Starbucks is again embracing a tinier serving for one of the coffee giant’s most well-known beverages.
The company on Monday announced the return of the Mini Frappuccino, which is returning for a limited time starting today in U.S. and Canadian stores. The 10-ounce serving size is available in all flavors that Starbucks (SBUX) sells for the blended cold beverage. The “tall,” traditionally the smallest beverage size, is 12 ounces.
Starbucks first debuted the Mini Frappuccino last year as a way to give consumers a way to enjoy the treat with less of a commitment in terms of calories. The Mini has 120 calories and 24 grams of sugar, less than the 180 calories and 36 grams of sugar in a tall.
There has been a broader move by food and beverage makers to offer smaller packages for a variety of snacks, sodas and other less healthy treats that consumers have increasingly cut back on. In particular, the soda industry has heavily marketed smaller cans at a time when industry sales have declined for more than a decade in the U.S.
A smaller Frap, while a short time offer, could help boost sales again. Last year after it was offered, Starbucks President and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Johnson told Wall Street analysts that Mini Frappuccinos and a few other beverage innovations added to sales growth for the spring quarter’s results and were also performing ahead of expectations.
