As sales drivers go, energy continues to lead the way with innovation and trend setting.
By Elena Dimama
The energy drinks segment remains a huge sales driver for convenience stores, with the category having enjoyed a whopping 18.9% year-on-year growth, according to Nielsen.
Within that, the sports drink segment has also experienced a huge 63.3% uplift year-on-year, in the latest 13 weeks to 1 April 2023.
“Energy has established itself as one of the biggest growth drivers in soft drinks, and that shows no sign of slowing down. In 2022, energy drinks added more than £210m to the category and saw sales value increase by 14.2%,” Amy Burgess, Senior Trade Communications Manager at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) tells SLR.
The category is also helped by price-marked packs, especially this past year when the cost-of-living crisis has squeezed disposable incomes. “The stimulation market is the fastest growing soft drinks segment in recent years and new packs will showcase a new £1 PMP to help retailers drive value in their range at a time when consumers are price-conscious,” Matt Gouldsmith, Channel Director, Wholesale, Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I, notes.
Sugar down
“The long-term trend towards drinks with lower sugar shows no sign of stopping,” Gouldsmith ex-plains, “with consumers becoming much more aware of their health and wellbeing. The low- and no-calorie segment continues to perform brilliantly, accounting for almost 48.3% of total soft drink sales.”
To make sure it stays on-trend, Lucozade has launched its new Lucozade Sport Zero Sugar, moving the brand into the low- and no-sugar segment, which accounts for almost 48.3% of total soft drinks sales, according to Nielsen. Available in Orange & Peach and Raspberry & Passion Fruit flavours, Lu-cozade Sport Zero Sugar contains 4kcal per serving and zero sugar, and is designed to appeal to con-sumers who do not currently buy into the Lucozade Sport brand.
Promising future
Summertime is a prime opportunity for independent retailers to promote their sports and energy drinks ranges, as a number of outdoor events could boost sales.
“Marketing campaigns and sponsorships of sports events such as Formula 1, World Cup, and out-door sports including wind surfing, cliff diving and rock climbing give additional sales for sports drinks identified to consumers for extreme sports, like the Red Bull brand,” Bestway tells SLR.
“In the UK, sports events such as football, rugby, the London marathon and Wimbledon, along with summer music festivals and food & drink festivals are among the key events where consumers pur-chase energy drinks during the warm weather to keep hydrated.”
The King’s Coronation, in the meantime, is a major national event ideally placed to attract shoppers outdoors, purchasing NPDs and creating their own drinks at home, using energy and sports drinks as mixers.
- Provide an appealing range of low- and no-sugar energy and sports drinks to meet the needs of shoppers looking for healthier options.
- Ensure healthier choice soft drinks are easy to find when shoppers are browsing the catego-ry.
- Group similar products together and position top-selling segments at eye level for ease of shop.
- Locate Everyday Energy next to Carbs and Stimulation drinks. These products meet both en-ergy and refreshment needs, and are often considered substitutes.
- Many shoppers are value-conscious; price-marked packs provide shopper confidence and should be considered as part of your range.
Stay awake
According to recent Suntory data, 75% of adults have reported concerns about tiredness, while the stimulation drinks segment remains the fastest-growing soft drinks segment in recent years.
“The Lucozade Alert range responds to a clear consumer need, as a high caffeine energy drink with Vitamin B3 to help combat tiredness, from the trusted brand Lucozade,” Gouldsmith notes. “Lu-cozade Alert has invested in a new striking and colourful 500ml can design across all three flavours – Cherry Blast, Tropical Burst & Original Lucozade – and launched in market from January. The brand has amassed a worth of over £10m in value sales since launch and is continuing to grow.”
Performance boost
“In the performance energy category, Reign Total Body Fuel is leading the way, accounting for more than half of the value of this subsector (62%),” Burgess adds. “It contains 200mg of naturally sourced caffeine, with a recipe enriched with branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), and Vitamins B3, B6 and B12, which may contribute to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue to a normal energy-yielding metabolism.”
The brand has added two new flavours, Peach Fizz and Orange Dreamsicle, which clocked up almost £2.8m of sales within nine months of launch, according to Nielsen. “To build on this, earlier this year we launched Reign Mang-o-matic, tapping into the popularity of Mango-flavoured drinks,” she ex-plains.
- Retailers should ensure that they keep their shelves well stocked with different flavours and include pack formats for consumers purchasing to share.
- For NPD, retailers should use promotional materials such as posters, shelf talkers, and ban-ners.
- Retailers should have a theme when it comes to key national events, including the upcoming Coronation and have a section in the store specific for these occasions to cater for consumers who will be planning outdoor street parties.
- Retailers should stock PMP singles to cater for the Drinks-to-go market and as part of meal deal promotions.
- Cross-merchandise the category with cola, flavoured carbonates, juices, squashes and water (flavoured, still and sparkling).
