And consumers are looking for low or zero-calorie drinks
In Scotland, brand owner Lucozade Ribena Suntory said Lucozade Energy is growing sales value by 10.5% while the total sports and energy category is growing at just 1.3%.
And, reporting increasing interest for low and zero-calorie soft drinks, Lucozade says its Lucozade Energy Reduced Sugar Tropical Fusion is well-placed to meet such demand.
Category director Georgina Thomas said: “Low and zero-calorie soft drinks sales represent £1.8bn and are growing at 1%, whilst total soft drinks are showing a decline of 0.1%.
“Lucozade Energy exotic flavours continue to grow in popularity, with Caribbean Crush experiencing 32% year-on-year value growth and Mango & Mandarin having already reached £12m in sales within its first 12 months.
“Earlier this year, Lucozade launched Special Edition Lucozade Energy Grafruitti which has delivered £4.1m sales for retailers in Scotland in five months.”
Thomas said the Lucozade Sport brand is outperforming the sports category by 8.6%.
The latest launch from Lucozade Sport, Lucozade Sport Mango & Passion Fruit, achieved 4.4% share of the overall sports category within the first eight weeks after its launch and Thomas said it was the biggest sports drink NPD in 2015, generating £1.8m in its first three months.
She said: “In addition to Lucozade Sport, which provides carbohydrates and electrolytes to help performance during prolonged exercise, we offer Lucozade Sport Lite which is ideal when participating in exercise for under an hour.
“For the sports drink segment to experience growth, it is important to continue to invest.”
• Retailers should allocate a suitable amount of space for energy drinks with chillers and display units at the front of the store or in an area where customers can see them straight away, argues sports drink provider iPro Sport.
And, it says, in a market that is becoming increasingly health-conscious, consumers are becoming more interested in the benefits of their drink.
Marketing director Lisa Marraffa said: “To maximise sales, retailers should ensure they stock a range that is both attractive and functional.
“Sports drinks should not be overlooked, with 61% of consumers reporting to have drunk sports drinks in the last 12 months significantly higher than energy drinks at 46%.”
