Towne Club
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Towne Club is a local brand of soda, produced and sold primarily in the metropolitan area of Detroit, Michigan.
[edit] History
Towne Club Bottling Company does not have a known company website of its own, so little information is known about its history. The company first started selling its soda in the mid-1960's in its own retail outlets in Detroit, known as "pop centers". It was an affordable alternative to bigger brands such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi, and often sold well in Detroit's poorer neighborhoods.
However, this company carved out its niche by offering multiple flavors in both regular and diet varieties, in an attempt to rival its more powerful regional competitor, Faygo. The attempt proved successful, as Towne Club was able to expand its reach further North in Michigan, South into Central Indiana, as well as some parts of Northwestern Ohio.
The company began falling on hard times in the early 1980's, after the decision was made to close its retail pop centers, though Towne Club was still available. Sales continued to slide, not out of disloyalty, but buyers of the products were left wondering what outlets still sold it.
[edit] Comeback
Towne Club Bottling announced a comeback in the mid-1990's (though they had never really "left"), in an effort to make diehard fans of the soft drinks aware of where to purchase the products.
Returning in 1997, Towne Club had changed little of its product in terms of the product or its packaging. Unlike many of its mass-produced, multinational competitors, Towne Club sodas were still sold in 12 ounce returnable crowned glass bottles, which, in keeping with Michigan's deposit law, are worth ten cents each when returned to the retailer. The bottles required a standard bottle opener to be used in order to consume the product.
The Towne Club brand is now controlled by Intrastate Distributors, Inc., known as IDI, Inc. Within a couple of years, the Towne Club brands switched to plastic re-sealable bottles and new labeling. IDI also bottles other beverages such as Orange Crush, Vernors, and Stewart's Root Beer.
