How did more time at home impact our drinks choices?
Take home beverage brands saw increased demand in 2020 and many rose to the challenge of catering for new consumption needs. Both hot and cold beverages saw a significant rise in the number of consumption occasions taking place at home as consumers looked to replace those drinks usually consumed in hospitality venues or on the go.
There has been a sharp rise in beverages consumed with meals at home, such as at breakfast for coffee, and with lunch for colas and lemonades. Cola continues to be the most popular sector within beverages, and Coca-Cola and Pepsi take the top two positions in our top 20. In addition, buyers have been looking to replicate the experience of going to pubs and bars at home, with alcohol and mixer brands like Schweppes at seven, and Fevertree in position 18 in the ranking, thriving as a result.
One of the key themes over the course of the past year has been shoppers increasing the volumes they’re purchasing, with the online channel well placed to meet this demand. Pepsi (in second place) launched its Pepsi Max Cherry Variant in a 24 can bulk pack to appeal to those shoppers looking to buy in greater quantities due to the pandemic.
Health trends continue to play a big role within the category, with low sugar variants consistently attracting greater numbers of shoppers. Going forward we can expect this to accelerate as government action may result in limits on how high sugar drinks can be displayed and promoted in store, prompting retailers and manufacturers to consider how best to negotiate these challenges when it comes to ranging.
Schweppes was one of the biggest risers in 2020 moving from tenth to seventh place in the ranking. The significant increase in the beverages being enjoyed at home benefited many brands but Schweppes stands out as the brand best able to capitalise on wider market trends. In particular, Schweppes has a strong association with alcohol, one of the best performing categories throughout 2020, and the complementary occasions helped boost the reach of the brand this year.
Register for the webinar where our experts go into more detail on the dynamics at play in the beverages sector.
