Dunkin’ to drop ‘Donuts’ from brand’s name

DUNKIN’ Brands Group Inc. is dropping the word “Donuts” from its flagship brand, becoming the latest company to signal a fresh approach with a new name.

The move is part of the chain’s increased focus on beverages, which represent 60% of sales. Coffee makes up the “overwhelming majority” of those beverage sales, Dunkin Chief Executive Dave Hoffmann said during a call with reporters. It comes at a time of increasing competition in the coffee industry. Businesses as diverse as gasoline stations and supermarkets are hawking coffee in cans, bottles and carafes.

“It’s a new day at Dunkin’,” Mr. Hoffmann said.

Starting next January, Dunkin’ Brands’ advertising, packaging, website and other public communications will use the name “Dunkin’ ,” the parent company of the beverage-and-pastry chain said Tuesday. As stores are remodeled, the new logo will be featured in all exterior and interior signage, according to the company.

Shares in Dunkin’ Brands rose 1.3% at $73.79 on Tuesday.

Dunkin’ Brands, based in Canton, Mass., joins a range of companies that have decided to spotlight new products and strategies by rolling out a name change. On Monday, Weight Watchers International Inc. said it would rebrand as WW to emphasize the company’s commitment to health and wellness.

The Dunkin’ Brands chain has been working to transform its shops to appeal to customers in a hurry, with new store designs featuring drive-through lanes just for mobile orders and screens inside displaying orders so customers can get their drinks more quickly.

The company has been considering the name change for some time. In August 2017, Dunkin’ Brands said it was testing the shorter Dunkin’ name at a new store in Pasadena, Calif., according to an Associated Press report at the time.

The name change “positions us as a more dynamic, on-the-go brand,” said Chief Marketing Officer Tony Weisman.

Dunkin’ Brands said Tuesday that doughnuts will “remain a significant focus for the brand.” The company sells over 2.9 billion doughnuts and doughnut holes each year around the world.

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