Changing lifestyles are influencing people's beverage preferences. Here's how you can stay ahead of the curve.
Reading time: 5 minutes
Soft drinks are fuelling huge growth for convenience. Savvy retailers are unlocking the £400m growth opportunity we identified in the 2023 Britvic Soft Drinks Review by staying ahead of the trends shaping the category.[1] So, with another new year nearly upon us, how will these trends evolve in 2024?
Trends can come. Trends can go. But every so often in soft drinks, super trends bubble up and change things for the long term. Lifestyles have changed hugely in recent years; these changes are influencing the drinks people want, as well as where, when and why they want to drink them.
Here’s our top 5 trends to tap into in the coming year…
Function is becoming as important as form in soft drinks. Just look at the rocketing sales of drinks marketed on their functional health benefits for proof. Whether it’s a morning vitamin boost, a post-gym protein hit or something to pick people up mid-afternoon, many shoppers are prepared to pay a premium for the right kind of functional health drinks.
Take the Purdey’s Natural Energy range – a trio of sparkling blends of fruit juice, botanicals and B vitamins – as a case in point.
We all know celebrity sells. But to strike a chord with your target audience, you need to find a star that shares the values of your brand and the people who buy it.
That’s why, this summer, Rockstar Energy Drink teamed up with global rap megastar Stormzy for an electrifying digital concert to celebrate the launch of Rockstar’s Press Play Platform. Watch this space for 2024…
One in three adults living in the UK now never or rarely drink alcohol. Just because they’re off the sauce, that doesn’t mean they’ll settle for second best. People want to be treated with premium soft drinks with exciting taste that are served in style.
We have plenty to keep generation moderation happy in Dry January 2024 and beyond. The new range of J2O Mocktails are a must-stock for any retailer that’s looking to appeal to shoppers on hunting for premium alcohol alternatives.
Relax, not those kind of shots! More evidence of the functional health super trend can be seen in the growth of Plenish health shots. The range of enlivening cold-pressed juice shots – fortified with ingredients such as the antioxidant spirulina, fiery ginger, gut-loving live bacteria, vitamin C and B vitamins – cross-promote perfectly with hot coffee and breakfast items to up morning spend.
With the cost-of-living crisis continuing to bite, staying in has officially become the new going out. That presents huge opportunities for convenience retailers that can position their food and drink ranges at people looking to enjoy big nights in with friends and family.
Here at Britvic, we’ve been busy developing products to help our retail partners capitalise on this change. Try promoting larger formats and multipacks of ever-popular fizzy drinks such as Pepsi MAX® or Tango Sugar-Free Orange, adult soft drinks like J2O or Britvic Mixers, paired with party snacks to help those nights go off with a bang.
For more guidance on how to maximise your soft drinks sales, read the 2023 Britvic Soft Drinks Review here.
[1] All figures cited in this article are from the 2023 Britvic Soft Drinks Review, unless otherwise stated.
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