Soft Drinks (Carbonated and Concentrated) Market Report 2006
Released on = April 16, 2007, 4:56 am
Press Release Author = Bharat Book Bureau
Industry = Marketing
Press Release Summary = Executive Summary
As a whole, the UK market for soft drinks is large and mature, and Key Note estimates that it was worth £9.18bn at retail selling prices (rsp) in 2005, a rise of 3.1% on 2004. Within this market, carbonated soft drinks were worth an estimated £5
As a whole, the UK market for soft drinks is large and mature, and Key Note estimates that it was worth £9.18bn at retail selling prices (rsp) in 2005, a rise of 3.1% on 2004. Within this market, carbonated soft drinks were worth an estimated £5.1bn at rsp, and concentrated soft drinks were worth an estimated £600m at rsp. Both of these types of soft drink have lost share of the total market, in which fruit juices, fruit-based drinks and bottled water have shown the strongest growth in recent years.
The problem for carbonates and concentrates, or `fizzy pop\' and `squash\', is that they do not carry the healthy-drinking message that consumers associate with water or pure juice. However, both categories are backed by large, innovative companies - including Coca-Cola and PepsiCo - and these suppliers continue to produce attractive `line extensions\' with a healthy and exciting appeal, particularly to young people. Examples of these extensions are Diet Coke with Lime, Pepsi Max Twist, Ribena Really Light and Robinsons Summer Fruits.
Coca-Cola, the world\'s largest consumer brand, is sold in the UK by Coca-Cola Enterprises Ltd, which also markets leading fruit carbonates such as Fanta and Sprite, mixers such as Schweppes and several other drinks categories. (A peculiarity of the UK market is that the largest indigenous soft drinks company, Cadbury Schweppes, has not competed since 1997, under a territorial agreement with Coca-Cola.) Second to Coca-Cola Enterprises is Britvic Soft Drinks Ltd, partly because it markets the PepsiCo range, but also because it has many strong indigenous brands, such as Tango (fruit carbonate) and Robinsons (the leading squash brand).
Within carbonates, the `energy\' category has shown strong growth, led by Lucozade and Red Bull. Like many modern brands, Lucozade and Red Bull are carefully targeted as `functional\' drinks - for sports participants or `clubbers\' - and the targeting of adults has become widespread as more people consume soft drinks instead of tea, coffee or alcohol.
Future growth will be more difficult to achieve for carbonates and concentrates, but there is always room for innovation as a result of the power of the multinationals, as well as the sheer number of distribution channels. The market for take-home drinks is driven by the powerful multiple grocers, with their vast aisles of drinks, and the many catering and `impulse\' outlets for carbonates, which include pubs, fast-food restaurants, petrol stations and vending machines in leisure venues.
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