A second syrup, or more of the first

Why it is cheaper here

A syrup at a proper density is outside the acidified foods regime, so there is no scheduled process to establish per formulation. A second flavor or a second size costs artwork, label stock and the work of keeping another thing consistent. That is a real cost and it is an order of magnitude below a filing.

Which does not make it free

Every product is another thing to make, store, sell and explain, and shelf space at a retailer is finite. A shop will usually take more of a syrup that sells before it takes a second one from the same maker, which is the same answer the acidified crafts reach by a different route.

Where the extension earns its place

When it answers an objection to the first rather than filling a gap on your own shelf: a gift size for a product only sold in a retail bottle, a bulk format for a restaurant already buying the small one, a lighter or darker class for a buyer who asked. Each has a customer identified before the money is spent.

For a seasonal product it is also a calendar decision

A maple operation has eleven months where the evaporator is idle. A formulated syrup can be made in any of them, which makes the second product a way to use the year rather than only a way to widen the range. It is also a different craft, and the pages here say which is which.

More volume of the first has a ceiling here

For a seasonal concentrated syrup, making more is not a decision so much as a question of raw material and evaporator capacity, both of which take a year to change. That is a real difference from a formulated product, where making more is next week. It is also the honest reason a maple operation reaches for a second product earlier than its margins suggest it should.

References