Subway stores to cut almost four billion calories from Great British diets

Following new beverage contract with Britvic and PepsiCo

From July 2016 to July 2017ⁱ SUBWAY stores will have removed around 3.7ⁱⁱ Billion calories from Great British diets, after converting to Britvic and PepsiCo beverages. This new partnership provides all customers with a broader product range whilst significantly reducing their overall calorie and sugar intake.

The dynamic design of the new drinks fountains and fridge displays encourages customers to choose more low/no sugar options. This has led to an increase in customers choosing to purchase no sugar Pepsi Max® or Diet Pepsi® over full sugar cola in stores. The stores have also switched from full sugar Lemon Lime carbonated soft drink to only offering 7Up Free, ‘no sugar’ as a dispensed option as well as switching from a full sugar orange choice to Britvic’s lower sugar Orange Tango.

As well as nudging consumers towards healthier choices of carbonated favourites, the SUBWAY® brand has added Britvic’s iconic no added sugar Robinsons squash to the dispense options, enabling customers to enjoy their favourite household drink on the go for the first time in the UK. Britvic’s no added sugar Fruit Shoot and low calorie Drench also provide no/low sugar options for kids and adults.

By choosing Britvic and PepsiCo’s portfolio of beverages, the SUBWAY® brand has achieved an overall 30% reduction in calorie consumption in total, which can be extrapolated out, on average, of a removal of almost Two Million (1,702,327) calories per store annually.

In addition, the brand has launched a new low/no sugar beverage trial across 12 hospital sitesⁱⁱⁱ. This inaugural trial will help SUBWAY® stores and beverage partners Britvic and PepsiCo determine the shift in customer behaviour and sales impact that removing high sugar beverages and switching to no sugar and Reduced Sugar dispensed^ivor bottled^voptions only, will have in these environments.

Peter Dowding, Country Director for the for the SUBWAY® brand UK and Ireland said: “The Partnership with PepsiCo and Britvic has enabled us to offer our customers healthier drink options without compromising on quality or taste, reinforcing the strong healthier-for-you food-on-the-go credentials the brand already has in place. It further demonstrates our commitment to providing a better food environment and choice to our customers whilst aiding franchisees to build better businesses.”

Sacha Clark, Marketing Director for the SUBWAY® brand UK and Ireland commented “We’re proud that we have successfully removed almost four Billion calories from GB diets. It proves that our customers are open to lower sugar and healthier diet options so we will continue with initiatives and partnerships that aim to reduce calorie and sugar consumption in GB.”

Paul Graham, GB Managing Director of Britvic comments: “The removal of 3.7 Billion calories from SUBWAY® stores clearly shows the major impact we can deliver for our customers and consumers, both with our own brands and as the bottler for PepsiCo in the UK. We’re proud to see our industry-leading low and no sugar portfolio in action to drive change and nudge consumers towards healthier choices. Having started out in the 1930s as the British Vitamin Company, bringing an affordable source of vitamins to British people, health is in our DNA and this deal demonstrates our continued commitment to making life’s every day moments healthier and more enjoyable.”

Mark Elwell, General Manager of PepsiCo Beverages UK added: “With a shared ambition and singular focus on encouraging healthier consumption habits, we have partnered with the SUBWAY® brand to harness the expertise and innovation of our no sugar brands Pepsi MAX® and 7Up Free® to encourage people to switch from full sugar to low/no sugar beverage alternatives.

“We strongly believe there are still further significant opportunities for PepsiCo and Britvic to do in nudging SUBWAY® stores’ consumers to make healthier choices both through product and dispense innovations and bespoke and powerful Pepsi MAX® marketing campaigns.”

All SUBWAY^® stores in GB carry the following information: 

• Calorie labelling on menu panels
• Nutritional posters displayed in-store highlighting calories, fat, saturates, sugars and salt
• Low Fat logo next to Low Fat Subs
• Heart Research UK ‘heart’ logo,  which supports a customer’s choice of a Low Fat Sub
• 2 of your 5 a day apple logo
• Messaging that all Subs can be made into a salad

ⁱ In July 2016, 2,195 SUBWAY® stores in GB transitioned to PepsiCo and Britvic beverages which included low and no sugar varieties and non-carbonated varieties such as Lipton Iced Tea and Robinsons.