From Powder to Powerhouse: How Concentrates are Quenching Thirsts and Boosting Profits
Erwin Henriquez
Concentrates are becoming increasingly popular due to their affordability and specific functional benefits. While they are generally still a cheaper alternative to ready-to-drink beverages, consumers are now seeking more premium powder mix options with health, flavour, sugar reduction, convenience, and functionality as the main drivers.
Top Three Soft Drinks Trends in 2024
Howard Telford
After sharp retail price increases over the last two years, global soft drinks volume dipped significantly in 2023. Value-focused consumers are shifting into large format warehouse clubs, hard discounters and trading back to private label or B-brands in some categories. Yet a new value equation means more than simply seeking lower prices, with opportunities created by alternative formats, new functional need-states and category blurring premium innovation.
Mindful Drinking: No/Lo Comes of Age
Spiros Malandrakis
Functionality cues are increasingly replacing simplistic dealcoholisation approaches, and botanical alchemy and molecular experimentation with new ingredients are making the no/lo landscape one of the most innovative and exciting in the alcohol ecosystem. It is here to stay.
North American Soft Drinks Volume Under Pressure from Price Increases
Erwin Henriquez
North American retail soft drinks volumes have been characterised by modest growth over the last decade. The industry saw its next big disruptor in 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic. With consumers shifting away from so many on-trade channels and on-the-go or convenience channels, consumption patterns accelerated growth in retail volume.
Top Drink Trends at the IFT FIRST Conference
Nik Allen
As explored in Euromonitor International’s recent food-focused article, the Institute of Food Technologist’s (IFT) annual conference highlights the newest developments in food and ingredient production, research, and innovation. While the primary focus of the conference was on trends and breakthroughs in the food industry, the implications of the findings and concerns in the edible space hold relevance in the potable space. The nutritional trends and expansive academic studies warrant a closer look.
Monitoring NPD for Successful Innovation in Soft Drinks
Euromonitor International
Tracking and monitoring NPD is a vital part of innovation strategy. Understanding where innovation is happening and who is innovating allows companies to benchmark with their portfolios and identify where opportunities lie. Using the newly developed NPL tool, Euromonitor identified Singapore as a continued hub for innovation in soft drinks.
Soft Drinks in the Americas: How Gen Z is Investing in Health
Rodrigo Mattos
As Gen Z will become the main consumer force in the future, it is important to understand how they are building their habits and preferences. At the same time, there is a fast evolution in the soft drinks industry to move away from the old perception of it being unhealthy, towards more health and wellness products.
Three Challenges To Delivering Consumer Need States
Shane MacGuill
Outcome-orientated, need states positioning is more and more visible across fmcg industries, as brand owners expand the framework into an increasingly divergent range of categories. Consumers are increasingly primed to focus on the desired outcome or intention of their consumption, with nuance, and are beginning their purchase and consumption journeys working back from this point.
Manufacturer Strategies to Mitigate Inflation in African Soft Drinks Market
Christopher Day
The Sub-Saharan African (SSA) soft drinks industry has been subject to high rates of inflation in 2022, causing a shift in manufacturer strategies to offset rising input costs. This article will provide an overview of rising prices of soft drinks in SSA, with a focus on carbonates, water and energy drinks. Thereafter, several key strategies – such as shrinkflation, localisation, price point management and promotions – will be discussed, to show how manufacturers can reduce the impact of inflation on their profit margins.