of cells (if vegetable was fresh) and start the process of degradation (you can still slow down that by cooling, but to an extent). In addition key nutrients like vitamin C, folic acid degrades pretty quick over days of storage and transport. So even with all costly stuff, refrigeration, did the people Got nutrition when they pressed that button or it was green liquid only … It wasn’t sustainable was of juicing anyways, too much processing, too much food and energy wastage …

NASA archives locking in almost all nutrients in their food (fruits/vegetables) by freeze drying which sucks out almost all water in gentle way by cooling to -50 degree centigrade and vacuuming. This Locks in nutrition, texture, flavor taste, think of 100 grams strawberry turning into ~8 grams, still looking same from outside, with nutrition preserved for years to come, no need to pasteurize or add preservatives. No wasted pulp with fibers/nutrients.

There is a company Little Juice Inc. running a project now for funding at kickstarter, they are using exactly same technology as NASA for juices. It is a sustainable way for future. It is a powdered form drink thus non perishable and great for people with active lifestyle – hiker, campers, runners …

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/littlejuice/little-juice-the-future-of-juicing/description?ref=family.go2.fund&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=family.go2.fund

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