The premium soft drinks and mixes category is worth a staggering £517 million according to a market report by drinks maker Fentimans.
The report produced in association with CGA insight offers a unique insight into the premium soft drinks and mixers market in the UK. As the most comprehensive evaluation yet, the report combines Fentimans’ deep knowledge of premium drinks with in-depth data and authoritative analysis from research consultancy CGA, as well as expert opinions of influencers, taste makers and leaders within the drinks industry.
The premium soft drinks and mixer category has grown 33% versus last year and is now worth a huge £517 million, accounting for 11.5% of the total category. Staggeringly this equates to nearly 12p of every £1 spent on soft drinks and mixers in the on-trade0. Fentimans further expands on this data, providing valuable insights for on-trade outlets to consider when developing their drinks offerings.
The report also highlights a strong year for the drinks led pub sector revealing that drink sales in the drink led pub sector increased by 6% to £7.3 billion, and in the drink sales in the food led sector sales increased by 4.7% to £10.1 billion. Drink sales in bars and clubs increased by a modest 0.2% to £12.6 billion.
The top five non-alcoholic drink categories by value are
• mixers £323.1 million
• juice £50.2 million
• flavoured carbonates £47.1 million
• water £43.1 million
• lemonade £36.5 million
The report looks at the market from two points of view: that of consumers and their evolving needs and that of the businesses and brands that serve them. It explores consumer themes such as the rise of the everyday connoisseur, the need for memorable ‘insta’ moments and the increasing demand for healthy options such as no/low alcohol offerings. As well as highlighting on-trade market trends for outlets such as consumer drinking experiences, wellness of employees, sustainability and use of plastics.
In addition to the current findings, the report gazes into the future, predicting drinks trends we might see over the next few years. Some exciting findings that will undoubtedly inspire the market include the look to Japanese ingredients and styles in response to the country hosting 2020’s Olympics and Rugby World Cup, the increased use of fermentation in drinks, and the growing trend of using citrus alternatives like yuzu and bergamot.
Andrew Jackson, marketing director at Fentimans commented: “Set against a backdrop of continual change and the need to imagine what the future may look like, the inaugural Fentimans market report aims to stimulate thinking and provide relevant market intelligence to help operators who work in the industry make better business decisions and contribute towards shaping their future.”
