The value of soft drinks and mixers is growing at a much faster pace than volume as consumers choose higher cost options, a new report from Fentimans and the CGA has found.
Its inaugural UK On-Trade Premium Soft Drinks and Mixers Market Report 2019 revealed that the company had recorded value sales growth of 5.4% in the year to April 2019, outstripping volume growth of 1.8%.
Growth in the premium sector is being led by mixers, with premium mixer sales up 81.3% to £323.1m in the year to April. Flavoured carbonates were up 5.6% to £47.1, and lemonade up 6.1% to £36.5m.
Value growth in premium spirits was also up, (+6.7%), outstripping volume growth of 2.6%.
The report said that in terms of drink sales overall pubs and bars were outperforming restaurants. Fentimans said it had seen like-for-like drink sales growth of 2.1% for leading managed pubs and restaurants in the year to April, compared to a 0.7% fall for restaurant groups.
The report also notes five future trends which could impact the drinks market in 2019 and beyond: Nordic flavours, including more unusual ingredients such as liquorice, cloudberry and sea buckthorn; fermentation-based drinks; super-premium -with the space likely to grow for dark spirits in particular; Eastern influences – particularly from Japan, where the 2019 Rugby World Cup and 2020 Olympics are being held; and a move towards more savoury profiles over sweet, such as pea, celery and beetroot.
