What Folgers Coffee does

The Folger Coffee Company, founded in 1850 and headquartered in the United States, is a manufacturer and marketer of roasted coffee products for at-home consumption. Wholly owned by The J.M. Smucker Company (NYSE: SJM) since its 2008 acquisition from Procter & Gamble, Folgers operates as a flagship brand within the parent's portfolio and roasts its coffee primarily at a New Orleans production facility. The company sells across four primary product forms — ground coffee, K-Cup pods, instant coffee, and single-serve packets — spanning mild to dark roast profiles and including specialty sub-brands (1850, Black Silk, Simply Smooth), flavored variants, and ready-to-drink canned beverages.

Folgers' go-to-market motion is traditional CPG: the brand is distributed through grocery chains, drug stores, and mass retailers nationwide, complemented by direct-to-consumer sales through the Smucker's Online Store. Walmart-exclusive SKUs such as the Mardi Gras Blend indicate channel-specific retail co-development. Revenue is generated through unit sales of physical coffee products at varying price points across retail channels; there is no disclosed subscription, SaaS, or licensing model, and pricing is not publicly disclosed. The brand reaches a horizontally segmented consumer base — general household drinkers as the primary segment, with secondary audiences among specialty enthusiasts and stomach-sensitive consumers.

Recent strategic activity centers on brand modernization through a multi-channel marketing campaign (CTV, online video, social media, Spotify audio) led by creative agencies BBH USA and PSOne, targeting younger consumers while preserving 175 years of brand equity anchored by the "Best Part of Wakin' Up" jingle. The company has expanded format breadth with ready-to-drink canned beverages and patriotic-themed limited-edition packaging tied to America's 250th anniversary, alongside continued investment in the 1850 premium sub-brand. There is no disclosed technology platform, software product, or AI/ML capability; core operations remain centered on coffee roasting, blending, packaging, and physical retail distribution within the continental United States.

Name

Folgers Coffee

Legal name

The Folger Coffee Company

Website

https://folgerscoffee.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1850

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Folgers Coffee, founded in 1850, is a J.M. Smucker-owned American coffee manufacturer producing ground, K-Cup, instant, and ready-to-drink coffees for at-home consumer consumption across U.S. retail channels and the Smucker's online store.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Packaged Coffee

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Instant Coffee & Coffee Extract Manufacturing (AFAFADAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

RTD Coffee Production (Non-Dairy/Non-Alcoholic) (AFAFABAE)

Keywords

• Ground coffee products
• Single serve pods
• Instant coffee crystals
• Premium roast coffee
• Consumer packaged goods

Headquarters

HQ city

Orrville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Coffee Product Sales: Sale of coffee products in multiple formats including ground coffee, K-Cup pods, instant coffee, and single-serve packets across various roast levels and flavors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Folgers Coffee manufactures and sells packaged coffee products for at-home consumption, offering ground coffee, K-Cup pods, instant coffee crystals, and single-serve packets across roast levels (mild to dark), decaffeinated varieties, flavored options, and a premium 1850 sub-brand. The portfolio also includes ready-to-drink canned coffee beverages and stomach-friendly Simply Smooth varieties, distributed through grocery, drug, and mass retailers plus Smucker's online store.

Product overview

Folgers Coffee offers a diversified portfolio of coffee products organized across four primary forms (Ground Coffee, K-Cup® Pods, Instant Coffee, and Single Serve Coffee) and multiple sub-brands. The core product line spans roast profiles from Mild to Dark, including Classic Roast, Black Silk, Colombian, Breakfast Blend, French Roast, Coffeehouse Blend, and Gourmet Supreme. Specialty sub-brands include 1850® (premium line using time-honored techniques), Simply Smooth® (stomach-friendly varieties), and Flavored coffees (French Vanilla, Toasty Hazelnut, Buttery Caramel). Ready-to-Drink canned beverages in Vanilla and Caramel flavors expand the portfolio into the portable coffee segment. The company also provides complementary recipe content and coffee education resources. All products are distributed through retail channels and the Smucker's Online Store, with K-Cup products requiring Keurig machine compatibility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 1850®: Premium coffee line using time-honored techniques backed by over 170 years of passion. Products include Trailblazer, Black Gold, and Expedition Blend.
• Black Silk
• Simply Smooth®
• Flavored Coffee

Products and services

• Ground Coffee Traditional ground coffee in multiple roast profiles (Mild, Medium, Medium-Dark, Dark) including Classic Roast, Black Silk, Colombian, Breakfast Blend, French Roast, Coffeehouse Blend, Gourmet Supreme, Simply Smooth, Mardi Gras Blend, and flavored options, sold for at-home brewing by U.S. consumers.
• K-Cup Pods Single-serve coffee pods compatible with Keurig coffee makers, available in the same variety of roasts and flavors as the ground coffee line including Black Silk, Classic Roast, Breakfast Blend, Colombian, 1850 variants, and flavored options.
• Instant Coffee Freeze-dried instant coffee crystals that dissolve in hot or cold water, available in Classic Roast, Classic Decaf, Black Silk, and specialty varieties for convenient single-cup preparation at home or on the go.
• Single Serve Coffee Individual portion coffee products including instant coffee packets, pre-measured coffee singles, and ready-to-drink canned beverages in Vanilla and Caramel flavors.
• Ready-to-Drink Canned Coffee Beverages 15 fl oz canned ready-to-drink sweetened coffee beverages with milk in Vanilla and Caramel flavors, sold for portable, on-the-go consumption.
• 1850 Premium Coffee Line Premium coffee line using time-honored roasting techniques backed by 170+ years of brand history, featuring varieties such as Trailblazer, Black Gold, and Expedition Blend in ground and K-Cup formats for consumers seeking a premium at-home coffee experience.
• Black Silk Coffee Distinctively dark roast with bold flavor and a silky-smooth finish, available in ground, K-Cup, and instant formats for consumers who prefer a bold coffee experience.
• Simply Smooth Coffee Coffee specially roasted to reduce certain irritants associated with stomach discomfort, with balanced, mellow flavor, available in regular and decaffeinated varieties for sensitive-stomach consumers.
• Flavored Coffee Artificially flavored coffee varieties including French Vanilla, Toasty Hazelnut, and Buttery Caramel, available in both ground and K-Cup formats for consumers seeking flavored at-home coffee.
• Mardi Gras Blend Coffee Medium-dark roast coffee with cocoa and caramel finish crafted to honor the vibrant spirit of New Orleans, in collaboration with local artist Kelli Laderer, sold exclusively at Walmart.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60% of taste test participants preferred Folgers Black Silk over Starbucks French Roast in blind test

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Keurig Green Mountain, Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationK-Cup pods are compatible with Keurig coffee makers. Keurig and K-Cup are trademarks of Keurig Green Mountain, Inc., used with permission by Folgers.
• BBH USAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative agency leading Folgers' campaign to modernize the 175-year-old brand for younger consumers through reimagined jingle combined with wake-up songs.
• PSOnecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgency responsible for creating Folgers' campaign that combines iconic jingle with seven wake-up songs from different decades.
• J.M. Smucker CompanycoreOthersParent company of Folgers Coffee. Operates Smucker's Online Store for direct product sales and produces Sundae Syrup products used in Folgers recipes.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Peet's Coffee: Peet's Coffee (JAB Holding) sells premium packaged coffee at retail and competes with Folgers' 1850 sub-brand. Its California heritage and emphasis on craft roasting represent the kind of premium positioning Folgers is attempting to capture.
• Dunkin' (Consumer Products): Dunkin' (Inspire Brands) sells packaged coffee, K-Cups, and ready-to-drink beverages at retail, directly competing with Folgers in mainstream coffee aisles and in the RTD coffee category. Dunkin' has stronger East Coast brand affinity but competes nationally on packaged goods.
• Starbucks (Consumer Products): Starbucks sells packaged retail coffee, K-Cup pods, and ready-to-drink beverages through grocery and retail channels, overlapping with Folgers across formats. Starbucks operates at premium price points and competes for at-home occasions, including through direct taste-test comparisons Folgers has cited.
• Nestlé Coffee (Nescafé / Nespresso): Nestlé's Nescafé brand competes with Folgers in instant and ground coffee globally, while Nespresso competes in premium single-serve. Nestlé's massive scale in coffee manufacturing, sourcing, and R&D makes it the most consequential global incumbent competing across Folgers' formats.

Direct peers

• Eight O'Clock Coffee: Eight O'Clock Coffee (Tata Consumer Products) is a value-positioned ground coffee brand sold in the same grocery aisles as Folgers. It competes most directly on price-conscious consumers in the eastern US with similar roast profiles and value proposition.
• Café Bustelo: Café Bustelo (J.M. Smucker) is a sibling Folgers brand under the same parent, competing in the Hispanic and espresso-style coffee segment. While not a direct one-to-one substitute, it competes for at-home coffee occasions and demonstrates the parent-company portfolio dynamics around Folgers.
• Keurig Dr Pepper: Keurig Dr Pepper manufactures Keurig brewers and is a key partner of Folgers for K-Cup pods, but also produces its own branded coffee (Green Mountain, Van Houtte, Timothy's) that directly competes on shelf. The K-Cup platform is a shared competitive battleground.
• Chock full o'Nuts: Chock full o'Nuts is a heritage New York-based coffee brand with a similar nostalgic, mass-market positioning to Folgers. It competes in the ground coffee category and has comparable heritage and value branding, particularly in the eastern US.
• Maxwell House: Maxwell House is Kraft Heinz's flagship mass-market ground coffee brand, directly competing with Folgers in the same grocery channel with similar roast profiles, formats, and value positioning. It is Folgers' closest 1:1 competitor in the at-home ground coffee category.

Regional players

• Lavazza: Lavazza is a major Italian coffee manufacturer growing its US retail presence with ground, whole bean, and K-Cup products. While Italy-rooted, it competes in the same grocery aisle as Folgers in the US and is comparable in its multi-format coffee manufacturing focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/folgers
• Instagraminstagram.com/folgers
• TikToktiktok.com/@folgers
• Xx.com/folgers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-folger-coffee-company-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Folgers Coffee