Beverages: Four core soft drinks trends and how your store can capitalise on them
- InsightTrendsWorld
- Mar 18
- 8 min read
Here's a detailed summary and analysis of the provided article on four core soft drink trends for retailers in 2025:
Why it is the topic trending:
Strong Performance of Soft Drinks Category: The soft drinks category continues to be a significant contributor to retailers' revenue, making understanding the driving forces behind its success essential for staying competitive.
Evolving Consumer Preferences: Consumer tastes and preferences in soft drinks are constantly changing, driven by innovation, new product launches, and the influence of global flavors and health trends.
Importance for Retailers: Retailers need to stay informed about these emerging trends to make informed decisions about their product assortment, shelf placement, and promotional strategies to maximize sales and cater to customer demand.
Overview: The article outlines four key trends in the soft drinks category that retailers should be aware of in 2025. These trends are: new flavors and global tastes, the growing importance of health and wellness, the significance of striking the right balance in pack sizes, and the continued effectiveness of communicating value through price-marked packs and larger formats.
Detailed findings:
New Flavours and Global Tastes: Consumers are seeking more variety, bigger, bolder flavours, and even new textures in their soft drinks. Retailers who monitor social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram for viral drink challenges and new international flavour crazes can capitalize on these trends. Global flavour influences such as tropical fruit blends, Asian-inspired flavours like lychee and yuzu, and Middle Eastern influences like rosewater and pistachio are gaining popularity.
Health and Wellness Growth: The health and wellness movement continues to shape the soft drinks category, with a growing demand for sugar-free and reduced-calorie options. Functional drinks with added vitamins, electrolytes, or natural ingredients are also gaining traction. Retailers are responding by increasing shelf space for healthier options and using signage and labelling to highlight them.
Striking the Right Balance on Soft Drink Pack Sizes: Retailers need to offer a diverse range of pack sizes, from single on-the-go cans and small bottles to multipacks for sharing and larger take-home bottles, to cater to various consumer needs and shopping missions. Smaller, convenient formats are increasingly preferred for on-the-go consumption.
Communicating Value in Soft Drinks: Price-marked packs (PMPs) remain effective in conveying value to consumers in the soft drinks category. Larger bottled formats and multipacks are also perceived as offering better value due to their lower cost per litre and are expected to drive significant business in 2025.
Key takeaway: To stay ahead in the soft drinks category in 2025, retailers need to prioritize stocking a diverse range of new and global flavors, cater to the growing demand for healthier, low-sugar options and functional drinks, offer a variety of pack sizes to suit different occasions, and effectively communicate value through pricing strategies like PMPs and larger formats.
Main trend: The central trend is The Diversification and Health-Consciousness of Soft Drink Consumption.
Description of the trend (The Diversification and Health-Consciousness of Soft Drink Consumption): This trend encompasses consumers seeking a wider variety of flavours, including global influences, in their soft drink choices, coupled with a significant and growing preference for healthier options such as sugar-free, low-calorie, and functional beverages. Retailers are adapting to this by offering a more diverse range of products and pack sizes while emphasizing value and clearly communicating healthier choices to consumers.
What is consumer motivation:
New Flavours and Global Tastes: Desire for novelty, excitement, and exploration of different cultures through food and beverage. Social media influence plays a role in discovering new and trending flavours.
Health and Wellness: Growing awareness of the negative health impacts of high sugar intake and a general increase in health-consciousness are driving the demand for healthier alternatives. Functional benefits are also appealing to those seeking added value beyond basic refreshment.
Pack Sizes: Convenience for individual consumption on the go, value for money through multipacks and larger sizes for sharing or stocking up, and catering to different consumption occasions.
Communicating Value: Seeking the best possible price and perceived value for their money, especially in the current economic climate.
What is driving trend:
Innovation in Flavour Development: Manufacturers are constantly innovating with new and exciting flavour combinations, including those inspired by global cuisines.
Health and Wellness Movement: The widespread adoption of health-conscious lifestyles and the increased availability of sugar-free and functional ingredients.
Changing Shopping Habits: More frequent, smaller shopping trips are driving demand for convenient, single-serve formats, while larger households and a focus on value drive demand for multipacks and bigger bottles.
Economic Pressures: Consumers are increasingly price-sensitive and looking for ways to maximize their purchasing power.
What is motivation beyond the trend: Consumers may be motivated by a desire to align their consumption habits with their personal values (health and wellness), to experience new and exciting things (global flavors), and to manage their spending effectively (value and pack sizes).
Description of consumers article is referring to: The article primarily refers to UK consumers shopping for soft drinks in convenience stores and supermarkets. This includes individuals seeking new and exciting flavours, those prioritizing their health and well-being by choosing low-sugar and functional options, shoppers looking for convenient pack sizes for on-the-go consumption or value packs for home use, and price-sensitive consumers seeking the best deals. The article specifically mentions the influence of Gen Z through social media trends driving interest in new flavours.
Conclusions: The soft drinks market in 2025 is characterized by a dynamic interplay of consumers seeking flavour innovation, prioritizing health and wellness, demanding a variety of pack sizes for different needs, and looking for value for their money. Retailers who can effectively cater to these diverse needs and preferences will be well-positioned for success in this category.
Implications for brands (Soft Drink Manufacturers):
Invest in Flavour Innovation: Continuously develop new and exciting flavours, including those inspired by global cuisines and trends seen on social media.
Expand Healthier Options: Continue to expand and improve the range of sugar-free, low-calorie, and functional soft drinks with natural ingredients and added benefits.
Offer a Variety of Pack Sizes: Ensure your product range includes options for individual consumption, sharing, and stocking up to meet diverse consumer needs.
Consider Price-Marked Packs: Utilize PMPs on popular products to clearly communicate value to consumers.
Engage with Social Media Trends: Monitor platforms like TikTok and Instagram to identify emerging flavour trends and potential product opportunities.
Implication for society: The increased availability and promotion of low-sugar and functional soft drinks could contribute to improved public health by offering consumers healthier beverage choices. The focus on diverse flavours also reflects a more globalized and adventurous consumer palate.
Implications for consumers: Consumers will have a wider variety of soft drink options to choose from, including exciting new flavours and healthier alternatives. They will also benefit from a range of pack sizes catering to different needs and more transparent communication of value through pricing strategies.
Implication for Future: The soft drinks market will likely continue to see rapid innovation in flavour and formulation, with a growing emphasis on health and functionality. The influence of social media on flavour trends will likely intensify, and retailers will play a crucial role in curating and presenting these options to consumers.
Consumer Trend (name, detailed description): Flavourful Wellness in a Bottle: Consumers are increasingly seeking soft drinks that not only taste good and offer a variety of exciting flavours but also contribute to their health and well-being through low-sugar content and added functional benefits.
Consumer Sub Trend (name, detailed description): Socially-Driven Flavour Discovery: Consumers, particularly younger generations, are increasingly influenced by social media trends when it comes to discovering and trying new and unique soft drink flavours, often driven by viral challenges and international crazes.
Big Social Trend (name, detailed description): The Globalisation of Taste: Increased travel, migration, and the accessibility of information through the internet and social media are exposing consumers to a wider range of global flavours, influencing their preferences in various food and beverage categories.
Worldwide Social Trend (name, detailed description): The focus on health and wellness in food and beverage choices is a prevalent trend across the globe, with consumers in many regions actively seeking out lower-sugar and more functional options.
Social Drive (name, detailed description): The Desire for Novelty and Well-being: Consumers are driven by a dual desire to experience new and exciting tastes while also making choices that align with their health and wellness goals.
Learnings for brands to use in 2025:
Stay Agile and Responsive to Trends: Be prepared to quickly adapt your product offerings to capitalize on emerging flavour trends identified through social media and market research.
Prioritize No-Sugar and Low-Sugar Options: Ensure a significant portion of your portfolio caters to the growing demand for healthier, lower-sugar beverages.
Explore Global and Unique Flavours: Invest in developing and launching soft drinks with flavours inspired by international cuisines and those that offer a sense of novelty.
Offer a Range of Pack Sizes for Different Occasions: Provide consumers with options that suit their various needs, whether it's an individual treat or beverages for sharing.
Communicate Value Clearly: Utilize pricing strategies and packaging to clearly convey the value proposition of your soft drink products.
Strategy Recommendations for brands to follow in 2025:
Implement Robust Social Media Monitoring: Actively track trends and consumer conversations on platforms like TikTok and Instagram to identify potential flavour innovations.
Invest in Research and Development for Healthier Formulations: Continue to explore new ingredients and technologies that allow for the creation of great-tasting, low-sugar, and functional soft drinks.
Optimize Supply Chains for Variety: Ensure your supply chain can handle the introduction and distribution of a diverse range of flavours and pack sizes.
Develop Targeted Marketing Campaigns: Tailor your marketing messages to highlight the specific benefits and attributes that appeal to different consumer segments (e.g., flavour enthusiasts, health-conscious individuals, value shoppers).
Partner with Retailers for Optimal Shelf Placement: Work with retailers to ensure that healthier options and new flavour innovations are placed prominently to encourage trial and purchase.
Final sentence (key concept) describing main trend from article: The soft drinks market in 2025 is being shaped by a consumer demand for diverse and globally-inspired flavours, a significant and growing focus on health and wellness through low-sugar and functional options, and the importance of offering the right pack sizes and clearly communicating value to meet various shopping needs.
What brands & companies should do in 2025 to benefit from trend and how to do it: In 2025, soft drink brands and companies should capitalize on the trend of diversification and health-consciousness by:
Actively monitoring social media and global food trends to identify and quickly bring to market innovative and exciting new flavours that appeal to consumers seeking variety and novelty.
Significantly expanding their portfolios of no-sugar, low-calorie, and functional beverages to cater to the increasing number of health-conscious consumers who are prioritizing their well-being when choosing drinks.
Ensuring they offer a comprehensive range of pack sizes, from single-serve options for on-the-go consumption to larger formats and multipacks that communicate value to consumers looking to stock up or share.
Final note:
Core Trend:
Name: The Evolving Soft Drink Palate
Detailed Description: Consumers are seeking both adventurous and healthy options in soft drinks, moving beyond traditional choices and demanding more variety and wellness benefits.
Core Strategy:
Name: Cater to Diversity and Health
Detailed Description: Brands should prioritize innovation in flavour, expand their healthier offerings, and provide a range of pack sizes to meet the multifaceted demands of today's soft drink consumers.
Core Industry Trend:
Name: The Transformation of the Beverage Aisle
Detailed Description: The soft drink aisle is becoming increasingly diverse, reflecting a wider range of consumer preferences for flavour, health, and convenience.
Core Consumer Motivation:
Name: Seeking Flavour, Health, Convenience, and Value
Detailed Description: Consumers are motivated by a combination of factors when choosing soft drinks, including the desire for enjoyable and exciting flavours, options that align with their health and wellness goals, convenient formats for various occasions, and products that offer good value for their money.
Final Conclusion: The soft drinks market in 2025 presents significant opportunities for brands that can successfully navigate the evolving consumer preferences for diverse flavours, healthier options, varied pack sizes, and clear value, positioning themselves to capture a larger share of this strong-performing category.
Core Trend Detailed (words on Core Trend): The core trend of "The Diversification and Health-Consciousness of Soft Drink Consumption" highlights a significant shift in consumer behaviour. No longer content with traditional sugary sodas, consumers are actively exploring a wider array of flavour profiles, including influences from around the globe, indicating a more adventurous palate. Simultaneously, there's a powerful and growing demand for healthier options, with a strong preference for low-sugar and zero-sugar beverages, as well as those offering added functional benefits. This dual focus on flavour exploration and health consciousness is reshaping the soft drinks category, pushing manufacturers and retailers to adapt their offerings to meet these evolving and sometimes competing consumer desires.
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